Regime Change Begins at Home
“Regime Change Begins at Home” playing cards designed by Noel Douglas, c. 2003.
Following the example of the many US packs of “Wanted” and “Unwanted” individuals in relation to the Iraqi War which began in 2003, this British pack was published by Bookmarks Publications of London and was designed by Noel Douglas. Though undated, one joker is the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Charles Kennedy, who led the Party 1999-2006; the other is Clare Short who resigned from her post of International Development Secretary in May 2003. Many of the individuals shown in this pack do not relate specifically to the Iraqi War but rather represent “our most unwanted individuals and organisations within our own countries who pose the real threat to peace and security on a global scale”. Each card includes a photo and underneath is a short description of their name, rank or position, and an explanation of their contribution to “a regime that put profits before people”.
Above: “Regime Change Begins at Home” playing cards published by Bookmarks Publications of London and designed by Noel Douglas.
By Peter Burnett
United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
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