Top 10 Worst World Leaders (Slideshow, Poll)

The world is full of bad leaders, from dictators to gaffe-prone buffoons, but some are surely worse than others. Below is a selection of 10 leaders who are often criticized in the international news media or by human rights organizations. We'll leave the ranking up to you.

Kim Jong Il

De facto leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il rules over the most secretive, closed-off country in the world. He often makes news with various bouts of saber-rattling, such as the recent alleged nuclear test, and with reports of human rights abuses and a starving population.

comments(143)

Rate This Photo

(Current Rank: loading...)

This ruler is sweeter than my grandmother This guy gives Hitler, Pol Pot and Stalin a run for their money

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Now Make Your Own Top 5

And Share with Your Friends

Average rating: loading... out of 10

Current Top 5 Slides

loading...

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

Share Your Top 5 Slides

Users Who Voted on this Slide

loading...

loading...

HuffPost Community Top 5 Slides:

«»

 | Become a fan

Share Your Top 5 Slides

 

Get HuffPost World On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[mamacat]

08:34 AM on 07/22/2009

This is a sad reminder of how pitiful we can be as a species. Let's face it, there is a pretty good chance that we will be the cause of our own extinction.
The list of 'worst' leaders should be at least 1000 names long, not just 10, and there should be a time frame. Are we talking all of history, or the last 10 years, or the last 100 years?

[Sirdi]

01:08 PM on 07/21/2009

They tossed my vote for President Barack Obama. Here it is again. Can I get this approved O'Censors? I'm sorry, I did misspell his name intentionally. Is that not allowed?

Once again. Put his name up there, and if you want me to add the narrative of his "crimes", leave me a message below this.

[bragladish]

12:38 PM on 07/21/2009

This is nothing but insulting... in bad taste to leave out Nixon, Bush, Harper, Blair, Berlusconi, and a ton of worst leaders...

[piul05]

12:56 PM on 07/21/2009

Agreed. This shows the same editorial qualities that made Faux News a household name.

Why has the Huff been going the tabloids' way recently?

[calfacon]

02:53 PM on 07/21/2009

In total agreement

[karen1p]

12:20 AM on 07/21/2009

Why was George no where to be found on this list?

[Progressneeded]

11:40 PM on 07/20/2009

Interesting how we always list other nations' leaders and forget about our own! I think we need a big mirror!

[StillIRise]

11:10 PM on 07/20/2009

Top 10 worst world leaders from whose point of view? America and Europe? The top two intruders who've plundered and and divided and corrupted the lands upon which they now have the audacity to claim host the top 10 worst world leaders???

If there was any credibility to this list, Bush and Cheney's names would definitely be in the mix.

[monkeywash]

11:04 PM on 07/20/2009

Chavez on this list?! WEAK SAUCE!

[Palemoon]

10:57 PM on 07/20/2009

This has got to be the most biased list I've ever seen in my life. It's not just the fact that 2 of the most scandal ridden administrations in WORLD history weren't even considered, those of Nixon and GW Bush, but also, where's Pol Pot? Stalin?

Or what kind of "worst" are we talking about? Worst that are in power right this minute? Worst that were in power ever? Worst because why? I don't understand why Berlusconi is on the list, but not GW Bush nor Tony Blair.

Interesting to note, not all of these people are currently in power, so I'm under the assumption this list is "of all time" list?

[Ram Jeng]

10:02 PM on 07/20/2009

Very very sad list and disappointing.

[TruthHurts2]

09:39 PM on 07/20/2009

I'm sure that mosts of these guys belong here but......it IS pretty stunning that only ONE of these guys is white....Anyway, I'm not sure that Chavez is a "worst world leader"....He's done a lot for Venezuela and it's economy....Besides, Chavez is nothing, if not entertaining.....I also don't know that Quaddafi should continue to be on the "worse" list. He's gotten better over time (Hey, it's been decades since he shot down any civilian airplanes!), and he's been there so long (1969) that he now looks more and more like a full fledged mummy! Finally, he also get's "extra credit" for having the coolest name among current world leaders..Muammar al Quaddafi (pronounced MO-a-mar al- Ka-DOFF-ee) ...On second thought, "Pol Pot" was a cool name once upon a time...Oh well, Quaddafi stays!

[ywcachieve]

09:00 PM on 07/20/2009

Why isn't Bush/Cheney on there? Why isn't Tony Blair on there? They lied to invade a sovereign nation.

[SolarArray]

08:12 PM on 07/20/2009

George Bush should be on that list, for sure. One minor detail, he might have been President but a leader? Ok, we'll call him a leader (shudder) just for this poll.

[kw09]

07:57 PM on 07/20/2009

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the compiler of this list has never ever been to Venezuela. Chavez should not be on this list. He has done SO much good for the majority of the people not only in Venezuela but all across Latin America. I've been to the barrios and have seen the co-ops where he has given power back to the people. I wish Obama would take charge like Chavez has and do what is needed for the majority of the people here, especially on the issue of health care. Now Dubya and his cronies...THEY definitely deserve to be on here...not Chavez.

[piul05]

12:56 PM on 07/21/2009

Hear, hear.

[Tulu]

07:54 PM on 07/20/2009

I thought you would have some rough dictators where we get to vote.

Unfortunately, you have not made list that represents a a dictator such as Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia. Please check him out.

Meles Zenawi probably the worst dictator currently on the planet. One of the hardest reasons why we here in the West are not aware is that he one hell of a dictator that markets himself as a democrat to decieve many. You can read the following and watch the movie that is selected for independent film festioval.

http://www.ethiomedia.com/all/6037.html

[Gunga-Din]

07:50 PM on 07/20/2009

Bush, Berlusconi. Chaves, Jong, Brown, Obama,Mugabe,Ortega, Jimmy Carter,Clinton

[instagladiator]

08:59 PM on 07/20/2009

Read my mind did you? Spot on!

[Sirdi]

01:03 PM on 07/21/2009

Right on, right on (a bit). Toss in some of them wonderful human beings from Israel please... and Blair/Brown and who was that Australian Wombat, and the Spanish anteater?