Home

From one master to another

Posted July 29th, 2006 by Davide Simonetti
in

Having demonstrated his assertiveness in Washington by getting an apology from Bush for America's cavalier attitude to the proper paperwork when it comes to using Britain as a staging post for WMD destined to be dropped on the civilians of Lebanon, Blair impressed the world with another diplomatic coup by agreeing with Bush's deep analysis of the Middle East crisis and further delaying a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Mr Blair was able to put some rhetorical distance between himself and Mr Bush. He made a better fist of expressing himself about the loss of life in Lebanon and Israel. What was happening was a "complete tragedy", a "catastrophe". He was at pains to insist that his caution about a hasty ceasefire did not mean he had shed all human feelings. "Of course" he was appalled by the loss of innocent life. "We want it to stop and we want it to stop now."

"Now" meaning sometime next week, possibly, if they can convince Hezbollah to lay down their arms and find an international force willing to go into the region as the UN evacuates it.

Tony Blair and George Bush defied the growing anger across the world yesterday by seeking a UN resolution that fell far short of a ceasefire to end the killing of Lebanese civilians.

Speaking after talks at the White House, Mr Bush announced that on Monday the UN Security Council will discuss the creation of a multinational force to patrol a buffer zone on the southern Lebanon border. Mr Bush said the US would be tabling a UN Security Council resolution next week to seek an end to hostilities "as soon as possible" but it failed to meet the demands for a ceasefire in an open letter in The Independent yesterday, signed by 42 leading figures in the arts, business and politics.

Having solved that problem, Mr Blair can now focus on more pressing matters. No, not his increasing alienation from his party as Britain becomes more isolated internationally. This is something far more important, his legacy. Blair will go from his master in Washington to his other master Rupert Murdoch for the News International knees-up.

These jamborees are staged every few years at a major tourist destination. For Mr Blair it is a swansong. He first spoke at a Murdoch conference in 1995, a year after becoming Labour leader. It was his entry into the big time of first-class travel and VIP suites. Tomorrow's speech may be a year before he throws off the relative austerity of elected office and joins the Clintonian lecture circuit full-time.

But is it really worth even more poodle jokes just to have a love-in with the right-wing media when he is a lame duck anyway? It is widely suspected that Blair intends to milk the lucrative lecture circuit in the USA for all its worth when he finally leaves office. But in the absence of a high profile job waiting for him at the UN, his little jaunt to Pebble Beach might be something of a job interview according to the Independent.

The media magnate Rupert Murdoch is expected to offer Tony Blair a senior role in his News Corporation empire when he stands down as Prime Minister.

Allies of Mr Blair insist he has made no decisions about his plans when he leaves Downing Street -- almost certainly next year. But some friends say a seat on the board of News Corp could tempt the outgoing Prime Minister, as it would dovetail neatly with the lucrative United States lecture circuit. Mr Blair's popularity at home may be waning, but he remains big box office in America. His close relationship with Mr Murdoch will be highlighted tomorrow when he addresses the annual gathering of News Corp's executives and senior journalists from around the world.

It might seem a bit farfetched, but thinking about it, it could be the perfect job for Blair. After all he has had plenty of experience when it comes to selling bullshit to the world.

Lance Price---- old quote

On July 29th, 2006 frog (not verified) says:

Lance Price---- old quote from the Indy article, but good.

Some Blair allies insist that Mr Murdoch's alleged influence over decisions affecting his business interests and Europe have been greatly exaggerated. But Lance Price, who was deputy to the Downing Street communications director Alastair Campbell, is not among them. He has described Mr Murdoch as "the 24th member of the Cabinet", saying: "No big decision could ever be made inside No 10 without taking account of the likely reaction of three men - Gordon Brown, John Prescott and Rupert Murdoch."

So much for democracy, follow the money.

History will judge..... but Rupert will reward.

I keep banging on about

On July 29th, 2006 goatchurch says:

I keep banging on about this... When Blair ceases to be Prime Minister, the Blairwatch website must consistently follow him to the end of his days, with each article deep-linking back into the huge archive of the crappiness of this guy.

