Blair jabs 'mad anti-Americanism'

[NVMojo]

POSTED: 0549 GMT (1349 HKT), September 14, 2006


LONDON, England (Reuters) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair has launched a withering attack on on what he called "mad anti-Americanism" among European politicians.

Blair, U.S. President George W. Bush's closest ally in the so-called war on terror, said Thursday the world urgently needs the United States to help tackle the globe's most pressing problems.

"The danger is if they decide to pull up the drawbridge and disengage. We need them involved," Blair said, spelling out his political vision in a pamphlet published by The Foreign Policy Center think-tank.

"The strain of, frankly, anti-American feeling in parts of European politics is madness when set against the long-term interests of the world we believe in," he said.

Blair, accused by critics of being Bush's poodle who slavishly follows Washington's line, sought to stifle a revolt in his ruling Labour Party last week by promising to quit within a year after almost 10 years in office.

His popularity has tumbled in opinion polls after government scandals over sleaze and mismanagement were compounded by controversy over the wars in Iraq and Lebanon.

more...

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/09/14/security.blair.reut/index.html

[acmavm]

1. No, Blair needs the BFEE. They took him down this path of ruin and

it is way too late to try to find a different way home now. He's got no where to go and no one else to turn to.

And since he knows he's out of power in less than a year (tomorrow would be best), he needs the BFEE for his next career move.

And then there's the Blair legacy. He's tied to the bush** admin. If they are totally discredited, well then, he will go down in history as the whore that serviced the most criminal administration this country has ever suffered through.

All this is just self-serving bullshit from one of the most arrogant and selfish human beings on the face of this earth.

[Amonester]

7. Someone should send BLiar this:

Missing: America

But Do Not Count On The Poodle To Help In Our Searches.

[NVMojo]

13. yeah, he's probably got a job lined out with Carlyle Group and has to

finish his current job according to their will. Asshole.

[NOLADEM]

2. I will always wonder who or what got to Tony

I will never understand. He used to be such a voice of common sense, of reason, and of unequaled oratory skills.

He has faultered so badly by backing Bush in this illegal war, I just can't wrap my mind around it.

I see by his Carlysle job waiting for him that he was bought off, but is that all it was?

A true political cautionary tale.

He has truly thrown his legacy away.

[Kagemusha]

8. You can't play global interventionist without soldiers.

And the US has more than the UK does, so if Blair wants to be a shining light unto the world and intervene in bad places, he needs Americans.

To me, there's not really any more to it than that.

[LeftishBrit]

15. I agree with you

I think he's been corrupted by power, not by money. He would doubtless have liked to rule an Empire of his own - and like many 19th century imperialists, he probably really thinks that he knows better than the rest of the world what's good for them, and that he deserves gratitude for doing good by them. Direct imperialism became impossible for a British leader over 60 years ago, so the next best thing was to muscle in on Bush's imperial games.

[Kagemusha]

17. I think Blair does have good intentions - thus is the road to hell paved

and that road runs through Afghanistan and Iraq.

He should've read his own country's history better. Like the early 20th century. Like the 19th century.

[cliss]

14. I've wondered the same thing.

WHAT A losing proposition...to go along with a doomed war... an Adventure that is going to haunt these 2 countries for decades to come. Why did he do it?

I've come to the conclusion that he had no choice. There was nothing he could do. He knew that Cheney/Bush/Rumsfailed were going to have their war. There were many powerful interests involved.

He was probably told, "you do it or else"...and he did.

[struggle4progress]

16. He acts as if he's being blackmailed.

[CJCRANE]

3. EU is mostly anti-Bush, not anti-American..n/t

[JawJaw]

5. Exactly

Blair keeps pissing me off every time he hides behind the "anti-Americanism" slur. It's just as as defamatory as calling somebody "anti-Semitic" if they disagree strongly with the actions of the Israeli administration. As a barrister he should (and does) know the precise meaning of the words he uses.

So, get it right Tony:

1. Anti-American? - of course not - don't be absurd.

2. Anti-Bush regime? - BINGO!

[Stockholm]

6. Good point

If you don´t like Bush you hate America...

[gratuitous]

11. Nail, meet hammer

Because that's it right on the head. How many times have we seen quotes from folks in other countries who say that they understand the American people to be good-hearted, but that it's the corrupt Bush administration that's the problem. Legitimate criticism of the murderous policies of the Bush administration is not "mad anti-Americanism" Tony; it's legitimate criticism of the murderous policies of the Bush administration.

[plasticsundance]

4. Blair just take your new position at Carlyle

And have a great big ole cup of shut the fuck up.

That something else is likely to be on this side of the Atlantic, where Blair is in greater demand than back home and would probably earn more money -- a real concern for a man who likes the good life and must pay off a mortgage on a $6 million London townhouse. Indeed, if the London papers and rumor mills are to be believed, establishment Washington institutions such as the Carlyle Group or Georgetown University -- where Blair delivered a major foreign-policy speech in May -- could be seeking his services.

more ...

[fedsron2us]

9. The madness of King Tony

Meanwhile in the UK

Anti-war protesters have accused Labour of censorship after they were banned from holding a peace camp near the party's annual conference.

Military Families Against The War had planned to camp near the conference in Manchester but have been banned by the city's Labour council.

Providing facilities for the campers would not be logistically possible, a council spokesman said.

The Labour Party conference starts at the G-Mex centre on Sunday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/5341924.stm

The joys of freedom and democracy ....

[Henny Penny]

10. There is something interesting going on here.

On the one hand you have Blair asking NATO for more troops to send to Afghanistan and NATO saying "No Way Jose!" I think they've met twice this week to try and get these troops, but NATO hasn't budged. And as far as I could see the number of troops requested was quite small just 2500.

So is NATO saying Afghanistan is an unmitigated disaster and it is pointless sending more troops to die there? Or are the other members telling the US et her allies "We've had enough! P!ss off!" A bit of both??

Meanwhile the news this week has shown several British personnel being interviewed about how things are going there and it didn't look good at all. They were openly saying things like "We are getting attacked in our base 5 or 6 times a day" while back in studio the anchor says "while the battle in Afghanistan is going well, the fight at the NATO summit is proving to be much tougher". Unreal.

Then they cut to the troops mothers saying things like " The French aren't pulling their weight" etc and you get the feeling its all the fault of the cowardly French/Spanish/Italians.

Finally Blair gives a speech saying that since Afghanistan is the source of all the terrorism in the world the Europeans need to step in and take control otherwise they can expect attacks in their own countries.... Blair looks pale as a ghost and sounds like he's making a thinly veiled threat.

Just my take on this week's events so far...

Luckily I'm back at work next week and so won't have time to think about stuff so much which is a good thing, 'cos I'm getting a bit worried.

[Strawman]

12. This guy's been in office far too long

Anyone parodied by one of those ugly puppets in Genesis' Land of Confusion video should be out of office by now.

[arewenotdemo]

18. Blair worries about American "disengagement"

After years of bending over for it, Tony fears that only the SOLE WORLD SUPERPOWER can satisfy.