Who is the most powerful person in the world...

[dust1n]

the Morgan's, Vanderbilt's, and Rockefellar's

There somewhere in the top 20.


Of course, they do not have any power over me.

Until they decide they want it...

 

[Neo-Logic]

Ah, but young grasshopper, the pen is mightier than the sword. Words have more power than guns. Anyone can shoot someone else in the face. Not every can talk their way out of getting shot in the face.

Very true.

However, words can fall on deft ears. But threat of death is taken seriously across all languages. Those that don't have a hard time making it through the evolutionary process. I'd pick the guy with the biggest and most guns. :beach:

That, by the way, is why the 2nd Amendment is important. If all else failed, revolt violently.

 

[Aquitaine]

Hmmm, I'd say the true power lies not in one individual but small groups of financial/industry/media leaders etc.

So that would be, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and the Presidents of all the other Central Banks across the World, like ECB and BIS etc, along with all the pirviate banking families like the Rothschilds. The Rockfeller family seems to have a lot of power considering the positions of power many of its members have been in. All the CEO's of the biggest Corporations that control Industry, and guys like Ruport Murdoch, who own significant portions of the Media, atleast in terms of the US and some UK ones like SKY News etc.

 

[Aquitaine]

Yeah, just as dust1n said, the private banking families, they're the one's who truely run the World, one's that are rarely mentioned in day-to-day life.

Not some puppet who gets "voted" in along with this pantomime of "Democracy" used to keep the popuation happy, as if the powers that be would just totally disband their power and authority 'cause some lowly peasants decided to vote against them..... pffft!

 

[Neo-Logic]

What about the guy who controls the countdown ball during the new year in downtown new york? If he screws up, there is no new year and wall street won't open on time, thereby propelling large panic based sell-offs and sending the world into another great depression and eventually nuclear holocaust.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

I really don't understand "power" .... so it's hard for me to answer this question. What do you mean by power?

The OP just asks who comes to mind. It was meant to be a deep thought out question. Surely someone comes to mind when you think of power. If you want to be silly about it that's fine, but I am sure you have some people or groups of people in mind that come to mind when you think of the most powerful. It's up to you.

I think first, we need to discuss what you mean by "power". Do you mean the ability to reach the most people throughout the world with your words?

Or, like Neo-Logic suggested, do you mean the one with the biggest guns?

He who dies with the most toys wins?

Define power first and I'll asnwer the question.

I didn't want to do that, I was just looking for who or what came to mind first. To me that is what your gut tells you.

What about the guy who controls the countdown ball during the new year in downtown new york? If he screws up, there is no new year and wall street won't open on time, thereby propelling large panic based sell-offs and sending the world into another great depression and eventually nuclear holocaust.

Again, if this is the most powerful that cmoes to mind, than so be it. Thanks for answering everyone!

 

[Buttons*]

The OP just asks who comes to mind. It was meant to be a deep thought out question. Surely someone comes to mind when you think of power. If you want to be silly about it that's fine, but I am sure you have some people or groups of people in mind that come to mind when you think of the most powerful. It's up to you.

I wasn't being silly. I honestly wanted to know how I should view "power." Honestly, I don't think of anyone in terms of "power." Which is why this question is difficult. I suppose though, the person who commands the most respect, imo, is Mom. Always Mom. (NOW, I'm being silly )

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I probably shouldn't reveal this, but I'm actually the most powerful person in the world. I directly influence, if not outright control, virtually every important government and business leader in the world. It gets kind of boring having to determine the fate of the world, so I have a little spinny-wheel with various events on it that I spin every so often, in order to determine what will happen next. Alright, let's see what we're in store for.........ah, what a surprise - more gay Republican sex scandals.

 

[Smoke]

What do you think makes Hu Jintao so powerful?

He's the head of a government that makes decisions that affect everyone on earth. No other government can easily oppose his government. His government has indirect control of the US economy, which affects the economy of the whole world. In a staring contest, the General Secretary of the CPC almost never blinks first.

