History UsefulNotes / IdiAmin

* ''"The Collected Bulletins of Idi Amin"'' and ''"The Further Bulletins of Idi Amin" (1974 and 1975)'': Books compiled from the ''"Punch"'' magazine columns of the British humourist Alan Coren. While today they would no doubt be considered highly offensive, Coren's lampooning of Amin's famously garbled pidgin English (a consequence of his sadly illiterate upbringing), and penchant for public acts of buffoonery that mingled hideously with his known penchant for crimes against humanity guarantees a hearty (if somewhat guilt-filled) laugh to the contemporary reader. The books were later recorded as the 1975 album ''"The Collected Broadcasts of Idi Amin"'', recited with a suitably comically insensitive accent by the comedian John Bird.

* A [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshe_Levinger skit]] on the Israeli satire show ''Nikui Rosh'' compared [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshe_Levinger Moshe Levinger]] to him, calling him 'Rabbi Levinger Dada' and portraying him as a madman who encourages violence against IDF soldiers and talks to rocks. At the end of the skit, Levinger says, "Idi Amin? He's just a madman! He's all talk, talk, talk--I ''act''!"

* Comedian John Bird recorded an entire comedy album where he imitates Idi Amin, ''The Collected Broadcasts of Idi Amin'', with the catchy song "Amazin' Man".

* ''"The Collected Bulletins of Idi Amin"'' and ''"The Further Bulletins of Idi Amin" (1974 and 1975)'': Books compiled from the ''"Punch"'' magazine columns of the British humourist Allan Coren. While today they would no doubt be considered highly offensive, Coren's lampooning of Amin's famously garbled pidgin English (a consequence of his sadly illiterate upbringing), and penchant for public acts of buffoonery that mingled hideously with his known penchant for crimes against humanity guarantees a hearty (if somewhat guilt-filled) laugh to the contemporary reader. The books were later recorded as the 1975 album ''"The Collected Broadcasts of Idi Amin"'', recited with a suitably comically insensitive accent by the comedian John Bird.

All these reports turned Amin into one of the most colorful and frequently mocked politicians of TheSeventies. As the decade went on, he was subject of many sensationalized ExploitationFilm documentaries and biopics that focused on his gruesome deeds, such as ''[[Film/GeneralIdiAminDadaASelfPortrait General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait]]'' (1974), ''Victory at Entebbe'' (1976), ''Raid On Entebbe'' (1977), ''Operation Thunderbolt'' (1977), and the ''Rise and Fall of Idi Amin'' (1981).

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge circa 1925]] - August 16, 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a [[MilitaryCoup coup]] that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a socialist who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. Support for the coup was also widespread among Ugandans, since Obote's governance was increasingly brutal and authoritarian. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however]], [[FromBadToWorse would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera]], almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' among other grandiose titles (see also that BlingOfWar in his picture) and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane had just landed on the London airport. And when Britain was facing an economic crisis, he mockingly started a charity called "Save the British Fund" to humiliate them. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

All these reports turned Amin into one of the most colorful and frequently mocked politicians of TheSeventies. As the decade went on, he was subject of many sensationalized ExploitationFilm documentaries and biopics that focused on his gruesome deeds, such as ''[[Film/GeneralIdiAminDadaASelfPortrait General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait]]'' (1974), ''Victory at Entebbe'' (1976)', ''Raid On Entebbe'' (1977), ''Operation Thunderbolt'' (1977), and the ''Rise and Fall of Idi Amin'' (1981).

All these reports turned Amin into one of the most colorful and frequently mocked politicians of TheSeventies. As the decade went on, he was subject of many sensationalized ExploitationFilm documentaries and biopics that focused on his gruesome deeds, such as ''[[Film/GeneralIdiAminDadaASelfPortrait General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait]]'' (1974), '"Victory at Entebbe'' (1976)', ''Raid On Entebbe'' (1977), ''Operation Thunderbolt'' (1977), and the ''Rise and Fall of Idi Amin'' (1981).

All these reports turned Amin into one of the most colorful and frequently mocked politicians of TheSeventies. As the decade went on, he was subject of many sensationalized ExploitationFilm documentaries and biopics that focused on his gruesome deeds, such as ''[[Film/GeneralIdiAminDadaASelfPortrait General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait]]'' (1974), ''Raid On Entebbe'' (1977), ''"Victory at Entebbe" (1976)'', ''"Operation Thunderbolt" (1977)'', and the ''Rise and Fall of Idi Amin'' (1981).

All these reports turned Amin into one of the most colorful and frequently mocked politicians of TheSeventies. As the decade went on, he was subject of many sensationalized ExploitationFilm documentaries and biopics that focused on his gruesome deeds, such as ''[[Film/GeneralIdiAminDadaASelfPortrait General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait]]'' (1974), ''Raid On Entebbe'' (1977), ''"Victory at Entebbe" (1976)'', ''"Operation Thunderbolt" (1977)'', and the ''Rise And Fall Of Idi Amin'' (1981).

On 30th October, 1978, Idi Amin sent troops to invade the Kagera region of Uganda's neighbor UsefulNotes/{{Tanzania}}, starting the Uganda-Tanzania War. Unfortunately for Amin, however, Uganda's military was mostly trained to execute its own civilians and thus ill-prepared to actually fight a war against another country. As a result, Tanzania defeated Uganda's invasion with [[CurbStompBattle embarrassing ease]], and, in turn, ''they'' [[EpicFail invaded Uganda]]. Though he received military support from UsefulNotes/MuammarGaddafi and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Tanzanians toppled Idi Amin's regime and he fled to Libya and then to Saudi Arabia ([[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder after getting caught by Gaddafi plotting to overthrow him]]), where he lived in exile until his death on August 16, 2003.

