...it's interesting to consider the capacity of the current crop of the 1st world's political class. Is this crop able to successfully conduct demographic analysis, conduct risk analysis, understand technical (economic, military, etc) considerations, negotiate, craft deals, lead, and perform as committed statesmen and stateswomen?

From the Financial Times, European Officials Round on Lagarde, by FT Reporters, 28 Aug 2011

European officials rounded on Christine Lagarde on Sunday, accusing the managing director of the International Monetary Fund of making a “confused” and “misguided” attack on the health of Europe’s banks.

Ms Lagarde, the former French finance minister who replaced Dominique Strauss-Kahn as head of the IMF in July, used her address at an annual meeting of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to call for an “urgent” recapitalisation of Europe’s weakest lenders, saying that shoring up the banking system was key to cutting “chains of contagion” across the region.
From the Financial Times, Caterpillar Chief Attacks Washington, by Hal Weitzman, August 28, 2011

Mr Oberhelman joins a growing chorus of US business leaders who say they are fed up with the widening gap between Democrats and Republicans, displayed most recently in the gridlock over the debate to raise the country’s debt ceiling.

Howard Schultz, Starbucks chief executive, has called on his peers to stop donating to politicians until Congress reaches a bipartisan agreement on debt reduction. More than 100 business leaders have backed the campaign, including Duncan Niederauer of NYSE Euronext, Walter Robb of Whole Foods and Myron Ullman of JC Penney.