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I had to put up with this man for ten years as my Prime Minister.

He is an (alleged) social democrat, who despises the poor and the powerless and adulates the rich and powerful.

He is an (alleged) pro-European, who never had the courage to take on the euro-sceptics.

He is an (alleged) person who wishes to do good in the world, but who sets far too low a bar for the use of military force.

He is an (alleged) reformer, who frittered away his time and energy on managerialist re-arrangements of health and education. I guarantee that the Blair "reforms" will be minor footnotes in specialist histories (if that) in a generation.

He is an (alleged) master politician, who specialised in issuing fatuous ideas for the sake of an ephemeral triumph in the next news cycle. Mostly these ideas disappeared without trace, until it was time to re-announce them as a great new initiative and repeat the news management process. Unfortunately some version of some of his daft ideas actually became public policy and were implemented.

He is an (alleged) champion of freedom but, because he lacked any sense of the importance of history and his ideas were instinctively authoritarian, he was an objective enemy of liberty.

I am sorry that I have been so moderate in my criticism of this truly awful politician.

However it does not matter. Gordon Brown can be relied upon to sabotage any attempt by Blair to get back into politics.

by Gary J on Fri Jan 18th, 2008 at 05:05:50 PM EST
Right... Agree absolutely.

Blair was a Conservative through and through. That was what was galling -- why couldn't he just spit it out and say so? His Messianic complex probably got in the way, i.e., "right thing to do."

But if it's any satisfaction, there is a good chance that Gordon Brown just might do that just when Blair expects it least: <<to sabotage any attempt by Blair to get back into politics.>>

by The3rdColumn on Fri Jan 18th, 2008 at 05:13:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Will you guys please stop saying all those nice things about Tony Blair!  You are making him sound like just the right sort of guy to lead an elite EU project - don't be giving them any ideas!

Index of Frank's Diaries
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Fri Jan 18th, 2008 at 05:43:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"You are making him sound like just the right sort of guy to lead an elite EU project" -- Frank

Geez, that's an idea. If there's an elite EU project that has something to do with promoting Europe IN the US, you know the sort that would maximize return for Europe, you must admit that Blair is qualified.

Why not appoint Blair special EU ambassador to US or something like that.

Don't forget Americans love our Blair that if given the chance to run for US president, he probably stands a fantastic chance of winning and beat Clinton, Obama or Edwards hands down.

by The3rdColumn on Fri Jan 18th, 2008 at 06:30:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Why not appoint Blair special EU ambassador to US or something like that.

He's already special US ambassador to the EU.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sat Jan 19th, 2008 at 07:46:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Ah! Right... that disqualifies him all the more for the position of EU president.
by The3rdColumn on Sat Jan 19th, 2008 at 11:21:27 AM EST
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