Favorite Foreign Leader

[opebo]

I can't say I'm fond of many current foreign leaders.  I really dislike the current P.M. of Thailand - Thaksin.  He's a nationalist and is both anti-foreigner and pro-westernization.  He's proposed all sorts of America-emulating reductions in freedom, from liquor sales hours to enforcing early closure for nightlife venues and measures against prostitution.  He appears to want to turn Thailand into another productive, purritanical place where fun is against the rules.

[© Tweed the Younger]

Does Jean Chretien count?

Another Canadian politican I like(d) was/is Mel Lastman, former Mayor or Toronto.

[Brambila]

Lech Walesa. I know he's not too active anymore, but still a great man.

[Gustaf]

But for his conservative voice and his stronger leadership (Italy's Olive Tree coalition was defeated in a landslide in 2001 for a reason ya know)

That reason being him owning pretty much all tv...

[AuH2O]

Le Pen.

[The Duke]

Any of the W European leaders (Berlusconi, Blair, Howard, and Aznar) who went against the grain and supported the liberation of Iraq.

[Keystone Phil]

Any of the W European leaders (Berlusconi, Blair, Howard, and Aznar) who went against the grain and supported the liberation of Iraq.

Howard isn't W. European, he's Australian.

[The Duke]

Any of the W European leaders (Berlusconi, Blair, Howard, and Aznar) who went against the grain and supported the liberation of Iraq.

Howard isn't W. European, he's Australian.

Whatever.

Add Koizumi to the list of leaders of industrial countries that backed us.

[Gustaf]

Any of the W European leaders (Berlusconi, Blair, Howard, and Aznar) who went against the grain and supported the liberation of Iraq.

Howard isn't W. European, he's Australian.

Whatever.

Add Koizumi to the list of leaders of industrial countries that backed us.

You're being too one-sided...the Iraq war isn't all that matters. Aznar I do like, but Berlusconi has so many negatives...his coalition is largely a continuation of Mussolini, but more mafia-style...

[frenger]

Rooney Hide, the leader of the ACT New Zeeland, the biggest Libertarian Party in the world. Altough they are a bit oo moderate, they are the best I could find.


I hate all european politicians. if I hear another one blabering about the european social model...

[JohnFKennedy]

Lech Walesa. I know he's not too active anymore, but still a great man.

Isn't Lech Walesa dead now?

[Sibboleth]

Lech Walesa. I know he's not too active anymore, but still a great man.

Isn't Lech Walesa dead now?

Only politically

[Platypus]

For me he's not foreign, but I like John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia.  Like George W, he's facing a tough election later this year.  His opposition is the Australian Labor Party's (ALP) Mark Latham, a foul-mouthed socialist from the outer fringe of Sydney.

I don't like Latham, but he isn't a socialist. He is the most moderate Labor leader in decades. foul-mouthed? Yes. But I would prefer someone who was at least honest and foul motuthed then slimy and never swore.

Aussie elections tend to be close in the federal arena, and this one will be a cliff-hanger.  Latham's main election promise so far is to cut and run from Iraq, the same way Spain did.  If that happens, most Australians will be ashamed.  I did not personally agree with starting the Iraq war, although I hated Saddam.  However, now that we are there we need to stay the distance and help the common Iraqi people, who just want to live in peace.

I personally agree, we should stay there. But it isn't his main policy, it's reading to children

I suggest you read my "This is a farce!" thread in international elections

[Guillermo]

Is this from an American perspective? If it's from an American point of view I say former PM José Maria Aznar, my personal hero. If I am talking about leaders outside of my country then it is probably Bush because he sticks to his principles and does not care what others think of him. I disagreed with his war but I think that he believed what he was doing was right.

[Brambila]

Lech Walesa. I know he's not too active anymore, but still a great man.

Isn't Lech Walesa dead now?

Only in politics, really. It's very unfortunately that's he's been downgraded so much when he is certainly one of the most important character in breaking up the Soviet Union.

[opebo]

Is this from an American perspective? If it's from an American point of view I say former PM José Maria Aznar, my personal hero. If I am talking about leaders outside of my country then it is probably Bush because he sticks to his principles and does not care what others think of him. I disagreed with his war but I think that he believed what he was doing was right.

