Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is in Venezuala for talks with student cult hero and fellow US botherer Hugo Chavez. They're discussing expansion of joint projects and agreements and how to reduce the influence of the US.
Seeing a photo of the two leaders together got me thinking. Chavez was a handsome buck in his younger days and there is no doubt that Ahmadinejad is something of a heart throb. So is this the most handsome political alliance in recent history?
It's well known that no man was in the slightest bit handsome until 1935. Once 1935 dawned, the most handsome leader in the world was Haile Selassie of Abyssinia. Hitler, Mussolini, Mac Donald, Baldwin, Flandin, Bouisson, Laval, Roosevelt, Stalin, Hodza, Benes, DeValera (despite Alan Rickman's portrayal in Michael Collins) etc. Not an oil painting between them.
And since? Even with the special relationship between the US and UK there's never been a handsome partnership. With the exception of the Bushes, the British PMs have always let the side down. There's never been a handsome Russian leader so that lets down the Eastern bloc. In fact, the only handsome communists full stop come from Latin America. And even then there's only a handful.
So I was at a complete loss until I saw that photo of Chavez and Ahmadinejad. My faith restored, I hope we can go forward now and enjoy many years of political alliances built on looks rather than common policy.