LONDON -- One of the most depressing features of the past few weeks has been the arrogance displayed by political leaders. With some leaders, power goes to their heads. They are surrounded by sycophantic underlings and protected by posses of security guards. The media are bludgeoned by press offices who hand out stories to the advantage of their bosses, who themselves generally read only what feeds their inflated egos.
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is, of course, the most extreme example of the arrogance of power. Ruthless and self-serving, he has oppressed the Iraqi people for decades and cruelly eliminated his opponents. In the Far East he is matched by Kim Jong Il, whose regime in North Korea -- tragically for the rest of the world -- either already possesses several nuclear weapons or is now developing them.
Another on a shortlist of people who would not be missed is Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, who starves his people and uses every trick against his opponents. I don't think that there was anyone in Britain who did not squirm and wish to spit when they saw Mugabe, whose regime has so blatantly flouted human rights, received by French President Jacques Chirac in Paris at his African summit when he should have been banned from traveling to Europe.