Who is your favorite foreign leader

[Chiahead]

I don't know about everyone else, but mine is Silvio Berlusconi if he were still in power

[Hatman 🍁]

I don't know about everyone else, but mine is Silvio Berlusconi if he were still in power

Disgusting.

My three favourites:

Michelle Bachelet (Chile)
Helen Clark  (New Zealand)
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (Liberia)

[Verily]

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (Liberia)

There aren't all that many inspiring foreign leaders, and it hardly helps that I tend to support liberal parties in the labor-conservative dominated politics of Europe.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Um, boy, dunno... national leaders tend to be horrible people, be it at home or overseas.

[True Democrat]

Blair (I see Clinton in him)

[minionofmidas]

Um, boy, dunno... national leaders tend to be horrible people, be it at home or overseas.

True.

[Cubby]

Blair (I see Clinton in him)

Gross!

Tony Blair (I'm enjoying these last few months. I don't care about his views on Iraq, whats more important is that he overturned Section 28)

Pervez Musharraf (For once a military coup ended up being a good thing)

Jose Zapatero (Spain) Take a guess

Mahmoud Abbas and Helen Clark would be runners-up.

[opebo]

Are there any really pro-prostitution ones?  I guess I'll say Zapatero for the moment.

[Colin]

I've always liked John Howard I think his stewardship of the economy through his five terms has been marvelous and he always seemed to be sensible on issues that mattered however he is prone to being just distinctly crazy on issues like asylum for refugees and this stuff he just said about Obama and the Iraq War. Did Bush give him that soundbit?

Angela Merkel has been okay better than most but nowhere near a favourite.

Really there aren't any fabulous or standout leaders at this point in time.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I don't think I really have one; leaders tend not to be very nice people. Some are obviously far worse than others o/c.

however he is prone to being just distinctly crazy on issues like asylum for refugees and this stuff he just said about Obama and the Iraq War.

It's far from crazy; it's cynical (and highly effective, most of the time), yet slightly coded in a way, race-baiting.

[Colin]

I don't think I really have one; leaders tend not to be very nice people. Some are obviously far worse than others o/c.

however he is prone to being just distinctly crazy on issues like asylum for refugees and this stuff he just said about Obama and the Iraq War.

It's far from crazy; it's cynical (and highly effective, most of the time), yet slightly coded in a way, race-baiting.

Yes I know it's basically the Australian version of the same sort of race-baiting and culture warfare that we have up in this country and yes it has been highly effective just as it, most of the time, has been highly effective in the United States.

[angus]

I don't know about everyone else, but mine is Silvio Berlusconi if he were still in power

he really had nice ties didn't he?  I really like that in a leader.

Somewhere somebody posted an illin' picture of Kim.  That made him pretty look pretty fly as well, but he's no Silvio.

The woman running as the socialist candidate for French President is very fly for a white chick.

Butros-Butros Gali has the coolest name, no doubt.

Saddam always had that cool porn-star moustache, the grey Dean Martin scarf, and the all-important charcoal-grey fedora, but he was always bested by his information minister, Mohammed Said al-Sahaf.  That guy was too cool.  Who comes to a press conference wearing a sidearm?!  Nobody else, that's who.  So kitschy, he was.  "God will roast their stomachs in hell!"  That guy was about a million times more interesting than Saddam, even without the fedora and scarf and porn-star moustache.

[opebo]

That guy was too cool.  Who comes to a press conference wearing a sidearm?!  Nobody else, that's who.  So kitschy, he was.  "God will roast their stomachs in hell!"  That guy was about a million times more interesting than Saddam, even without the fedora and scarf and porn-star moustache.

And as it turns out he was right!  About the stomachs, etc.  Yay.

[angus]

He didn't even make the Death Pack.  Not even a two of clubs or something.  Probably it's for the best.  It sounds like an honor, but it's only an honor in the way that those Old West "Wanted Dead or Alive" posters were an honor.  I'm glad they didn't try to incarcerate him for very long.  Last I heard he had a part-time gig as a talking head with Abu Dhabi TV.

I think that in about 20 years he'll appear on some show, like VH1 does these "One hit Wonders:  where are they now?" specials.  He'll probably be flipping burgers at a White Castle in Newark or something, glad to relive the glory days with the VH1 camera crew.  Some kid with a mic will say, "C'mon Muhammed, give us one 'god will roast their stomachs!' for old times sake!"  check your local listings.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Hugo Chavez!

If only America or one of the 50 states could have its own Hugo Chavez.

[Gabu]

Somewhere somebody posted an illin' picture of Kim.  That made him pretty look pretty fly as well, but he's no Silvio.

westsieeeeeeeeeeeeeeed

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Are there any really pro-prostitution ones?

I think Helen Clark's government is responsible for legalizing it in New Zealand.

[Michael Z]

The woman running as the socialist candidate for French President is very fly for a white chick.

Segolene Royal? Oh aye, I'd give her one.

Did I just post this?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The woman running as the socialist candidate for French President is very fly for a white chick.

Segolene Royal? Oh aye, I'd give her one.

Did I just post this?

Yes, yes you did.

[angus]

Yes, yes you did.

I'd be interested in your take on Mme Ségolène Royal as a candidate and as a potential president.  I suppose there's a thread started already about the fusty and unrelentingly chauvinistic gentlemen's club of French politics, so I'll dig around.  There may even be one on the the socialist party primary election of last November, or, better yet, the upcoming national election.

[minionofmidas]

Blair (I see Clinton in him)

Gross!

Homophobe.

[minionofmidas]

Hugo Chavez!

If only America or one of the 50 states could have its own Hugo Chavez.

They had one, once. His name was Huey Long.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Hugo Chavez!

If only America or one of the 50 states could have its own Hugo Chavez.

They had one, once. His name was Huey Long.

Yes, but that was 75 years ago.

America needs another Huey Long.

[DownWithTheLeft]

It use to be Berlusconi hands down, now its a tossup between Harper and Howard

[Gabu]

It use to be Berlusconi hands down, now its a tossup between Harper and Howard

What do you like about Harper?