A strange, shameless life

Edward von Kloberg III - he added the "von" to his name because it sounded sophisticated - committed suicide last weekend after years of lobbying for the world's worst dictators, tyrants and killers:

As part of Washington's image machinery for more than two decades, Edward von Kloberg III did his best to sanitize some of the late 20th century's most notorious dictators as they sought favors and approval from U.S. officials.

A legend of sorts in public relations circles, he counted as clients Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Samuel K. Doe of Liberia; Nicolae Ceausescu of Romania; the military regime in Burma; Guatemalan businessmen who supported the country's murderous, military-backed government; Mobutu Sese Seko of the former Zaire; and, in a figurative coup of his own, the man who overthrew Mobutu and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Von Kloberg embraced the slogan "shame is for sissies" as well as an unabashedly Edwardian style of living. He arrived at balls and galas wearing black capes, and he traveled with steamer trunks. He added the "von" to his name because he thought it sounded distinguished.
[...]
Von Kloberg expressed no ethical concerns about his work, saying people such as Hussein were U.S. allies at the time. He said he was "utterly fascinated" by the Iraqi leader and returned to the District to "propagandize why they were gassing the Kurds." The reason given, he said, was to prevent Arab fundamentalism from spreading in the Persian Gulf.

"That's pretty awful, isn't it?" he said in an interview. "That's what you had to do for the overall point."

Political pariahs, he said, were like defendants at trial who have a right to legal counsel. By encouraging investment relations between the United States and his clients' countries, he hoped to foster a democratizing influence abroad.

He cited the case of Ceausescu, for whom he won U.S. trade concessions. In return, he said, the dictator permitted the printing of Bibles for the first time in decades and, for a stiff price, allowed Soviet Jews to travel through Romania on their way to Israel.

Ceausescu had the Bibles turned into toilet paper. As for a "defence lawyer" comparison, we accept that the State must prove an accused's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and accordingly we accept that even the most distasteful client is entitled to a defence. There is no constitutional right to good PR, however, and "von" Kloberg took his fascination with absolute evil - something we all have, to some deree - to disturbing extremes.

Captain Ed has more thoughts.

Posted by damian at May 4, 2005 07:32 AM | TrackBack