# Who is the most universally agreed upon scumbag on Planet Earth Right now? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 18, 2012, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406 "2012-12-18T06:57:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/61 "2012-12-20T07:55:05Z")
I think Fred Phelps wins if you discount the qualification that a huge number of people need to have heard of him. Of the people who do know of him, I’d say very nearly 100% hate him. If you go by someone that large numbers of people would be familiar with around the world, then probably Assad or Kim Jong-Un, even accounting for the fact that they do have a non-trivial amount of adherents, percentage-wise they are universally reviled. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/62 "2012-12-20T08:25:59Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > Actually I think Kim is a reformer and reforming about as quickly as he can do, given the circumstances, without ending up dead himself (which is fair enough). If anything the typical American media portrayal of North Korea is a caricature. You know more than half the people in PyongYang have a 3g mobile phone? And the other half have food, which is more than you can say for the rest of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/63 "2012-12-20T13:00:33Z")
Uh, why hasn’t anybody mentioned Dick Cheney? Or Karl Rove? Have they turned into good guys while I wasn’t looking? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/64 "2012-12-20T13:20:22Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > Uh, why hasn’t anybody mentioned Dick Cheney? Or Karl Rove? Have they turned into good guys while I wasn’t looking? I mentioned Cheney upthread, but Rove just isn’t in the running IMHO. He’s not universally well enough known to be universally hated. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/65 "2012-12-20T13:36:33Z")
A Worst Scumbag nomination should go to former South African President [Thabo Mbeki](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/26/aids-south-africa), who’s been blamed for hundreds of thousands of AIDS deaths due to his denialist stance on HIV causing AIDS. Also in the running - denialists like [Matthias Rath](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/12/matthiasrath.aids2), an M.D. who promoted useless supplements over effective meds for AIDS in South Africa, and continues to promote his pills for cancer, heart disease etc. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/66 "2012-12-20T14:05:49Z")
But it’s not just worst scumbag, it’s worst _universally agreed_ scumbag. I don’t think ether of these guys has a high enough profile. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/67 "2012-12-20T15:01:28Z")
What about [Andrew Wakefield](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wakefield)? Most people couldn’t call up his name, (I had to google it myself) but if you said “That British Doctor with the fraudulent anti-vacc research” I’m betting 100% would say “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of him, what a scumbag!” Even the anti-vacc folks must be angry with him for discrediting ther cause. . . ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/68 "2012-12-20T15:13:37Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > What about [Andrew Wakefield](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wakefield)? Most people couldn’t call up his name, (I had to google it myself) but if you said “That British Doctor with the fraudulent anti-vacc research” I’m betting 100% would say “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of him, what a scumbag!” > > Even the anti-vacc folks must be angry with him for discrediting ther cause. . . Not at all. He was framed in an attempt to discredit him by Big Pharman, because he threatens their sales of vaccines. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/69 "2012-12-20T15:13:45Z")
> [@cougar58](#): > > interesting…no females nominated Yoko Ono? Jenny McCarthy? ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/70 "2012-12-20T15:17:29Z")
> [@cougar58](#): > > interesting…no females nominated Piers Morgan? ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/71 "2012-12-20T15:20:22Z")
I am going to go with that stupid cow that is in line ahead of me at the airline check in. Quit whining about the bad time you had in Europe with the food or trains. Get on the %$#!! plane and destroy your passport when you get home to the US. You should never be allowed to travel outside of the US again. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/72 "2012-12-20T15:38:03Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > This, also the Kurdish people love President Bush for obvious reasons. What would those be? ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/73 "2012-12-20T16:39:11Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > What would those be? They feel he protected them from Saddam Hussein, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/74 "2012-12-20T17:36:53Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > What about [Andrew Wakefield](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wakefield)? Most people couldn’t call up his name, (I had to google it myself) but if you said “That British Doctor with the fraudulent anti-vacc research” I’m betting 100% would say “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of him, what a scumbag!” > > Even the anti-vacc folks must be angry with him for discrediting ther cause. . . Nope, he’s a persecuted hero of the Cause. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/75 "2012-12-20T17:55:24Z")
In all honesty, it’s probably some soccer player. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/76 "2012-12-20T18:05:07Z")
Lance Armstrong ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/77 "2012-12-20T18:56:00Z")
No love for Jerry Sandusky? Given the worldwide fascination with all American news content, I am confident that even people in remote villages in Mozambique know of Sandusky (“Hah! Peeg!”) and that 99.99999913% who know of him, think he is scum. ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/78 "2012-12-23T11:44:02Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > I thought it was just the north-east where that was an issue, your average Glasweigan would think about Trump during the year about as much as they would think about, well, Fred Phelps (who I agree with Alessan is only known to people who have heard of 4chan\* outside of the US). Is that not the case? Is it a national issue? > > \*I am not saying 4chan users by any means. I am just using it as a proxy for awareness of internet culture That anti-Trump campaigner and Mennie estate resident Michael Forbes won the Top Scot accolade in the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards, as voted for by the public suggests not. Trump compounds things (of course he would) by seemingly thinking that the sponsors had actually decided on the award by the following childish reaction: [http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/donald-trump-calls-for-global-boycott-of-whisky-distiller-after-top-scot-award-given-to-anti-golf-course-campaigner-1-2676188](http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/donald-trump-calls-for-global-boycott-of-whisky-distiller-after-top-scot-award-given-to-anti-golf-course-campaigner-1-2676188) What is complete idiot! The critical and public reaction in Scotland to the award winning documentary “You’ve Been Trumped” has also done much to spread the unpopularity of Mr Trump. [http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1943873/](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1943873/) As has Scottish news coverage of Trump’s attack on Offshore Wind farms where he resorts to his usual mix of threats and bluster in trying to get his way [Donald Trump to fight offshore wind farm plans alone after opposition withdraw concerns - Daily Record](http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/donald-trump-to-fight-offshore-wind-1357092) He really is the lowest piece of humanity it is possible to contemplate. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/79 "2012-12-23T11:47:17Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > No love for Jerry Sandusky? > > Given the worldwide fascination with all American news content, I am confident that even people in remote villages in Mozambique know of Sandusky (“Hah! Peeg!”) and that 99.99999913% who know of him, think he is scum. Now, come on. Those boys were asking for it! Going around in their cute little shorts and tshirts… \<\_\< _runs away_ ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406/80 "2012-12-25T12:43:53Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > No love for Jerry Sandusky? > > Given the worldwide fascination with all American news content, I am confident that even people in remote villages in Mozambique know of Sandusky (“Hah! Peeg!”) and that 99.99999913% who know of him, think he is scum. The people from the U.S. who are known around the world are actors, a few TV celebrities, high-profile athletes and high-level politicians. I vaguely knew Sandusky was a sports coach implicated in a sex scandal, but I had to look him up just now to find out which sport. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-scumbag-on-planet-earth-right-now/644406.md?page=5)