swat's almanack says: tony lands on his feet

swatantra Sat Jan 19, 2008 at 05:44:56 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

Look, I know we shouldn't be speaking ill of the dead, and we should let sleeping dogs lie, but two stories caught my eye about Anthony Blair, ex-PM.
1. His official portrait has been shown for the first time. Not bad, but Cherie might consign it to the attic.
Why? because Tony is not just over yet. 
2. Some people are seriously suggesting that Blair might become the next President of Europe!!! Unbelievable!.  That's what we thought too, as Blair only lent grudging support to the idea of European Unity during his spell in No 10. He didn't actually promote the idea, but left it more to our imagination. So is he the right candidate?
Well swat's almanack says he will be as much use in resolving the Palestine question, as assisting the Rwandan's not to kill each other, as in settling the European question. Even after 30 years Britain is still debating 'out' or 'in'.
But we think that he will do pretty well in the boardroom of whatever merchant bank he is selling his name to.





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swat's almanack says: tony lands on his feet | 11 comments (11 topical)

Re: swat's almanack say: tony lands on his feet (#1)

by NorthernMonkey on Sat Jan 19, 2008 at 10:21:35 PM GMT

I really hope Blair gets this job - he'd be brilliant at it.


Europe needs a real leader who can actually get things done. Usually we get some nobody from Luxembourg to keep things moving along.


I would hope having a British leader of the EU would help to sell Europe a bit more over here too.


Blair's negotiation skills (as shown in Northern Ireland) show that he's more than up for the task.


And let's remember, Blair always was pro-European (he wanted to take us into the Euro) but a certain next-door neighbour wasn't so keen.


Re: swat's almanack say: tony lands on his feet (#2)

by BlairSupporter on Sun Jan 20, 2008 at 07:14:29 PM GMT


What? Is he dead or just a sleeping dog?


Neither. In my humble opinion he's the best leader Labour has had in most of our lifetimes, and has just finished the first part of his political career.

He'll do brilliantly as EU President if he gets the job. It's probably the only way this country will ever be able to understand WHY the EU is important to us. Blair can tell it like it is, without the British "feral" press leaping down his throat with "traitor" nonsense.

In ANY language he can explain it better than the politically-challenged. We can always translate online.

By the way, read some history of the goings-on between the Brothers B to understand that Blair has ALWAYS been pro Europe. He was stymied by ... guess who.


Re: swat's almanack say: tony lands on his feet (#3)

by champagnesocialist on Mon Jan 21, 2008 at 02:16:55 PM GMT

I agree Balir could be just the kind of person the EU needs. And as you say it should be better for the EU as the tabloids wont be able to portray everything as foreign conspiracy ou to get plucky little Britain


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Re: swat's almanack say: tony lands on his feet (#6)

by BlairSupporter on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 09:45:07 PM GMT

Hi Swat,

Good point. Though the papers are going to take some persuading, especially the Murdoch press. Blair will have to pull some rabbits out of the hat for Britain while he's looking after the EU. Something to keep the antis at bay. Something big and good for this country, otherwise they'll STILL say he's only doing it (whatever he does) for himself, without regard to the country's future or independence.

Anyway, he hasn't got the job yet!

But if the powers in the Middle East can see the possibility that he might be ready to wrap up there by the end of the year, it might give them an extra push to try to pull things together. Frankly, I can't see any other international figure who has the profile or the nous to take over in the M.E. Wish I could. Though I admire Blair tremendously, and I'm proud he's one of ours, it's a pity that he seems to be the only statesman around these days.


[ Parent ]

Re: swat's almanack say: tony lands on his feet (#4)

by treborc on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 02:30:43 AM GMT

I see your New labour and again you missed the point of the Oil painting of Blier, he was painted with a Poppy stuck on his chests, the lies this creep used to get us to war, he became a catholic to ask for forgiveness, and yet lied through his back teeth about WMD.

Lest we forget their names.


Re: swat's almanack say: tony lands on his feet (#5)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 04:38:47 AM GMT

You say this but the fact is he got elected as PM for a third time two years into the war, and the fact that he's being tipped for EU Council President shows that it isn't as big an issue as you think it is.


[ Parent ]

Re: swat's almanack say: tony lands on his feet (#8)

by BlairSupporter on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 10:08:05 PM GMT

Exactly, Northern Monkey. People shouldn't forget that he is the most electorally successful Labour leader ever. That's EVER!
 
I just wish I'd been involved with the party in its heyday when Blair was changing things, (including the Tory party, by stealth as it were). I was quite happy just watching from the sidelines during much of the last 10 years. But he manged to persuade people like me, with no party affiliation, to vote for Labour BECAUSE of the modernisation that he grasped with both hands. Thus three victories.
 
It won't happen again. You've blown it now, imho.

On the war issue; we shouldn't assume that most people disagree with him anyway on Iraq. The polls were with him at the beginning - 66% I think. The anti-war, anti-Blair, anti-Labour papers then spun the WMD and lying lies into one big case against him, and we, the gullible, believed the press. So, we thought, if he lied then, he can't be trusted.

Both assumptions are wrong.

And plenty on continental Europe wish THEIR leaders had shown similar guts.


[ Parent ]

Re: swat's almanack say: tony lands on his feet (#7)

by BlairSupporter on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 09:55:18 PM GMT

How do you KNOW all this?

LIES on WMD:
The same "lies" that everyone else, including the UN and all the major powers in the world, believed?
(Sadly, you seem to believe the press and their anti-Labour lies, before you believe an elected Labour PM or government. The press, btw, are accountable to no-one.)

POPPY
He wore the poppy to the artist's studio. He decided to have the painting done with it on. He knows what he's doing.

CATHOLIC
He has been a catholic for years, more or less. If he had converted while PM it could have caused a conflict of interest with the state as the PM puts the names forward for high office in the Church (of England), bishops etc.

Again, he knows what he's doing. Shame some of you unreconstructed Old Labourites seem to have NO idea.

Blair - Too good for the room, imho.


[ Parent ]

Re: swat's almanack say: tony lands on his feet (#9)

by Curlew on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 10:41:01 PM GMT

Blair Supporter says "He wore the poppy to the artist's studio. He decided to have the painting done with it on. He knows what he's doing."

I think the artist knew what they were doing - the poppy completely dominates the image just as the blood of Iraq dominated his career.


Re: swat's almanack say: tony lands on his feet (#10)

by NorthernMonkey on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 04:34:54 AM GMT

Clearly not dominated his career enough to stop him becoming a candidate for President of Europe?

I've not heard anyone tip Kinnock for the job lately.


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Re: swat's almanack say: tony lands on his feet (#11)

by swatantra on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 01:23:13 PM GMT

Tony could have done without the poppy, but couldn't resist a final bit of showmanship.The poppy symbol is double edged sword; some will see it as the futility of war, others as the stupidity of war.


[ Parent ]

swat's almanack says: tony lands on his feet | 11 comments (11 topical)