Favorite Foreign Leader

[Gustaf]

Phil, Phil...what have we said about Silvio?

He isn't even an effective conservative. Despite leading a stable government, I think it has survived longer than any other Italian government since Mussolini, he has failed to do anything about Italy's abysmal, over-regulated economy. He's a mafia type who refuses to allow criticism against him be aired on the channels he control, about 95% of all Italian tv.

[Gustaf]

Most foreign leaders are neither good nor bad...I would say Blair's pretty good though. But politicians should never be allowed to gain our trust too much...

[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...

[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...

[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...

[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!