Saif al-Gaddafi is a tragic hero overcome by his flaws, part eleventy billion

[Cain]

 

http://nymag.com/print/?/news/politics/saif-qaddafi-2011-5/index3.html

Saif showed, of all things, an affinity for America, the country Muammar had made his name maligning. After studying architecture and engineering in Tripoli, he earned degrees in Vienna and at the London School of Economics, and he became enamored of American political history and culture (His favorite movie, reportedly, is Saw).

Gotta love how that slips in there.  Is the author implying American political history and culture can be summed up by the Saw films (not an entirely unreasonable belief, to be fair.  Watching the American political process is a form of psychological torture)?  That Saw is of value as a historical and cultural film?  That, indeed, we should approve of the sons of dictators watching gory torture porn and approving of it?

Plz advise.

[Jenne]

Hm...I think he's just stating this guy is not the same brand of "usual Arab dictator" his father is, that he embraced at one time American and other Western ways of thinking--even to the point that he loves popular culture movies like Saw (*gag*)?

That's how I interpreted it, but maybe that's too obvious or something...all I know is, if he's lockstep with his ol' daddy, then he's a fuck up and no amount of "Westernization" is going to make up for that.

We've seen this before, in other words.

[Phox]

Isn't Kim Jong Il a fan of American pop culture? I seem to recall that he's fond of Daffy Duck and Hollywood blockbusters. So, I think that making the assumption that "fond of Western culture" = "American friendly", is rather stupid. I like how they are framing it as well. Saif is a cool guy until he goes back home, then he turns into his father without warning. Yeah, that's what happened.

[Adios]

I can't be the only one who finds this funny as hell.

[Juana]

Nope. I do, too.

Isn't Kim Jong Il a fan of American pop culture? I seem to recall that he's fond of Daffy Duck and Hollywood blockbusters. So, I think that making the assumption that "fond of Western culture" = "American friendly", is rather stupid. I like how they are framing it as well. Saif is a cool guy until he goes back home, then he turns into his father without warning. Yeah, that's what happened.

IAWTC

[Prince Glittersnatch III]

Pffft. Saw? What is this pop culture drivel?


If he REALLY had any appreciation for Americas rich cinematic heritage his favorite film would be the epic masterpiece, Human Centipede.

[Laughin Jude]

Pffft. Saw? What is this pop culture drivel?


If he REALLY had any appreciation for Americas rich cinematic heritage his favorite film would be the epic masterpiece, Human Centipede.

That's Dutch.

Also I just watched it last night and it's kinda lame.

[Cain]

All of Saif's little media lickspittles are running scared now.  They dreamt up the "globalization turns dictator's son into pro-western moderate" and now they have to run with it, or admit they were wrong, that someone can just as easily be a thug while wearing a suit and quoting Thomas Friedman* as they can by commanding an ethnically-based militia to genocide their political rivals.

*a description which aptly applies to most politicians and major CEOs, incidentally

[Prince Glittersnatch III]

Pffft. Saw? What is this pop culture drivel?


If he REALLY had any appreciation for Americas rich cinematic heritage his favorite film would be the epic masterpiece, Human Centipede.

I just watched it last night and it's kinda lame.

You have no appreciation of fine art.