 

[Buttons*]

I probably shouldn't reveal this, but I'm actually the most powerful person in the world. I directly influence, if not outright control, virtually every important government and business leader in the world. It gets kind of boring having to determine the fate of the world, so I have a little spinny-wheel with various events on it that I spin every so often, in order to determine what will happen next. Alright, let's see what we're in store for.........ah, what a surprise - more gay Republican sex scandals.

That explains a lot about the world thanks for clearing all that up

 

[McBell]

I'm going to say the actual and the obvious answer. And it's the right answer.

The President of the United States, at any time, is the most powerful man on Earth. Oprah being the most powerful woman for many, classified reasons.

The President of the United States is the sole organ and is the commander in chief of all the armies. He has war powers and can issue executive orders. Given that we're at war against two countries as of now, his war powers are at their peak. He alone can send our entire armed forces anywhere in the world on a moment's notice. He has control of multiple air craft carriers - the highest trained army in the world. He has access to F-22 raptors, stealth bombers, and a host of other high-tech platforms. he can officially recognize or not-recognize other states. Even in our system of separated powers, President can do a lot of things that would make your jaw drop.

There's no comparison. America could literally destroy any other nation on Earth.

yet he is completely helpless to reform health care......

What a wuss

 

[Smoke]

I'm going to say the actual and the obvious answer. And it's the right answer.

The President of the United States, at any time, is the most powerful man on Earth. Oprah being the most powerful woman for many, classified reasons.

The President of the United States is the sole organ and is the commander in chief of all the armies. He has war powers and can issue executive orders. Given that we're at war against two countries as of now, his war powers are at their peak. He alone can send our entire armed forces anywhere in the world on a moment's notice. He has control of multiple air craft carriers - the highest trained army in the world. He has access to F-22 raptors, stealth bombers, and a host of other high-tech platforms. he can officially recognize or not-recognize other states. Even in our system of separated powers, President can do a lot of things that would make your jaw drop.

There's no comparison. America could literally destroy any other nation on Earth.

In terms of military might, the US President is the most powerful man on earth, but military might isn't all that counts, and as George W. Bush so ably demonstrated, the US President can easily overextend himself. The US President may be able to destroy any country on earth, but at what cost? To go to war with Russia or China would be suicidal; a President who moved against either country might "win" in terms of casualty counts and infrastructure destroyed, but he would effectively destroy the United States in the process. The US President comes closer to anyone to having a "doomsday button," but only a fool would use that power.

The US President usually exercises his military power at his own peril and at the peril of the nation. The greater the escalation of conflict, the greater the risk.

I maintain that in terms of useful power, the General Secretary of the CPC still comes out ahead.

 

[TheNorthernExodus]

The US president answers on bent knee to the people who put him there and I am not talking about the voters.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

The US president answers on bent knee to the people who put him there and I am not talking about the voters.

Is it the Kardashians?

 

[TheNorthernExodus]

Is it the Kardashians?

Could well be lol, but to be fair its the same system all over the free world, got to love democracy, from long bloody political struggles of the past democracy has evolved to its highest current purpose via American Idol.
In the absence of anything better we are stuck with it.

 

[Erebus]

ahem...

 

[Humanistheart]

When you hear the title who comes to mind at first thought? Or maybe no one comes to mind?

If the world ever united as one government, who do you think would be the leader? Would it be a single person, or a body of people like a council. Does there have to be a single leader at the tip top?

What do you think?

Having a single leader at the top would be a huge mistake. A world government would have to work more like the states were originally designed as IMO.

 

[Neo-Logic]

yet he is completely helpless to reform health care......

What a wuss

That's a legislative task. I wouldn't expect him to have powers in that arena.

 

[Buttons*]

ahem...

****... I should have guessed that..... But, does he have more power than Chuck Norris's MOM?!?!?!

 

[Erebus]

****... I should have guessed that..... But, does he have more power than Chuck Norris's MOM?!?!?!

Are you kidding? He could have been born without a mother... If he wanted to...