Tony Blair Prepares for a Subdued Exit

Tony Blair Prepares for a Subdued Exit

www.nytimes.com

LONDON, May 5 — It began with an effusive exuberance as Britain’s Labor party came in from 18 years of opposition in 1997 in a landslide won by a bright and young politician called Tony Blair. Nothing seemed impossible. He spoke of a new dawn. The party’s campaign song declared, “Things can only get better.”

Now, a decade later, as Mr. Blair prepares to leave office burdened by an unpopular war and down in the ratings, the song seems off key. In the eyes of some of his critics, things have not gotten better. And they might be about to get worse.

(visit the link for the full news article)

In a world where war exists, and a key player on the world stage, such as Tony Blair prepares for a quiet exit, one can now ponder his legacy.

As a leader, a man, and above all a human being, how do YOU believe history will judge Tony Blair?

Please feel free to post any comments you have, but try to be respectful of the fact that this man has been a world leader for a very long time.

www.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 6-5-2007 by UM_Gazz]

I will pay the man as much respect as he deserves..which is none. Absolutely none.

Why? Because, lieing to the nation, willingly, about WMD, is a crime.

He may or may not have done this country some good in internal affairs, i really don't care to much for that (although i recognise the NHS being ripped off for example), but the fact remains..he was involved in a one hell of a lie, and he participated on his own accord.

He also leaves the door open for gordon brown, who IMHO, is one evil piece of work. He opennly talks of the New World Order, and has also ripped this country off so much it makes me angry.

as always, the public places faith in the next leader, never questiong the system itself..

Originally posted by UM_Gazz

Please feel free to post any comments you have, but try to be respectful of the fact that this man has been a world leader for a very long time.

I'll try.

The Labour Party inherited some significant problems and although there have been improvements there has been no progress. I don't like the direction the UK has taken and I am trying to understand what exactly is happening. I voted for Labour in the first election, I didn't in the second. I am in favour of proportional representation and they repeatedly baulked on their commitment to it. Social and educationally we have gone only sideways. I could go on and on. Either way very disappointing.

I feel at some point Tony Blair lost his way. I find it particularly telling that in the last six months Cherie Blair has almost disappeared from view.

I do not want to speculate, but for me personally, I completely lost faith in him as my leader when his response to a question concerning the validity of the Iraqi invasion was that god would be his judge. To put it politely I turned the air blue, I was so incredibly offended. To be succinct he was not my representative, as leader of my country, he was god's servant or whatever...still angry about that one so I won't go on.

It is enough for me to doubt that his actions had the best interests of this country at heart. I have no doubt that there will be no change in those interests when Gordon Brown takes power.

I am very uneasy about the situation of power in this country, I do not like some of the directions of social and investment policy. I would have preferred a contest and the possibility of greater socialism, but alas this isn't to be. For the reasons given I do not agree, whether there is something they are not telling us remains to be seen.

Does anyone else get a really bad vibe from Gordon Brown? I know when someone is hiding something, and his face says it all.

Garh, politicians are such slime

Mr. Blair leave office as PM to the resounding sighs of the opposition party, who had no one to match him. Whilst he may not carry the weight of a Churchill, he's still head and shoulders above the run of the mill politician operating in Britain, if not the world, today. He was an ally, when my country sorely needed one. If not in lockstep, he was surely on the beat with us, and wasn't anything even resembling the lapdog so fondly put forth by his outgunned opposition.

Erudite, classy, intelligent, even courageous...all of these words can be used to describe Mr. Blair. Though I'm sure others will be used as well . He stood up when it was needed, unlike a lot of politicians elsewhere in the world.

History will ultimately, I think, view him as someone who took a stand against darkness, and against sometimes bitter opposition stated his case time and again. Socially, while I am no expert on matters pertaining to Britain's society as a whole, what I do see is better than it was, with more to do. So a passing grade on that. Foreign policy? Depends greatly upon who you ask .

My respect for the man is immense.

[edit on 7-5-2007 by seagull]

Originally posted by seagull
Erudite, classy, intelligent, even courageous...all of these words can be used to describe Mr. Blair.

I think the OP was asking for serious opinions, not jokes.

Originally posted by seagull
My respect for the man is immense.

Your respect for the man is for the most part invalid seeing as you have not lived under his rule for the past 10 years.

Thanks for the post.

Awww...didums I hurt your little feelings? Sorry for not saying he's the devil incarnate.

Opinions were sought and given. Don't like them? Don't read them. As for one opinion being more or less valid than another, you're the judge of that are you? Well...all hail SteveR, the judge of validity.

[edit on 10-5-2007 by seagull]