How Did It Come To This?

Ireland's answer to Jabba The Hut, Brian Cowen (pictured earlier) is the third best paid leader in the world. As any economist will tell you that means he's the third best leader in the world. I'm kinda surprised George Bush is ranked as fourth best seeing as he trashed the world and all, but you can't argue with the list. Then again, "a change is as good as a rest" they say and nothing changes a place faster than war, disaster and bankruptcy.

I am a little concerned going forward as Jabba Brian may be taking a 10% pay cut this year. This would move him down to fourth, which is still pretty good, but there are no medals for fourth. If anything he should demand a pay rise! The country is in such a state that third best world leader might not be enough - we need the absolute top guys (or gals).

Obviously he should refuse to step off the podium down to fourth, after all the 10% is pure tokenism. Or maybe Brian could award himself a whole slew of medals to make up for this draconian pay cut. He'd look real spiffy (even more spiffy than normal) dressed up in all those medals. They might even distract the plebes from the state of the country.

- Singapore: Lee Hsien Loong $3.8m (€1.9m)

- Hong Kong: Donald Tsang $775,000 (€390,000)

- Ireland: Brian Cowen $624,000 (€314,000)

- US: George Bush $597,000 (€301,000)

- Japan: Taro Aso $530,000 (€267,000)

- France: Nicolas Sarkozy $483,000 (€243,000)

- Germany: Angela Merkel $475,000 (€239,000)

- United Kingdom: Gordon Brown $421,000 (€212,000)

- Canada: Stephen Harper $340,000 (€171,000)

- Australia: Kevin Rudd $330,000 (€166,000)

- New Zealand: John Key $325,000 (€163,000)

- US Vice-President: Dick Cheney $310,000 (€156,000)

- Russia: Vladimir Putin $120,000 (€60,000)

Sometimes I get so chocked up with pride I feel like getting sick.

link