Gee someone from the IPA with a negative view of a Labor PM? Wonders will never cease. I wonder who compiled the list?

Saving capitalism from the capitalists will probably require those of greater global influence than Mr Rudd. If his name is absent it is not altogether surprising, just as Mr Howard would not have made the list for the same reasons.

As Kipp shows Australians continue to shout "we are all 'Ruddians' now" but it's more likely than not that this enthusiasm for Kevin will finish up as an obituary "we are all DEAD Ruddians now."

http://avant-gardestrategies.typepad.com

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HOW ABOUT DEPUTY SHERIFF OF THE USA ?

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The world-wide image of Australia's Prime Minister for the twelve year period leading up to the investiture of Kevin Rudd in 2007 was that of "Deputy Sheriff of the USA", a sort of number two to John Wayne or Clint Eastwood (or should I say George Bush).

Compared with the image of the heads of government of some of the African countries and others, at the time, that's not so bad. However I doubt that the image of John Howard would have ranked amongst the top fifty on the Financial Times hit parade either.

I read Kevin Rudd's article in "Le Monde" and thought it was excellent. It certainly gave a different image of Australia and the intellectual quality of its politicians than what we had been used to in the past.

I actually read it lying in my bed in Paris, not sipping my "café au lait" as John Roskam suggests. "Le Monde" is an evening newspaper and does not come out until about 2pm. It would have been more appropriate to suggest that Parisians had been sipping their "apéritif" whilst pondering upon the wisdom of an Australian politician who's ideas seemed to make a lot of good sense in the context of the financial crises as we are currently experiencing it here in Europe.

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This piece is all over the place.

The closest thing to a point, is that our diplomats have a difficult time overseas.

He states in the same essay that the Europeans will love Rudd's essay, but diplomats have a tough job with trade promotion.

?

Aside from the US who have changed ideology, which countries are left that embrace neo-conservatism?

Just corporates, though even they're being silent with all this stimulus money being unleashed.

Before those on the right begin attacking Obama, consider this:

Obama plans to allow the market to correct itself by assisting the banks rather than nationalising them. Obama and Rudd agree.

Think of the talks occurring right now. We're taking the same stance as the US against Europes.

Where, did our diplomats get such a hard time, except perhaps due to the decline in their funding? Was it where we agree with the US government, just like the banks do?

Is it with the Europeans who Roskam says love the essay?

Clearly, our diplomats don't have a toxic reputation, the only central theme I can find in this wandering collection of cliches.

Coffee sipping French and Le Monde? Why not have them eating tofu too?

Of course, being *popular* on the world stage and locked in step with those embracing markets as the way to solve this crisis is much worse for diplomacy than say... TAMPA!

Idiocy.

Rudd's hardly a raging leftie. Some describe his position as opportunistic, but I'll take an opportunist who senses what the public wants over one who ignores that completely.

Given his popularity, it'd seem he's behaving how his country wants. Shock! Horror! That's despite cutting government advertising to a third of what it was under the allegedly conservative Howard government.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25265932-26103,00.html

The IPA: honing their ability to mar their image. Maybe they are the experts.

The only worthwhile points in this childish piece were that DFAT shouldn't be distributing Rudd's essay. I concur. Also, while I think the seat on the UN council's not a bad idea, I think this anti-racism conference smells as does the silence on Zimbabwe.

Kevin will prove to be the weakess most unspiring leader in our history.The unedified masses love him now,but things will change rapidly when they realise the amount of debt they will incur.

Already our private debt due mainly to borrowing is $700 billion,add to that Kevin's soon to be $200 billion and we have $900 billion or $90,000.00 foreign debt for every working person.

We are almost in as much trouble as the Yanks.So don't kid youself that Kevin is the Messiah.

Arjay, aside from the simplicity of your comparison (check out the debt to GDP ratios and you see we're nowhere near the ballpark of the US nor even the bulk of European nations. Honestly, the ballpark's in a different damn city. They've been sliding for a long time).

At an even simpler level:

900000000000 / 23000000

= 39130. Less than half of your estimate.