Monday, November 07, 2005
Seduced by Glamour ?
Tony Blair Was Not Bush's Poodle
*
Two and a half years into the Iraq war we are already seeing books appear in print about the reasons for the war--attempts to justify it as well as facts and arguments that knock the proponents down. Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's former ambassador to the United States, was not a dove then and is not one now. But he criticizes the rush to war, the timing, the planning or lack thereof, and the mistakes for which we are paying a heavy price. The Guardian, UK, has begun to serialise his soon to be published book "DC Confidential". Fascinating.
"Tony Blair chose to take his stand against Saddam and alongside Bush from the highest of high moral ground. It is the definitive riposte to the idea that Blair was merely the president's poodle, seduced though he and his team always appeared to be by the proximity and glamour of American power.But the high moral ground, and the pure white flame of unconditional support to an ally in service of an idea, have their disadvantages.
"They place your destiny in the hands of the ally. They fly above the tangled history of Sunni, Shia and Kurd. They discourage descent into the dull detail of tough and necessary bargaining: meat and drink to Margaret Thatcher, but, so it seemed, uncongenial to Tony Blair.
"As the French commander Marshal Bosquet said in 1854 during the Crimean war, on observing the Charge of the Light Brigade towards the Russian cannon at Balaclava: "C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre." (It is magnificent, but it is not war.)
"They place your destiny in the hands of the ally. They fly above the tangled history of Sunni, Shia and Kurd. They discourage descent into the dull detail of tough and necessary bargaining: meat and drink to Margaret Thatcher, but, so it seemed, uncongenial to Tony Blair.
"As the French commander Marshal Bosquet said in 1854 during the Crimean war, on observing the Charge of the Light Brigade towards the Russian cannon at Balaclava: "C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre." (It is magnificent, but it is not war.)
Comments:
<< Home
What price do you think Blair and the UK will pay among the members of the EU? We know that those in Poland and other new members have been pressured to ease up on the American ass-kissing.
What do you see (as far as dynamics) as a consequence now?
What do you see (as far as dynamics) as a consequence now?
Back in 2003, when Blair received support from the Parliament to be a part of the "coalition", majority of British citizens were against the war.
Yet Blair won another term this year. Between the Tories and Labor, the voters supported Labor...even with Blair as the leader. Current racial riots in France could spread to other (Northern European) countries. UK, too, had its share.
Blair's popularity has suffered and he might not serve a full term. The "coalition" in reality never meant much more than the US and Britain.
Poland had 1700 hundred soldiers at the beginning of the year and started reducing the force. Political situation in Poland is not very stable but as long as the current leaders stay in power an outright opposition to US policies is not likely.
Post a Comment
Yet Blair won another term this year. Between the Tories and Labor, the voters supported Labor...even with Blair as the leader. Current racial riots in France could spread to other (Northern European) countries. UK, too, had its share.
Blair's popularity has suffered and he might not serve a full term. The "coalition" in reality never meant much more than the US and Britain.
Poland had 1700 hundred soldiers at the beginning of the year and started reducing the force. Political situation in Poland is not very stable but as long as the current leaders stay in power an outright opposition to US policies is not likely.
<< Home
