Putin: "I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls"

An insight into the minds of certain world leaders:

“I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls,” Mr Putin declared.

Mr Sarkozy thought he had misheard. “Hang him?” — he asked. “Why not?” Mr Putin replied. “The Americans hanged Saddam Hussein.”

Mr Sarkozy, using the familiar tu, tried to reason with him: “Yes but do you want to end up like [President] Bush?” Mr Putin was briefly lost for words, then said: “Ah — you have scored a point there.”

So... Putin has no problem with hanging the rival leader of a rival country - I can't think, at this point, that anyone is really surprised by that. What really fascinates me, though, is the logic used by Sarkozy to dissuade Putin. He doesn't make a moral case, he doesn't talk about the ethical issues of hanging someone. No, his logic is all about not being unpopular.

And, judging by Putin's reaction, that logic seems to have worked.

It is hardly new to speculate that world leaders are vainglorious sociopaths obsessed by popularity and the perceptions of others. However, it isn't often that we get such a stark indicator that such speculation is actually reflected in reality.