thank you, Dana

“A GREAT MAN and A GREAT POLITICIAN”

Exactly what I think.

It’s rare for us to live through the times of a political leader who will go down in history as a great leader and a good man. It’s SO rare that we don’t notice it when it’s happening!

Well, the press don’t, nor do its easily swayed and misled readers.

The press in the UK have a lot to answer for.

I should really make a page here with all of Tony Blair’s achievements – lest we forget!

We vilify this man as though he is an evil dictator with no honest motives, although 95% of what he has done are things of which, surely, we could only approve in a civilised country. When do you ever get 100%?

And, it seems, it’s because of Iraq and his decision to stand by America.

Though personally I think Brown and his acolytes USED Blair’s press-inspired unpopularity over Iraq to remove him because they thought it was Brown’s turn to be PM!!!

Abominable. They forgot so easily who had brought them to power three times in a row – NEVER done before for Labour, EVER.

Brown’s “new government” (a waste of space, in my opinion – who all look MOST uninspiring) is not going to renege on Britain’s commitment in Iraq anyway.

Blair had to be sacrificed so that Brown could take over his job – NOTHING else. NOT in order to change policy.

No British Prime minister would have done any differently from Blair as far as backing the USA was concerned.

I think he was RIGHT to stand by America – even if we can list ad nauseum the things the Americans got wrong.

We will only be able to judge Iraq and the MEPP in the longer term. I think the name of Tony Blair will be clearly on the credit side of the story.

I suppose I’ll keep the site going for a bit longer. I don’t know, we’ll have to see.

Thank you for your moving comment, btw.

Call back any time.

Thanks,
Dana, Italy.

Good of you to come back here. I’ve read the links – good analyses both, but in the usual way, responded to only by the antis. These are people who seem to have nothing much to do with their lives other than castigate those who are elected to make important decisions.

As for the ordinary person – not brainwashed by conspiracy theorists – well, apathy rules. (They should remember that all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing).

You said:
“But it seems to me that more is due after someone has served and sacrificed. Something other than protesters calling him a murderer.”

Couldn’t agree more. It’s worse than despicable that those who don’t approve of Iraq, use their basic anti-war stance to justify the rabid nonsense that they spout on Blair ‘The Anti-Christ’!

I expect it of many uninformed bloggers, whose approach and depth of understanding is often limited, but I still contend that the press has been hugely instrumental in his fall from grace. The outcome from the backlash by journalists, conspiracy theorists and the easily led, is all too evident.

Like you, I hope that Mr Blair can use his negotiating skills to good effect in the Middle East. Might take some time, though!

It seems he should be safe out there, although I DID notice that he was more or less treated like an ordinary civilian on leaving Downing Street. You’d think there’d be a bit more care taken, considering threats had been in the public domain. And early this morning a car bomb was defused in central London.

I’ll probably let the blog fade away naturally, and just let it sit there with the occasional updates. For the moment I am still happy to add or link anything interesting.

Thanks for your kind comments.

Anyway, Sad day, Wednesday. I’m sure the time feels long to all of you in Britain, but it seems short to me. I was 14 when Mr. Blair became Prime Minister. I’ve only been paying attention since 2001, and only in-depth in the last few months. When Mr. Blair announced he would resign in a year, I was determined to follow his premiership a lot closer – watch PMQs and such, but I didn’t really get around to it until recently. It seems like the end came soon, too soon.

I couple of days ago, I saw some of the footage from 97, when Mr. Blair was first elected. It was so different. The crowd was just elated – all trying to touch his hand or hug him. I understand getting caught up in excitement and promises. But it seems to me that more is due after someone has served and sacrificed. Something other than protesters calling him a murderer. The last PMQs was nice, though.

I personally am very glad that Mr. Blair will become the new Mideast Peace Envoy. It is good that his skills will not go to waste, especially considering the dire situation is in Palestine. It certainly will be a challenge. I hope he is given the authority to help broker political deals so his efforts aren’t futile. I know you are worried about his safety. I hate to say, I don’t think that’s much of a consideration to him. Hopefully, he’ll have some good people around to ensure his safety and some good luck, too!