Yeah, I like Aznar a lot.. he really stuck his neck out on Iraq issue, for someone from a fairly left-leaning Continental nation.  Also, from what little I know of him he's done a good job with some moderate economic liberalization in Spain.

[Gustaf]

Is this from an American perspective? If it's from an American point of view I say former PM José Maria Aznar, my personal hero. If I am talking about leaders outside of my country then it is probably Bush because he sticks to his principles and does not care what others think of him. I disagreed with his war but I think that he believed what he was doing was right.

Yeah, I like Aznar a lot.. he really stuck his neck out on Iraq issue, for someone from a fairly left-leaning Continental nation.  Also, from what little I know of him he's done a good job with some moderate economic liberalization in Spain.

True. I like Aznar too...except for lying about the terrorist attacks they experienced.

He's a lot better than Berlusconi whom some of you Republicans have down as your hero...

[??????????]

I like Pinochet as well.

[Platypus]

Pinochet is interesting. he is detested by the middle class, but the richest and poorest chileans still love him; he has a 46% approval rate.

It was wrong for him to get rid of the democratically elected Allende. That said, he did make Chile one of the cnomically stronger countries in South America, THAT said, he killed thousands of diddidents.

On balance, I have a *severe* distaste for him, but he wasn't the worst of his time, and he isn't anywhere near the worst of all time.

[Vasall des Midas]

But for his conservative voice and his stronger leadership (Italy's Olive Tree coalition was defeated in a landslide in 2001 for a reason ya know)

That reason being him owning pretty much all tv...

Actually the main reason was the Election Law and the fact that the Left didn't put up the sort of united candidacies it supports...DiPietro and the Old-Style Communists between them made Berlusconi PM.

[Gustaf]

But for his conservative voice and his stronger leadership (Italy's Olive Tree coalition was defeated in a landslide in 2001 for a reason ya know)

That reason being him owning pretty much all tv...

Actually the main reason was the Election Law and the fact that the Left didn't put up the sort of united candidacies it supports...DiPietro and the Old-Style Communists between them made Berlusconi PM.

Oh, I was having my tounge out when I said that...look!

[opebo]

Pinochet is interesting. he is detested by the middle class, but the richest and poorest chileans still love him; he has a 46% approval rate.

It was wrong for him to get rid of the democratically elected Allende. That said, he did make Chile one of the cnomically stronger countries in South America, THAT said, he killed thousands of diddidents.

On balance, I have a *severe* distaste for him, but he wasn't the worst of his time, and he isn't anywhere near the worst of all time.

Just because someone is elected doesn't mean the minority can't stage a rebellion or coup and get rid of him.  Majority rule is no comfort if your property is about to be confiscated.  Pinochet did what had to be done.

[Wrecking Ball and Chain]

It's a tie between Hugo Chavez and Zapatero.

I like Chirac a bunch too. My favorite conservative.

[Jake]

Any foreign leader that has the balls to back the USA up.
Including Aznar, Howard, Blair, Koizumi, Kwasniewski.

Also, I respect Sharon and personally like Fox.
I liked Rabin to.

Chirac, Schroeder, Putin, Kofi Annan, etc. can go kiss my @ss.

[swarch]

Can't think of any contemporary ones that I like.

Historically, Churchill, Thatcher, and Roger Douglas. Thatcher would probably have been re-elected again if she hadn't tried to push through that stupid poll tax. But what she managed to do in the UK was far more than Reagan ever achieved. Same for Roger Douglas, who was finance minister in New Zealand and turned it from a socialist sh!thole into one of the freest economies in the world.

Generally I loathe politicians. Right around the bottom of the list is Brian Mulroney, who was the Progressive Conservative--now there's an oxymoron--prime minister of Canada during the Reagan and Thatcher years. He talked about reducing the size of government but did no such thing after getting elected. Instead, he indulged in rampant cronyism and brought in a national sales tax. He eventually resigned just before an election that saw his party drop from a majority to 2 seats. One of the biggest pricks to ever disgrace the Canadian stage, right up there with Trudeau.