sod that job!

[Mad Mac]

we all have views on government policy and actions,but what sort of person do you have to be as a leader of the country?....from a human perspective?

[Kermit]

A complete and utter bastard.

Plato said it better than I; to paraphrase, those who seek power are those least suited to it.

[Aladdin]

Balanced, fair, just, humane, charitable...

Incredibly, many if not most of the rulers, kings, presidents or heads of state thoughout history have been anything but.

Probably for the reasons Kermit has just mentioned.

[morrocan roll]

who the fuck would want the job?
a million issues a day to deal with ...some of them you might get right most of them you will probably get wrong.
look how blair has aged ...it happens to them all ...they grow grey and weak.
only a fool would want such a dead end job.

[Flashman's Ghost]

Balanced, fair, just, humane, charitable...

Incredibly, many if not most of the rulers, kings, presidents or heads of state thoughout history have been anything but.

Probably for the reasons Kermit has just mentioned.

But many start out that way or at least try to be so. But then the real world interferes and they find that have to make nasty and tough decisions. Do you think Blair came to power with the ambition of sending troops into Iraq?

[freethepeeps]

But many start out that way or at least try to be so.

Erm, the"Balanced, fair, just, humane, charitable" ones rise through the ranks to become leaders of parties?

Seems a wee bit far fetched to me.

[Kermit]

But many start out that way or at least try to be so. But then the real world interferes and they find that have to make nasty and tough decisions. Do you think Blair came to power with the ambition of sending troops into Iraq?

No, but he came to power with the ambition of having power.

There's an excellent book that shows just how much of a power-freak Blair is: Through the Looking Glass by Liz Davies. Read it.

[Man Of Kent]

The person has to be prepared to make decision that will piss people off, and then take flack for it.

[Namaste]

Plato said it better than I; to paraphrase, those who seek power are those least suited to it.

Yup. Running a country should not be about power... It should be about morality.

To quote Schopenhauer

Compassion is the basis of all morality.