These global leaders may be a nasty cabal sitting on their hands doing not enough about poverty, oppression and agricultural subsidies.

But they sure know how to travel.

I’ve been working on the Guardian Unlimited newsdesk over the last few days, helping out while we have a big team in Edinburgh sending back some great stuff on the G8 summit and associated protests.

Thus, I’m well-positioned next to a big TV set permanently tuned to Sky News. And it’s been hugely impressive to watch Jacques Chirac hurtling across the globe in the last 24 hours. There he was in Singapore yesterday, failing to win Paris the Olympics. Then, this afternoon, there he was arriving at Prestwick airport with a rictus grin as he came down the steps. And then, the next time I look up from my PC, he’s arriving in his personal helicopter at Gleneagles. Moments later he’s being carted to the front door in a big black Range Rover.

Let’s not imagine how normal folk would get across Scotland from Prestwick to Gleneagles. Were he to attempt it using Scotrail tonight, it would take two changes (including a wee walk from Glasgow Central to Queen Street, which might attract some attention) and a little more than two hours. And there are some disruptions in the Gleneagles area, I’m told by the Network Rail website…

Actually, forget that - mere mortals would, of course, still be sweating in a transfer lounge in Dubai or Munich or something, on the return leg from Singapore, smelly, sweaty and demoralised. Even if we hadn’t just lost the Olympic bid we thought we had in the bag.

We’d be arriving in Gleneagles sometime this weekend.

And that, of course, is the thing. While we all must think from time to time that our leaders have supernatural powers of stamina and the ability to reject the notion of jetlag, this kind of transport must help a lot. A flat bed when you’re flying, and not having to cope with departure lounges and passport queues… it’s almost enough to encourage you to run for office.

Although the widespread hatred and crushing moral responsibility might be something of a downside, of course.

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