* ''Film/TheLastKingOfScotland'': Giles Foden's novel as well as the film adaptation

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge circa 1925]] - August 16, 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a [[MilitaryCoup coup]] that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a socialist who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. Support for the coup was also widespread among Ugandans, since Obote's governance was increasingly brutal and authoritarian. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however]], [[EvilerThanThou would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera]], almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' among other grandiose titles (see also that BlingOfWar in his picture) and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane had just landed on the London airport. And when Britain was facing an economic crisis, he mockingly started a charity called "Save the British Fund" to humiliate them. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

On 30th October, 1978, Idi Amin sent troops to invade the Kagera region of Uganda's neighbor UsefulNotes/{{Tanzania}}, starting the Uganda-Tanzania War. Unfortunately for Amin, however, Uganda's military was mostly trained to execute its own civilians and thus ill-prepared to actually fight a war against another country. As a result, Tanzania defeated Uganda's invasion with [[CurbStompBattle embarrassing ease]], and, in turn, ''they'' [[EpicFail invaded Uganda]]. Though he received military support from UsefulNotes/MuammarGaddafi and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Tanzanians toppled Idi Amin's regime and he fled to Libya and Saudi Arabia, where he lived in exile until his death on August 16, 2003.

Behind the scenes however, Amin's regime was characterized by [[BewareTheSillyOnes gross human rights abuse, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement]]. In 1972, Amin plunged his East African nation into economic chaos by expelling tens of thousands of Asians who had controlled the country's economy. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000. He was said to be a [[ImAHumanitarian cannibal]], which remains unproven, but heads of his victims were found inside his fridge. He also ordered many people to be executed by [[FedToTheBeast being fed to crocodiles]].

* The 2011 hex-and-counter wargamer [[https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/94615/last-king-scotland The Last King of Scotland]] is based off the Uganda–Tanzania War that brought about Idi Amin's downfall.

On 30th October, 1978, Idi Amin sent troops (with military support from UsefulNotes/MuammarGaddafi) to invade the Kagera region of Uganda's neighbor UsefulNotes/{{Tanzania}}, starting the Uganda-Tanzania War. Unfortunately for Amin, however, Uganda's military was mostly trained to execute its own civilians and thus ill-prepared to actually fight a war against another country. As a result, Tanzania defeated Uganda's invasion with [[CurbStompBattle embarrassing ease]], and, in turn, ''they'' [[EpicFail invaded Uganda]]. The Tanzanians toppled Idi Amin's regime and he fled to Libya and Saudi Arabia, where he lived in exile until his death on August 16, 2003.

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Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge circa 1925]] - August 16, 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a Socialist who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however,]] [[EvilerThanThou would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for [[CloudCuckoolander saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera]], almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' among other grandiose titles (see also that BlingOfWar in his picture) and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane had just landed on the London airport. And when Britain was facing an economic crisis, he mockingly started a charity called "Save the British Fund" to humiliate them. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

* He received an article in The Onion's ''Literature/OurDumbCentury'': "Idi Amin Praises Former Ugandan Defense Minister As [[ImAHumanitarian 'Delicious']]"

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge circa 1925]] - August 16, 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a Socialist who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however,]] [[EvilerThanThou would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for [[CloudCuckoolander saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera]], almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane had just landed on the London airport. And when Britain was facing an economic crisis, he mockingly started a charity called "Save the British Fund" to humiliate them. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - August 16, 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a Socialist who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however,]] [[EvilerThanThou would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for [[CloudCuckoolander saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera]], almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane had just landed on the London airport. And when Britain was facing an economic crisis, he mockingly started a charity called "Save the British Fund" to humiliate them. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

* He is the subject of the sprawling, fantastically sleazy (yet surprisingly historically accurate) exploitation epic, "''Film/TheRiseAndFallOfAmin''" (1981). Kenyan actor Joseph Olita, who played Amin, later reprised it in a cameo for the film ''"Mississippi Massala"'', about the 1972 deportation of the Ugandan Asians.

On 30th October, 1978, Idi Amin sent troops (with military support from UsefulNotes/MuammarGaddafi) to invade the Kagera region of Uganda's neighbor UsefulNotes/{{Tanzania}}, starting the Uganda-Tanzania War. Unfortunately for Amin, however, Uganda's military was mostly trained to execute its own civilians and thus ill-prepared to fight a war against another country. As a result, Tanzania defeated Uganda's invasion with [[CurbStompBattle embarrassing ease]], and, in turn, ''they'' [[EpicFail invaded Uganda]]. The Tanzanians toppled Idi Amin's regime and he fled to Libya and Saudi Arabia, where he lived in exile until his death on August 16, 2003.

* Music/TheSexPistols released a 1978 single, "No One Is Innocent", sung by criminal on the run Ronnie Biggs, where they praise various notorious people and also shout "God Bless Idi Amin" at one point. By the way, Music/JohnLydon had already left the group at this point and didn't want to have anything to do with it.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - August 16, 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a dictator who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however,]] [[EvilerThanThou would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for [[CloudCuckoolander saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera]], almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane had just landed on the London airport. And when Britain was facing an economic crisis, he mockingly started a charity called "Save the British Fund" to humiliate them. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - August 16, 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a dictator who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however, would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for [[CloudCuckoolander saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera]], almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane had just landed on the London airport. And when Britain was facing an economic crisis, he mockingly started a charity called "Save the British Fund" to humiliate them. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.