The Irish hate U2, and other examples

[Tactful Cactus]

From here, I would suggest Céline Dion.

They like her abroad?

You don't do Vegas residencies for nothing.

[WG Kaspar]

He is despised but there are so many people to despise right now it's hard to tell if he's the most despised.

Because his promise wasn't fulfilled or because he always just appears as cold and academic? After reading Adults in the Room I was impressed with the mans pragmatism and optimism. Ok, he didn't delivery. He couldn't deliver. Why despise a person who's good intentions are in the right place?

Oh man!
I don't know where to start with this because I can only speak for myself and people I know.
While it's true that he and his party are a running joke for a variety of reasons I guess he's despised because he's seen as the one who promised in rational terms, in an 'academic' fashion if you like the end of austerity, he was the most prominent member of a party of unknowns- and as it proves everyday incompetents- and every single action he made while in government, when he actually had the power to do things, was to fight against reality.
He was ultimately responsible for the capital controls imposed on the banks, he was responsible for a huge amount of money that left the banks during his tenure to banks abroad, his plan B was to take Greece out of the Euro, he failed to understand in his 6 months and countless Eurogroup meetings that when you cannot move an immovable object you have to go around it and he seems to be unrepentant about his catastrophic tenure.
However he can now write a nice memoir about those 6 months and accuse everyone but himself as he does in every single inept article he publishes in the Guardian.

[PENK]

What about Thatcher?

Internationally she has that reputation as the "Iron Lady" figure: tough leader, female icon and all that. Even here in famously lefty Sweden a lot of people have that image of her.

And yet in Britain a sizable proportion of the population actually had street parties when she died.

[Tactful Cactus]

However he can now write a nice memoir about those 6 months and accuse everyone but himself as he does in every single inept article he publishes in the Guardian.

To be fair, he holds himself to account in the memoir - he doesn't skim over the mistakes and misjudgements he made (as well as everyone elses). In hindsight would it have been better if he (or any another Syriza minster) accepted the bailout terms straight away rather than engaging with the Eurogroup for six months and destabilising Europe even further?

(Sorry for the basic questions, I've just finished the book - keen to hear another Greek perspective)

[WG Kaspar]

However he can now write a nice memoir about those 6 months and accuse everyone but himself as he does in every single inept article he publishes in the Guardian.

To be fair, he holds himself to account in the memoir - he doesn't skim over the mistakes and misjudgements he made (as well as everyone elses). In hindsight would it have been better if he (or any another Syriza minster) accepted the bailout terms straight away rather than engaging with the Eurogroup for six months and destabilising Europe even further?

(Sorry for the basic questions, I've just finished the book - keen to hear another Greek perspective)

Syriza came to power because of an unnecessary election that was caused by rejecting the Presidential nomination of the then ruling party, something that had never ever happened before. A memorandum was already in place and a few more steps were required to be done. Two years were lost fighting the good fight that set back any sign of life in the business world that was appearing by the time of the election. He and his party did immeasurable damage by following a strategy that was going to lead either in bankruptcy or the destabilisation of the whole continent. They were a bunch of gamblers plain and simple.
But at least they had ideals.

[Muskrat]

I can't think of a Dutchman that is internationally liked.

Sorry.

There's always Hans Christian Andersen. And Ub Iwerks. Other than that, you've got me baffled.

[Tactful Cactus]

They were a bunch of gamblers plain and simple.

Right, but elected gamblers. Were they not clear about their intentions to gamble on a Grexit during their (hasty) election, and won anyway?
Whats the situation right now, I see Syriza/Tsipras is still in power, albeit a coalition. Is there some stability or is there still a possibility of Grexit looming?

[Robert]

From here, I would suggest Céline Dion.

They like her abroad?

You don't do Vegas residencies for nothing.

That is true. Along the same line of thought though, I bet U2 gigs will be sold out in Dublin too. There are always pockets of resistence.

[Tactful Cactus]

That is true. Along the same line of thought though, I bet U2 gigs will be sold out in Dublin too.

They're playing the local stadium soon and indeed it has sold out but this is the first time U2 are trading on old glories like Joshua Tree. I think they know at this stage they can't shift as many tickets with new music or stage gimmicks. They're an oldies act.

[WG Kaspar]

They were a bunch of gamblers plain and simple.

Right, but elected gamblers. Were they not clear about their intentions to gamble on a Grexit during their (hasty) election, and won anyway?
Whats the situation right now, I see Syriza/Tsipras is still in power, albeit a coalition. Is there some stability or is there still a possibility of Grexit looming?

No they were not clear as per their strategy only the end game. Which they didn't deliver obviously.
As for now, they're just like every government that preceded them. I don't know about Grexit, it does come up every now and then but it doesn't seem to be something that's grabbing the news for a while now.

[bobzilla77]

[Tactful Cactus]

I'd argue that Madonna is liked/disliked equally inside and outside of US... Unless she was born in Turkmenistan or somewhere and I wasn't aware.

[bobzilla77]

Fair enough. She's from Michigan I think, but, Heavy Metal Parking Lot takes place in Washington DC not far from her adopted home town of NYC so, it seemed to fit.

[sloopjohnc]

Alright Paul Merton What about Richard Branson. Seems like every Brit I've spoken with rolls their eyes at the mention of his name, but globally he's known and liked as a smiley, funster billionaire

I don't think people are fussed about him one way or another. Some admire his entrepreneurial spirit. He seems to have kept a low profile in the media these last few years.

I hate the self-regarding squit. Have you never traveled on Virgin trains, G?

Virgin Airlines is great.

[Loki]

Kid Rock. Also a Michigander.