"Three Most Absurd Moments in the World's Political History"

[Hissyspit]

A YouTube comment I found at a Young Turks post just now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns3d6zSGPws

politicalfarce (2 minutes ago)

The most absurd moments in the world's political history:

3 - Roman Emperor Caligula appointed his own horse as a Consul

2 - Italians elected Porn Star Cicciolina to parlament

1 - We didn't impeach George Bush

Friggin unbelievable

[UndertheOcean]

1. Caligula did that ?

wow

[Hissyspit]

2. Supposedly:

From Wikipedia.org:

There are few surviving sources on reign of Caligula, and although he is described as noble and moderate ruler during his first two years of reign, after this the sources focus upon his cruelty, extravagance and sexual perversity, presenting him as an insane tyrant. While the reliability of these sources has been difficult to assess, what is known is that during his brief reign, Caligula worked to increase the authority of the Principate, but struggled to maintain his position in the face of several conspiracies to overthrow him. He focused much of his attention on ambitious construction projects, and annexed Mauretania but failed to conquer Britain.

- snip -

Surviving sources present a number of stories about Caligula that illustrate cruelty and insanity.
The contemporaneous sources, Philo of Alexandria and Seneca the Younger, describe an insane Emperor who was self-absorbed, angry, killed on a whim, and who indulged in too much spending and sex.<97> He is accused of sleeping with other men's wives and bragging about it,<98> killing for mere amusement,<99> purposely wasting money on his bridge, causing starvation,<100> and wanting a statue of himself erected in the Temple of Jerusalem for his worship.<94>
While repeating the earlier stories, the later sources of Suetonius and Cassius Dio add additional tales of insanity. They accuse Caligula of incest with his sisters, Agrippina, Drusilla and Julia Livilla, and say he prostituted them to other men.<101> They state he sent troops on illogical military exercises.<102><74> They also allege he made the palace into a literal brothel.<53> Perhaps most famous, they say that Caligula tried to make his horse, Incitatus, a consul and a priest.<103>

[gatorboy]

3. Certainly the Dean Scream deserves a spot.

It was the first time I realized that America is less concerned with actually finding someone practical for the job of President and more interested in the freak show aspect of these races. All the things this President has done and THAT got more air play???