Life Imitates The Onion

[Maxie Zeus]

Ex-Dictator Broke, Living With Mom (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60454-2002Jul25.html)



FREETOWN, Sierra Leone –– Losing your job, quitting school, going broke and moving back home with your mother after living abroad for years would be tough on anyone.

It's even tougher when you're a former military dictator who once had the power to execute opponents at will.

Valentine Strasser became the world's youngest head of state when he seized power in 1992 at the age of 25. But the limelight didn't last – four years later, he was ousted in another coup.

"I'm basically living off my mother now. She's been very supportive," the 35-year-old said at a neighborhood bar on the outskirts of Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital.

"It's been tough. I'm unemployed, but I'm coping."

[Weatherman]

Heh, that's funny. :)


"Clean up your room young man."

"Yes mom"

*thinks* "You would have never told me that when I was ruling the country"

[Barb Gordon]

Wow....very amusing. Probably every dictator's worst nightmare: moving back with mom!

~Barb

[RogueMartian]

Hehehe. That's funny.

[Pilmedium]

Throwing stones at him only showed their immaturity, but it probably was tempting. ;) Who would have thought that someone who had such power would end up in a situation like that?

[TimTwoFace]

Wow, why don't I ever see funny stuff like this on the news?

:D

-Tim

[Squall]

OK, so we know this guy moved back in with his Mom in South Africa, but which country was he dictator of from 1992-1996???

:confused:

[Weatherman]

The one the story came from. ;)


F.Y.I. Sierra Leone

[Pilmedium]

Originally posted by TimTwoFace
Wow, why don't I ever see funny stuff like this on the news?

I think the news only carries the most important and serious issues. I'm afraid things like these do not fall into those categories. ;)

[sun]

I think that Yahoo, has a section on strange news, and some other web sites too,,,of course you could try Google, and get hundreds of odd stories, if you get them right...People do the most rediculous things immagineable,and they are all true...When I was teaching, I showed exerpts from a film called, "In Cold Blood," a novel by I think Gore Vidal? Now, Robert Blake, one of the stars of that film, which is about the murder of a Kansas family, who is best known as "Beretta" is charged with murder...He was quoted after the film "In Cold Blood " was released ,that it really made him depressed for months..That film, buy the way was considered one of the best of the year. Furthere,they won't even release him on bond..I think it was national news, yesterday...Unfortunately, truth is stranger than fiction..It is not a funny story, just strange but you will find funny ones too,if you look for them..Staurt

[James]

His mum is supportive? Of his situation? His past history? His job searches? His need to execute the rioting nest of ants in his back garden?

The mind boggles...

[sun]

Originally posted by SJJ
His mum is supportive? Of his situation? His past history? His job searches? His need to execute the rioting nest of ants in his back garden?

The mind boggles... I agree with you completely, he seems to have lost it....but we was something in that film, what shame, so many people in today's world, lost it sort to speak, throw away everything, for the stupidist reason....You are right, the mind boggles....