AYLMER, QUEBEC | There's news of an international movement to have George Bush's inner circle arrested as war criminals if they venture outside the USA, similar to what happened to the Chilean dictator, General Pinochet. The Americans include VP Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and others. Wouldn't that have interesting effects on future war-making?

It's curious that Richard Nixon, who admitted to criminal acts, and Ronald Reagan, who OK'd the guns-for-cocaine deals, were never prosecuted.

Brian Mulroney apparently did take envelopes of cash, which he failed to declare, and yet seems to face no legal action, although if my town councillor did the same, she'd be nailed to the wall.

There are many such examples, from across the political spectrum. The real abettors of the Rwandan massacres were never prosecuted at the higher levels.

And what about enrichment while in office? We think of African dictators living on the Riviera, but how do so many of our prime ministers become millionaires? They enter politics as lawyers or business managers, and surface as multi-millionaires after retirement. How do they do that?

There are counter-examples, the Sudanese president and Cambodian communists, but we largely let our leaders get away with acts that are criminal or just short of it. We judge leaders by different standards.

This may be wise. Politics, with its huge decisions, massive amounts of money moving around, confrontational atmosphere, a scandal-loving media, and so on .. it's smart to give people we put in office a little more latitude.

Great latitude in fact. We let historic criminals, Richard Nixon to Robert Mugabe, off if they merely step aside. What car thief wouldn't love that? But political leaders are not small-time and stupid. They are commanding the ship of state, and mistakes will be made.

Think of this: would we choose to be ruled by a megalomaniac personality or by someone cautious and prudent -- someone less likely to get out of control and start grabbing cash and power? No, no maniacs at the wheel. There are plenty of real issues in this election, like climate change, our collapsing manufacturing economy, or federal aid to municipalities, but the megalomaniac scale should be part of the mix. Not the corporate newspaper photo of Layton as Lenin (last election), but avoid someone, say, who is a control freak.

For example, do the Conservatives have anyone in this election except Stephen Harper? Every sound bite, BBQ, photo op É it's Harper! Doesn't he trust his team?

He won't permit our Conservative candidate to participate in the Hull-Aylmer PSAC candidates' debate -- nor the Gatineau candidate to participate in the Gatineau debate. Where does this put Harper on the megalomaniac scale?

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Copyright © 2008 Fred Ryan/Log Cabin Chronicles/09.08