I certainly wish he would have stayed longer, though, probably, that was impossible considering the political situation. I think, it the end, it was done very well and very unselfishly. I’m sure the competion with Gordon was frustrating (I guess we know it was) and that their relationship was ambivalent at times, but he is handing responsibility over to someone he can trust to do a good job and continue his goals. I think it is a mark of good leadership to utilize the best people’s skills and abilities. I can understand being tempted to lessen conflict, but I think Mr. Blair has shown a lot of patience and that it has paid off.

I want to echo some of the sentiments the MPs mentioned at PMQs. I was glad to see that there were several mentions of his courtesy. This is very well-deserved, as evidenced in the last Bush-Blair press conference (though it was nice to watch Bush confront a few reporters). He has been unceasingly polite, a quality that no doubt helped him achieve a lot of what he did. I’m from the Mid-West, and I find it remarkable. It’s not exactly our forte. But, aside from being proper, I think that it is sign of kindness, especially under such circumstances.

Perhaps Mr. Blair’s lecture on the press was for Mr. Brown, or for future leaders. Certainly, Brown should be warned. He may very well have to deal with much of the same intensity of criticism that Tony faced. And both Brown and Cameron will be under a lot more scrutiny. It should be interesting at least. I imagine it will wind up being a fairly close election, assuming it is Brown v. Cameron.

A couple more links if you haven’t seen them already, the first from Michael Gerson, Pres. Bush’s former speech-writer, so it is very well done. The second from a liberal, to show the span of support, although I’ll warn you, a lot of the comments aren’t too nice, as there are a good number of liberals very upset about the war. I’m not associated with that site!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/17/AR2007051702091.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeremi-suri/why-i-love-tony-blair_b_48837.html

Thanks for everything you’ve done. I appreciate the perspective, the comments, and the content. Too bad it is all ending – but I’m looking forward to the forthcoming peace in Palestine (fingers crossed)

His own words about politics, that it is much less often about skullduggery, more often about the pursuit of noble causes is true, and a wholy appropiate epitaph to this phase of his political career I think.

Though the rider that many commentators frequently reverse these in the foundations of their commentaries might be addeed.

He should be leaving a message here!

But we kind of KNOW that about Blair already, don’t we? And I DO accept a lot of the technology chat. Partly because I personally know people who are working NOW on forward-thinking fuel options, and are in talks regarding funding (by such as Soros).

I expect the *LIPpies think they’re all corrupt self-serving bast***s.

It’s in the Mid-East not the Mid-West that Blair needs to make friends and influence people. That’s the harder task. I still think he’s up to it. Driven.

Btw, did you hear Clare Short-of-Brains tonight on PM?

She didn’t know “whether to laugh or cry”.

How’re we supposed to know the difference?

*Liberal Intelligentsia Press

It is partly a follow-on from the ’90s Tory Euro-split-suicide pact which occasioned so much mirth in some quarters!

Schadenfreude is SUCH a lovely long word . . .

The Independant perforce has to report some News – http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2711507.ece

I fear TB’s work in the Middle East is unlikely to be full time, so hopefully he may be involved in combating the mounting Global warming crisis.

Some sort of Foundation may be funded, perhaps by Geo Soros or similar, politicians are not the only organisers on our planet.

Schwartzenegger’s visit was timely in that matter too, eh?

Quentin Davies’s defection is a bit of a coup. Can’t be doing Cameron much good. If Labour managed to get a few more – look for more pro-Europeans, as that’s THE fracture down the middle of the Tories – Brown could yet call an election in the autumn. It would focus minds on the Tories’ Europe policy and away from the EU summit. And it would make Labour look so, SO sensible compared to the splits that would appear in Tory ranks when Cameron tries to work out a policy that would sustain them ALL on the issue.

But what do I care? After tomorrow, I’ll be outa here! This blog has done it’s little bit but it’s not about Labour’s or the Tories’ futures. Certainly not now anyway; I was more interested in the country’s future.

Blair didn’t say, in Arnie fashion. “I’ll be back”. Though he did refer to the fact that he hadn’t said it – so maybe he DID say it!

Interesting that it might be the last thought he left us with from Number 10.

Sedgefield tomorrow afternoon … another tear jerker of a speech?

I’m going to miss that guy.