So now that the great man is stepping down what will his legacy be?
Will Iraq dominate the history books or the NI solution or his governance of the UK?
Answers on a postcard
IRAQ, IRAQ, IRAQ
And his lap dog approach when dealing with Satan
The first british president....
Ruining the once socialist British Labour Party.
Iraq
Making New Labour more Tory
Kissing Bushes arse - shame shame
But he deserves some credit for sticking with the Peace process!
He perfected the art of superficial politics and put it front and centre as the only way to succeed.
Looking ernest & solomn and speaking in a tone conducive to sounding important, while saying absolutely nothing goes a long way.
Listening to the BBC - they are saying that the majority of commetns from UK are negative whereas comments from rest of the world are more positive
My abiding memory of Blair will always be when Eamonn Dunphy called him a 'three pound note'. :)
i think he fcuked up in iraq but imo he always meant well. after the thatcher years he was a pleasure. i really believe he is one of lifes good guys (tho if i was iraqi i might not think that)...
Quote from: 5iveTimes on May 10, 2007, 11:07:55 AM
Blair will only be remembered for Iraq.
I doubt that - in a few years, it'll be just another overseas war.
But it was his overseas war.
The "lapdog to Bush" tag will stick I reckon.
Bertie on Blair - he left a priceless legacy of peace in Ireland and will hold an honoured place in Irish history.
I can't argue with that
Well, I think that's a bit harsh. At least he worked hard at it and delivered his part of it and arguably what's resulted is more stable and potentially lasting than anything that might have been imposed just to meet a schedule. Did it matter that much how long it took, as long as they were at least working towards it, rather than murdering each other?
What other Taosieach in history would have been able to say about any British PM what Bertie is able to say (and clearly mean) about Blair?
And he was the first British PM to acknowledge the detrimental role his country's government played during the famine in Ireland.
However, his legacy will depend on who you ask.....for the vast majority of people, I think it will be his role in aiding and abetting mass murder in Iraq under the cover of an 'illegal' war, all for the sake of the petrodollar.
Quote from: Hardy on May 10, 2007, 04:36:18 PMWhat other Taosieach in history would have been able to say about any British PM what Bertie is able to say (and clearly mean) about Blair?
The change in tone between the premiers of both countries started with Major and Reynolds - the latter has paid huge tribute to Major for his role in the the peace process.
Quote from: Donagh on May 10, 2007, 09:00:00 AM
Ruining the once socialist British Labour Party.
Was that the party that lost four elections in a row ?
That's lefties for you. They hate success - for themselves as much as anybody. It robs them of their righteous misery.
Blair has been the best of the lot by a mile. He handled the peace process perfectly, knowing full well how badly it could turn if a wrong move was made.
He made an immense contribution to securing a settlement in the North, won elections with the ruthlessness that Kilkenny win All-Irelands and presided over an unprecedented period of economic stability in Britain.
And yet, his legacy will be Iraq. Hubris on an apocalyptic scale.
Have to agree with that, he's the best I've seen in my lifetime. Fair play to him for sticking with the peace process I hope he gets the credit in years to come for that. Compare hi mto that useless shit John Major and the dicks like Patrick Mayhew he put in charge of this place, Christ Blair even put a Scottish Catholic in charge (John Reid). I'll never forget hearing that news with a bunch of left-footers from my university class, their response - we're fucked now, he's a Celtic supporter! :D
Quote from: ExiledGael on May 10, 2007, 07:20:03 PM
Have to agree with that, he's the best I've seen in my lifetime. Fair play to him for sticking with the peace process I hope he gets the credit in years to come for that. Compare hi mto that useless shit John Major and the dicks like Patrick Mayhew he put in charge of this place, Christ Blair even put a Scottish Catholic in charge (John Reid). I'll never forget hearing that news with a bunch of left-footers from my university class, their response - we're fucked now, he's a Celtic supporter! :D
:D :D :D :D
Brilliant!!!!!!!!
Quote from: ExiledGael on May 10, 2007, 07:20:03 PM
Christ Blair even put a Scottish Catholic in charge (John Reid).
Putting that moron in charge of anything more important than carrying a crate of cans around the terrace in Thurles on Munster final day is a black mark against Blair. Reid is the classic example of a person who thinks they're being straight talking when in fact they're being pig-ignorant.
Quote from: Hardy on May 10, 2007, 05:44:49 PM
That's lefties for you. They hate success - for themselves as much as anybody. It robs them of their righteous misery.
classic!! ;D
Quote from: 5iveTimes on May 10, 2007, 03:49:05 PM
Quote from: Hardy on May 10, 2007, 03:38:13 PM
Bertie on Blair - he left a priceless legacy of peace in Ireland and will hold an honoured place in Irish history.
