“Look, I don't think President Obama would have bowed to the ruler of Saudi Arabia if he didn't have oil to the degree that the Saudis do. I think they and other producing states, almost all of whom, except Norway and Canada, are dictatorships or autocratic systems, have thrown their weight around because of oil.” IfsThinkingLooksStatesPresidentDegreesWeightOilCanadaThrownPresident ObamaRulersDictatorshipArabiaSaudi ArabiaSaudisNorway Author:R. James Woolsey, Jr.
“With his decision to use force against the violent extremists of the Islamic State, President Obama ... is stepping once again - and with understandably great reluctance - into the chaos of an entire civilization that has broken down. Arab civilization, such as we knew it, is all but gone. The Arab world today is more violent, unstable, fragmented and driven by extremism - the extremism of the rulers and those in opposition-than at any time since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire a century ago.” WorldStatesUseTodayForcePresidentDecisionGoneCenturyBrokenCivilizationChaosDrivenViolentIslamicOppositionEmpiresPresident ObamaCollapseRulersExtremismWorld TodayExtremistUnstableFragmentedReluctanceArab WorldBroken DownIslamic StateOttomansOttoman Empire Author:Hisham Melhem
“Even if Zuma was to develop the authoritarian impulses of a Mugabe, he would be checked - not least by his own party, which set a continental precedent by ousting Thabo Mbeki in 2007, after it felt he had outstayed his welcome by seeking a third term as party president. The ANC appears to have set itself against that deathtrap of African democracy: the ruler for life.” IfsWould BeFeltPresidentTermPartyDemocracyThirdsSeekingWelcomeImpulseRulersPrecedentContinentalMugabeZuma Author:Mark Gevisser
“One of the things particularly admirable in the public utterances of President Lincoln is a certain tone of familiar dignity, which, while it is perhaps the most difficult attainment of mere style, is also no doubtful indication of personal character. There must be something essentially noble in an elective ruler who can descend to the level of confidential ease without forfeiting respect, something very manly in one who can break through the etiquette of his conventional rank and trust himself to the reason and intelligence of those who have elected him.” ReasonCharacterCertainDifficultPresidentLevelsBreakStyleDignityMereNobleFamiliarEaseToneRulersConventionalEtiquetteAttainmentAdmirableIndicationDoubtfulManlyBreak ThroughUtteranceConfidentialPersonal CharacterPresident Lincoln Book:Abraham Lincoln Source: Abraham Lincoln
“All dignified people in the world, whether Arabs or Muslims or others with dignity, are very proud of the speech made by president Bashar al-Assad a few days ago here in Damascus. For me he is the last Arab ruler, and Syria is the last Arab country. It is the fortress of the remaining dignity of the Arabs, and that's why I'm proud to be here.” PeopleWorldMadeCountryLastsPresidentProudSpeechDignityAlsRulersSyriaFortressesAssadBashar Al Assad Author:George Galloway
“This morning President Obama met with Britain's Prince William in the Oval Office. It was a meeting between a symbolic ruler with no real power and the future king of England.” RealPresidentMorningKingsMetsOfficeEnglandMeetingsBritainPresident ObamaRulersSymbolicReal PowerOval Author:Conan O'Brien