Let's expand the list. What did or do the following, in alphabetical order of surname, have in common?

Philip Adams, Osama bin Laden, Tony Blair, Andrew Bolt, George Bush, Adolph Hitler, Julia Gillard, Mao Zedong, Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti (Pius IX), Pat Robertson, Vladimir Illyich Ulyanov (Lenin) and Hendrik Verwoerd.

Answer:

All of them can be characterised by their self-righteousness. They truly believe or believed, that they, and those that think like them, are the sole repositories of virtue. Those that disagree with their points of view are either stupid, brain-washed or evil.

They could never admit that perhaps, just perhaps, their way of thinking could be wrong.

In their own way they are all fundamentalists.

Whether the issue be industrial relation laws, foreign policy, evolution, education, hate-spewing Imams, Medicare or climate change, they know exactly what needs to be done and how to do it.

Their stock-in-trade is whipping up indignation among their followers.

In other words they are very much like many OLO posters.

H.L. Mencken once said:

Explanations exist: they have existed for all times, for there is always an easy solution to every problem — neat, plausible and wrong.

Adams et al, as well as OLO, posters would be well-advised to take Mencken's dictum to heart

You're joking, right?

I thought this was gonna be something like;

They both make dresses look bad.

They both have a hairy snatch.

But to be ACTUALLY and apparently seriously comparing her with BL, Hitler, Lenin and Andrew Bolt?. You need to get outside, my friend.

I can't be bothered. But I hope someone states what they DON'T have in common. Seeing as your view of universe is like that of someone permanently on LSD.

LOL StG,

I understand there are differences between Gillard and Bin Laden. I do NOT equate the two. It's hard to imagine an admirer of Gillard crashing a plane into a building or beheading people because of their sexual practices.

But they, along with others I've mentioned, do have this "I am right and if you don’t agree you're stupid or evil" attitude.

Honestly, I actually haven't picked anything up like that off Gillard. But it's definitely something I'll keep an eye out for and let you know if I do.

I do appreciate ALL politicians are firmly set in the belief that they are right. Watch ANY interview. Especially Costello. *cough cough barf* Ain't a liberal thing. Just him. Yep, it's personal. Smarmy twat.

Ahhhh, left foot taping in the dust, bit embarrassed here, why did I look? don't know!
Julia is not the person you say she is, not my favorite Polly but in the end do you understand the post is about what you think?
Maybe you are wrong?
And just maybe you are as fixed in your opinions right or wrong as the rest of us?, even those on your list?

steven l meyer,

If you are going to waste everyone's time with this rubbish you might as well try to be humourous, aftterall it's impossible to take this seriously.