The decadent whims of the world's wackiest dictators

They're quirky, vibrant, and they march to the beat of their own military drums, when they're not off committing crimes against humanity. Since time immemorial, autocrats, absolute monarchs, dictators, and less than savory heads of state have shown a penchant for the unconventional and over-the-top, in both their personal lives and political careers.

When Senior General Than Shwe was spooked by a negative astrological reading, he abruptly ordered that the capital of Myanmar be moved from Rangoon to a dusty jungle town called PyinmanaThis billionaire old-boys club has been increasingly under the spotlight as pop culture has melded with their pomp culture. Ugandan president Idi Amin's antics were chronicled in a recent film, The Last King of Scotland, and Trey Parker and Matt Stone have given despots like Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Il their 15 minutes in the cartoon creations South Park and Team America. In the book Dictator Style: Lifestyles of the World's Most Colorful Despots (2005), Peter York played Robin Leach to a catalog of garish and grandiose dictator homesteads from Mussolini manor to casa Tito.

As Cuban Commandante Fidel Castro, rumored to be on his deathbed, is poised to release his self-titled autobiography in early spring, and Saddam Hussein's O.J.-like trial has ended with him sentenced to be hanged by the end of next month, the fascist fascination is sure to grow. To bring you up to speed, Radar has compiled a list of ten autocrats that rate not so much for their ability to govern with an iron fist but for their personal levels of outrageousness and eccentricity. After all, there's no business like show business ... except maybe a career in totalitarian political domination.

Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Quaddafi
COUNTRY: Libya
REIGN OF TERROR: 1969–present
HOW HE BROKE INTO THE BUSINESS: Military coup

Though significantly softened with age since he was public enemy No. 1 in the '90s, Muammar al-Quaddafi continues to rule Libya with flair. He is often clad in shimmering, metallic-flowing garb that could give M.C. Hammer a run for his money, but when he goes on tour, he doesn't opt for the pop-star treatment. Instead of checking in to lavish hotels, Al-Quaddafi has been known to go on the move in mobile homes and ultimately set up camp in a brown Bedouin tent.

And the military motif doesn't end there. Clad in chic, form-fitting camouflage fatigues, his personal bodyguards are made up of an all-girl Amazonian unit alleged to be virgins. The 40-femme corps of African beauties is also said to be highly trained in martial arts and weaponry. Clearly a ladies' man, Al-Quaddafi even hosted the Miss Net World beauty pageant in 2002, an event which boasted being the first in the world of its kind online. Though he may enjoy frolicking with the females and landscape design (he has ordered Tripoli residents to paint their rooftops green, giving the appearance of lushness to visitors flying in on planes), he's ultimately a man's man. An avid soccer fan, he purchased a 7.5 percent share of the Italian soccer club Juventus in 2002. With all of that under his belt, it's no wonder the autocrat inspired the English National Opera's production of Gaddafi [sic]: A Living Myth.

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