The circus that follows Tony Blair graces us yet again with the release of his memoirs. Blair is no longer a central figure in public life but whenever he makes an appearance, the media gaze immediately pours its coverage and on to his latest outing. As the former Labour spin doctor Lance Price said this morning, Blair will have Iraq etched on his grave. Yet the country, despite its condemnation over the Iraq War, seems to have a healthy respect for Blair’s opinion on a range of topics like British politics and Middle Eastern diplomacy. It seems like a pure antinomy to want to hear from a man who once told us obscene lies.
It is hard to imagine for some people but Blair is still held in high esteem in America and seen as global leader in the pursuit for World Peace. Both Kosovo and Sierra Leone still revere the man who led the world for calls on 'liberal intervention' to avoid genocide. Apparently after the NATO intervention in Kosovo, the name Tony became extremely popular within a mainly Muslim country.
We should always remember that Blair won the biggest landslide in British General Electoral history and although he divided opinion with his policies, he changed the political landscape across the Union, continent and world. History can often have a benign view on yesterday's leaders, we seem to become more open to listening to fallen rogues: think Richard Nixon, Alastair Campbell, Jonathan Aitken even Peter Mandelson. Blair will never be forgiven for his previous decisions but we will always acknowledge his talent to talk, to woo and create opinion.
It is hard to imagine for some people but Blair is still held in high esteem in America and seen as global leader in the pursuit for World Peace. Both Kosovo and Sierra Leone still revere the man who led the world for calls on 'liberal intervention' to avoid genocide. Apparently after the NATO intervention in Kosovo, the name Tony became extremely popular within a mainly Muslim country.
We should always remember that Blair won the biggest landslide in British General Electoral history and although he divided opinion with his policies, he changed the political landscape across the Union, continent and world. History can often have a benign view on yesterday's leaders, we seem to become more open to listening to fallen rogues: think Richard Nixon, Alastair Campbell, Jonathan Aitken even Peter Mandelson. Blair will never be forgiven for his previous decisions but we will always acknowledge his talent to talk, to woo and create opinion.
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