Monday, September 6, 2010

Tony Blair

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has just released his autobiography. It has generated big sales and controversy at the same time. The latter is mostly about his criticism of his successor Gordon Brown. How low EQ he has and all that…Of course, I’ve not read his book and I only learnt that from the news. I don’t pay a lot attention to politicians in general. Cuz, I think politicians are mostly poor-looking spineless actors/actresses who don’t deserve the power that they have. Yes, there are exceptions in far and between, but that hasn’t changed my perception on them regardless what kind of political systems they are leeching on. Well, don’t get me wrong that I don’t admire them, they do have the skills to survive or even succeed in what they are doing. Their role in the society is extremely important as well. I just don’t like them much. I think minority of them do have heart to ‘do’ something for the people but they are just hindered by the gigantic political bureaucracy or the interlinked interest groups relationships. Most of the rest simply open the big hole on their faces and make noise. Promise the innocent and ignorant ones the moon, and still got away with it.

I think Tony Blair is a good talker. That’s why he got pay millions (in different currencies) to make speeches to audience all over the world. I don’t follow his career closely, neither his policies. However, one thing that I find quite interesting as being one of the nameless millions is that Tony Blair was perceived to be the best buddy of both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush while they were the presidents of the U.S. while he was the Prime Minister of Britain. And we all know that Bill and George don’t get along. At least from the policy standpoint, the ways they ran the country were so different. Or, was it that different? Particularly in terms of foreign policy? So, is that another proof that politicians are fake public personnel indeed spineless and gutless? How can Tony Blair support George W. Bush’s lie about WMD in Iraq without his eyes brink? That does get me say hmmm………

I would not go as far as saying the U.S. foreign policy is actually running behind the scene by a bunch of shadow people who have the real power over the Presidents who are simply the mouthpiece or puppet for the group. That’s why the U.S. foreign policy is actually quite consistent regardless Democrat or Republican won the executive branch. That’s why its closest ally Britain. would have no doubt to go along with the consistent policy. Or, perhaps the closeness of two countries are so tight that even if the U.S. foreign policy is so different within few years that Britain would just blindly or amazingly flexible enough to bend its back to fit what the U.S. wanna do. I think it is a good topic for students of international relationship to go into, if they really want to get to the bottom of the development of Anglo-Saxon power on the World stage in the past century.