# Can we trade leaders with Britton? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 28, 2020, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729 "2020-04-28T13:47:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/1 "2020-04-28T13:47:14Z")
I never thought I’d say this, but Boris Johnson sounds reasonable! [Blurb in today’s Chicago Tribune](https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-coronavirus-world-updates-20200427-jqkoknes5faplf3rvwpibodcya-story.html) had the headline “Recovering Johnson urges UK to remain patient in virus fight”, and included Johnson saying > [@](#): > > British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work after a bout with the virus and warned strongly against easing his own country’s lockdown too soon: “I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life. What a refreshing approach, considering the misinformation, lies and “sarcasm” coming out of Washington. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/2 "2020-04-28T13:53:46Z")
You do realize he’s recovering from the disease because he scoffed at it and didn’t practice social distancing, right? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/3 "2020-04-28T14:10:22Z")
Oh, absolutely. Still more reasonable than the current occupant. At least he doesn’t say you should shoot sunlight. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/4 "2020-04-28T14:17:24Z")
Moved to Politics & Elections. Colibri QZ Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/5 "2020-04-28T14:48:17Z")
Johnson is the British Trump. His lies and deception are responsible for Brexit. His only motivation is ambition, not the betterment of his country. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/6 "2020-04-28T14:55:40Z")
Connie Britton? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/7 "2020-04-28T15:51:45Z")
Zack. If we could swap leaders, there are several countries I’d put before that buffoon in England. New Zealand and Finland, for starters. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/8 "2020-04-28T16:03:06Z")
I’m no fan of Boris Johnson. I don’t think he’s a very good leader. He’s miles and miles ahead of Trump, but my dog would make a better president than Donald Trump, so that’s not saying much. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/9 "2020-04-28T16:28:15Z")
Johnson is a smart guy who plays the buffoon. Trump is a buffoon who thinks he’s a smart guy. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/10 "2020-04-28T16:46:35Z")
When you ignore science and wind up contracting Covid-19, you’re not just playing a buffoon. You get to put on the full buffoon gown and mortarboard because you graduated _summa cum laude_ from stupid school. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/11 "2020-04-28T16:55:15Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Connie Britton? Would she govern with Coach Taylor by her side? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/12 "2020-04-28T17:05:41Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Zack. > > If we could swap leaders, there are several countries I’d put before that buffoon in England. New Zealand and Finland, for starters. I’d like Sint Maarten Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs. [Her speech was blunt but honest.](https://nationalpost.com/news/world/covid-19-social-distancing-sint-maarten-prime-minister) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/13 "2020-04-28T17:11:28Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > When you ignore science and wind up contracting Covid-19, you’re not just playing a buffoon. It certainly was dumb. However apparently this was a blind spot with Johnson. [He was one of those people who never seemed to get ill and regarded it as more of a personal failing of others.](https://www.theguardian.com/focus/2020/apr/11/boris-johnsons-darkest-hour-one-week-that-shook-the-nation) Presumably he won’t be that sort of idiot in the future after getting metaphorically slapped upside the head. He is a pretty well-educated person at the very least, just one who was completely lacking in common sense in this particular area before. It appears he may be smart enough to learn from his mistakes. We’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/14 "2020-04-29T01:06:09Z")
What the hell is Britton? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/15 "2020-04-29T02:59:24Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Moved to Politics & Elections. > > Colibri > QZ Moderator But did you fix the obvious typo in the title? Nooooo. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/16 "2020-04-29T06:33:34Z")
You can have Johnson, if it’s understood that we don’t put Trump in charge of the government. We have the House of Lords for people like that. [https://youtu.be/f8JyDl9FtWI](https://youtu.be/f8JyDl9FtWI) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/17 "2020-04-29T18:57:46Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > But did you fix the obvious typo in the title? Nooooo. > > 😃 Spell check didn’t work in the title. Sorry. My bad. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/18 "2020-04-29T19:05:18Z")
Yeah, Boris is trump-lite, no thanks. Now if we could get the leader of Germany-Angela Merkel… > **[COVID-19 pandemic is testing world leaders. Who’s stepping up?](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/4/3/covid-19-pandemic-is-testing-world-leaders-whos-stepping-up)** > > Whether millions live or die depends on the decisions the world’s leaders take in the coming days and weeks. ---
**Author:** ![filmstar-en](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@filmstar-en](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmstar-en)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/19 "2020-05-04T14:47:46Z")
Boris has yet to prove himself to be good at anything other than wrangling the Conservative party and seeing off the likes of UKIP and Farage. He is not stupid, has some clever people around him and has an experience that made him consider his own mortality. We are stuck with him for a few years and he has some pretty big challenges to deal with. So his performance in office is largely unproven. Any leader is obliged to deal with whatever president the US decides to elect, such is diplomacy. The mercurial Mr Trump is fairly unique in the world and is clearly not to be trusted. I think most world leaders are quietly waiting for him to go away while being quietly fascinated by what nonsense he will say next, hoping they are not in the firing line. Everyone can see the US is going through a difficult time politically and is not fully engaged with the rest of the world. Hopefully it will get itself together fast enough to help avoid the lockdown becoming a long term global economic depression. Which leader to trade? I would say Merkel in Germany is one of the best of the bunch. She has been a steady hand for many years. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729/20 "2020-05-04T16:51:08Z")
Boris got better, so obviously no. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-trade-leaders-with-britton/852729.md?page=2)