You underestimate what an important tool this will be for controlling his legacy. To earn his money he will give speeches and network among all the businessmen in America. Unlike the sychophantic to echelons of the UK civil service, some of those knob-ends use the internet.

It's not about being able to ask him difficult questions, or anything like that. It's about anecdotes. Among those who endure one of his vacuous after-dinner speeches will be guys who have read up a bit about the anecdotes from power he recounts, and will have a cool alternative story to tell to his mates in the bar. That should be an integral part of the night out -- to laugh at this fool. Also, no corporation would want to put Blair in charge of something they wanted to be any good, because of his record of mismanagement. John Major, on the other hand...

You could, however, use Blair to sell some kind of war, megadeath, or shite trade deal. He'd be up for that. But then anyone who knew that would run away screaming as soon as they saw him coming. Hiring Blair would send out the message that you have something awful to purvey.

I'd like to think that businessmen are clever. Blair's purpose is to sell-out us to the corporate elite, because we are stupid, disorganized, and have no choice since the Labour Party imposed him onto us. Beyond that, no one would hire him to run a whelk stall.

Maybe to thank him for his efforts, the businessmen could find a fake whelk stall for him to preside over. But no one will be fooled. He will be part of the Window gazing tribe. If we're really lucky, his movements will be restricted to America and other countries with ineffective extradition laws. Maybe he will have to naturalize as a US citizen for legal reasons.

I'm begging you. Such a website, tracking all his failed business ventures and humiliations, will be a little ray of sunshine in a bleak world. It will also lay the groundwork for welcoming Brown into the same community when he leaves office, unless he sharpens up his game and does some serious truth and reconciliation.

When Blair says "History will judge", he's referring to people postings in Blairwatch in 15 years time.

"America's cavalier attitude

On July 29th, 2006 Laban Tall (not verified) says:

"America's cavalier attitude to the proper paperwork"

Wow. I'm sure you're as concerned as I am about the right forms being filled in. In triplicate.

This whole storm in a paperclip is just the government shuffling hastily away from the fact that the UK supplied Israel with how much weaponry last year ? £100m ? £200m ? A lot, anyway.

I apporove of that. Presumably you don't. But don't pretend its about paperwork.

(and if you want to crack bunkers, GBU28s, with what - 600lb of explosive ? are a good deal more humane than the alternative - several tons of explosive which will flatten everything within 200 yards.)

Even "more humane" is

On July 29th, 2006 Copernicus (not verified) says:

Even "more humane" is questionable.

The bunker buster bombs are tipped with Depleted uranium, which is spread in dust over a wide distance on/after impact. Thus, even more people could be affected.

And why do you assume that people approve of selling weaponry to Israel anyway? This happens largely behind the British peoples' back, rather than with their blessing.

a bit unfair to compare

On July 29th, 2006 Anonymous (not verified) says:

a bit unfair to compare major to blair. major is a former PM who will happily appear on tv and admit his mistakes. why shouldnt he sell arms and whatnot? he never banged on about an ethical foreign policy, he isnt a hypocrite. im convinced history will reveal him as having done a good job actually because he was in such a difficult position both politically and economically.
blair however is a lying thieving b*stard, corrupt to the core. there is NO way major would ever have gone on holiday with berlesconi, and not even a whisper of him taking bribes or selling honours. i admire major for his relative honesty, i admire thatcher for her strong beliefs (even if they wrong) but blair doesnt even have those qualities. he doesnt believe anything and has no honesty.

C'mon, anonymous He's not as

On July 29th, 2006 Copernicus (not verified) says:

C'mon, anonymous

He's not as good as that. He's just a very, very good actor, with no principles at all and a simple philosdophy - stick as close as possible to the biggest bully in the playground.

Words fail me... 'Asked if

On July 30th, 2006 Steve G says:

Words fail me...

'Asked if he was trying to persuade Mr Murdoch to lend his support to Labour again, Mr Blair said: "I think that's up to him."

'"I should imagine it won't be anything I say that will determine that one way or another.

'"But I think that the fact that you have a changed Labour Party today has meant that a lot of people including him, who previously thought of themselves as natural Conservatives, were prepared to back the Labour Party." '

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5227912.stm