I can't argue with that
Obviously Bertie is going to applaud Blair, its his job.
I think Blair made a mess of the peace process, he pandered to Unionism for far too long. This should have been sorted out long ago.
Absolutely brilliant, post of the year. ;D ;D ;D What's the weather like on your planet?
Getting back to the topic. Blair's years have been marked by massive strides at home (peace process, health service, education, minimum wage, etc) but he will always be remembered as a war criminal, for his actions over Iraq and the massive damage this has done to the UK around the world. I still can not fathom why an otherwise intelligent man risked his entire reputation just to earn a few quid on the American after-dinner circuit.
Quote from: SammyG on May 11, 2007, 09:01:52 AM
I still can not fathom why an otherwise intelligent man risked his entire reputation just to earn a few quid on the American after-dinner circuit.
Two pigs just flew by the window, I agree with Sammy ;)
Did any of you see question time on last night with Peter Mandelson on it.
The debate was similar to this topic, Blairs legacy.
Mandelson was getting it in the ear from Ken Clarke, the Lib/Dem leader, can't remember his name about Iraq and he more or less came clean on the subject.
Blairs decision to go to Iraq was a strategic one, i.e. to keep on the good side of the Americans for whatever political and economic crumbs that fall from their table. It had very little to do with weapons of mass destruction or regime change.
Let's be honest, every British government in my lifetime would have done the same, so would David Cameron, Charles Kennedy and the rest if they were in Blairs position.
Spot on Johnneycool. This has been the number one maxim of British foreign policy ever since Suez. As they see it (whether it's true or not), they don't have another option, unless they want to be Venezuela.
I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news that Thatcher had stepped down as British prime minister. It was a huge relief and everyone in the office felt like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.
Compare that to Blair's departure - people are more worried about what is coming next.
Blair will be remembered for the debacle that has been Iraq. He deserves great praise for the Peace Process but really workes as a facilitator rather than a mover in it. As regards being PM over a economically stable Britain, the credit for that must go to the steady hand of Brown.
Orior, I believe Brown will adopt a more insular and finance driven approach during his term of office. He will draw back somewhat from Iraq, but not fully. He will dole out the mullah to the North, but don't expect too many Stormont photo shoots.
Steady and sure is his approach and I think it will continue at that with emphasis on maintaining a steady economy and bringing in further foreign investment.
Quote from: Orior on May 11, 2007, 11:51:18 AM
I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news that Thatcher had stepped down as British prime minister. It was a huge relief and everyone in the office felt like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.
Compare that to Blair's departure - people are more worried about what is coming next.
i was working in london at the time and myself and a scottish buddy (worse for wear) went outside number 10 and stole loads of flowers left fot the nice lady.. like i said earlier blair was a pleasure after listening to her. sammy is spot on iraq was to keep on uncle sam good side..
I think Blair's lasting legacy will be twofold. In our country he will be remembered as the lucky PM in the right place at the right time to deliver a lasting( Please God) peace.
In the UK I think his legacy will be the Torification of the Labour Party. The Labour Party of Neil Kinnock is long dead and buried, and Blair was the assassin and undertaker.
To be honest, I think he will be a sidebar or a footnote when the world thinks about Iraq/Afghanistan.
Quote from: johnneycool on May 11, 2007, 09:51:31 AM
Let's be honest, every British government in my lifetime would have done the same, so would David Cameron, Charles Kennedy and the rest if they were in Blairs position.
Ken Clarke was quite vociferous in his opposition to the war. However, given the regularity with which the Tories spurned him because of his refusal to be obsessed with bashing Johnny Foreigner, gays, career women, single mothers and hippies, he was in real terms about as close to the top job as the late Screaming Lord Sutch.
With that in mind, I agree with you. The Brits are in thrall to the myth of the special relationship. "We will be Greece to their Rome", said Harold MacMillan, and this idea that the Americans give a rat's ass about Britain's opinion has informed British foreign policy since the Yanks slapped them down in Suez.
QuoteWith that in mind, I agree with you. The Brits are in thrall to the myth of the special relationship. "We will be Greece to their Rome", said Harold MacMillan, and this idea that the Americans give a rat's ass about Britain's opinion has informed British foreign policy since the Yanks slapped them down in Suez.
absolutely, i was born in the states and spent half my life there and the only time i heard about the 'special relationship' was on this side of the pond. america couldnt care less about it..
As one commentator correctly said today that if you scratched Blair there was feck all underneath. A politician of his times he will not be remembered for his Norn Iron policies nor his Queen of Hearts spinning but for being George W's lickspittle.
I believe Geoffrey Wheatcroft's biography 'Yo Blair' is well worth a read.