In light of the extreme overuse of Adolf Hitler as a political epithet, we’ve already explored three other notorious 20th-century tyrants — Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong — whose cruelty and bloodlust qualify them as appropriate substitutes for the Nazi dictator in public discourse.
Though not referenced nearly as much as Hitler in ideological disputes, our three previous subjects do have significant name recognition among the general public.
So, here are some other despots whose crimes are often overlooked but who were no less brutal than their more infamous colleagues.
Kim Il-Sung
These days, Kim Il-Sung is best known as the father of Kim Jong-Il and the grandfather of North Korea’s current ruler, Kim Jong Un, but his 46-year rule laid the foundation for much of the suffering and depravity inflicted by his descendants.
Kim began his violent career as a guerrilla…
