In a spoiler box, just in case you actually want to guess.
[spoiler]They’re both multiple winners of Time Magazine’s title of “Person of the Year.” (article)
Hey, I have to make dumb jokes – it’s the only comfort I can take in seeing a guy I detest this much be proclaimed person of the year. It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t agree with them – for better or for worse, Bush really did effect the world more than anyone else this year. Unfortunately, it was (at least IMHO), mostly for worse. :([/spoiler]
This should be in the pit shouldn’t it? :rolleyes: And, BTW, that was not a joke. It was a cheap political jab. This board discourages this type of thing because if you had an actual developed, intelligent opinion on this matter, you would have posted it in Great Debates where you be asked to take a coherent position instead of a drive-by. You should have picked one or the other: the Pit where you can defend your position against counter petty insults with illogical rhetoric of you own or Great Debates where you will need to defend your words against intelligent analysis. Are you sure that this is the place for you?
I thought they chose person of the year based on the effect they had on the world, not on who is the greatest person of the year. Hitler was man of the year in 1938.
Huh? What position has he taken? What in the world is there to be analysised? That both Stalin and Bush have been named Man of the Year by Time more than once? That Bush deserves to be so named as he’s had so much effect on the world this year? That tim detests him? I don’t think any of these points are debatable.
It’s hardly like he’s putting foward an argument that Bush is like Stalin.
Oh, puh-leeze, I loathe Dubya, but we’re stuck with the SOB for four more years. As bad a leader as he is, Bush is petty evil compared to the monstrosity of Stalin’s reign of terror. Its’ liek comparing a case of the sniffles to leprosy.
And Bush was the most important and influential figure of the year, so Time was right to nominate him.
You know, for 2001 they almost named Osama bin Laden the Man of the Year, since the 9/11 attacks were easily the most influential thing to happen that year. After everybody complained, they copped out and chose Rudie Guilianni.
You’ll notice though, the OP makes the point that Bush and Stalin are similar in a way COMPLETELY devoid of human rights issues. That’s where the humor is; you hear the setup and expect the punchline to be something snarky or terrible, only to find out it isn’t a joke, but an actual valid comparison.
None of the ardent Bush-haters here are saying it’s a valid comparison in any other way, and in fact are arguing against that.
tim is not actually equating Bush with Stalin. How close is Bush to matching the 12,000,000 Stalin killed? is not a relavent question. He just came up with a juxatoposition he thought would provoke people…and apparently it worked. Despite the fact that the “joke” is it’s just that they’ve both been Man of the Year more than once. After which he aknowledged that he deserve to be man of the year. Honestly people.
Now that it’s in the Pit maybe I can express myself more eloquently.
What the fuck are you talking about, ass-munch!
Are you seriously equating Bush to Stalin? I know most here disagree with Bush’s policies, but I would hope they would accept him over Stalin.
Or would you prefer an electorate that would vote Stalin into the White House over Bush? As much as Bush hatred is espoused here, I have to keep faith in Dopers to take him over Stalin.
