May/June 2007 Issue

Dictators On Parade

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In 2003, when America was still getting acquainted with the “Axil of Evil,” Parade, the Sunday newspaper supplement best known for its Hummel figurine ads, asked The Book of Lists author David Wallechinksy to compile a list of the world’s top 10 dictators. The feature proved so popular that he has repeated it every year since, drawing on government data and human rights groups’ reports for his admittedly subjective project. (Chart shows the ranking of the top-10 dictators whose PR efforts Joshua Kurlantzick documents above.) Wallechinsky says that he hears from PR firms that represent the dictators�”perhaps pleading, “Dude! My guy’s way worse than Kim Jong Il”

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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