Top Ten: Most Corrupt Politicians

[casimendocina]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

There are times, though, when we need a strong leader to say something like "screw your poll results, screw your marginal electorates and swing states etc..., I'm in charge here and were doing [insert necessary but unpopular move here]!"

Alas, for someone to be able to say that, they'd need to have roughly absolute power, and we have an adage about that, too.

John Howard was the kind of leader that said and did that sort of thing. He was also completely deluded about how good his decisions were. I agree with your point Zen (and I know that you know this), but pigheadedness needs to be recognised for what it is-as does wisdom in the face of unpopularity.

[ZenGum]

Funny, I remember Howard more for his completely-unnecessary-but-popular-among-the-rednecks policies.

I was just reflecting, though, that my use of the phrase "necessary but unpopular" gives the game away. If the voting masses had sense, anything necessary would be popular. The mere existence of the Necessary Unpopular shows, yet again, that we get the government we deserve.

[casimendocina]

As usual, what you've said describes it so much better.

Re the second paragraph-so true, but I am praying in a figurative sense that Australia will never deserve Tony Abbott (or Christopher Pyne...WTF do they keep on inviting him to appear on the panel of Q & A).

[BigV]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Funny, I remember Howard more for his completely-unnecessary-but-popular-among-the-rednecks policies.

I was just reflecting, though, that my use of the phrase "necessary but unpopular" gives the game away. If the voting masses had sense, anything necessary would be popular. The mere existence of the Necessary Unpopular shows, yet again, that we get the government we deserve.

A quibble, if I may.

I don't believe that having sense means that necessaries cannot be unpopular.

I flatter myself that I have sense. And there are some necessaries about my own life that aren't popular (if I may substitute popular among many for enthusiastic about for myself). There are some chores that just stay chores no matter how necessary. There are some obligations that I fulfill grudgingly. They're not always the same, my attitudes aren't static and neither are the attitudes of the public.

[Happy Monkey]

Not popular as in "I like it"; popular as in "when polled about whether we should do it, I say yes".

[Griff]

One of the top ten has a new book out. I still suspect W could have been a decent President if Cheney hadn't been standing on his shoulder with his little pitchfork.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Griff

One of the top ten has a new book out. I still suspect W could have been a decent President if Cheney hadn't been standing on his shoulder with his little pitchfork.

Agreed, but I am not sure that he could have done it without someone guiding him. I just wish he never would have invited Cheney into the castle.

[Gravdigr]

Corrupt Politician - isn't that redundant?

[Happy Monkey]

Cheney invited himself. He was in charge of vice presidential selection.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Cheney invited himself. He was in charge of vice presidential selection.

Really? Cheney selected himself for the job and Bush had no say in it?