Friday, November 11, 2005

Georges Weah, Berlusconi, and Liberia

Georges used to be one of my favourite players when he was in Milan. I am not sure he's my favourite politician now that he's fighting for becoming president of Liberia.

He certainly seems to be an honest and committed man. But he might have learned politics from his former Boss at AC Milan, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

In Liberia, Weah is by far one of the richest man of the country. He owns his own radio, King FM, and he sounds very populistic. These three traits, public display of wealth, control of the media, and populism, are the three major aspects of Berlusconi's political philosophy. If you add to that the common football matrix, which makes a man particularly popular, then the similarities are quite impressive. And worrying.

It is only to be hoped that Georges, now that he has lost, will let his country fight for its own public interest. Georges can still be an important ambassador for that unliky country.

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