It is inevitable that anyone in the political arena meets their nemesis, falters and ultimately fails - in my lifetime, I remember the fall of Gorbachev and Thatcher in particular. I'm not going to add to the commentary on Blair's legacy now; I still think broadly what I said on this blog in June 2006, that his career is tragic in some ways. (Though, of course, he's made a lot of money etc. Not the point!)What has shocked me is the comments of members of the public on sites like BBC News and The Times Online. They are not just uncharitable, but full of a visceral hatred for Blair. "May he rot in Hell" etc. Of course he has made mistakes, perhaps based on serious character flaws - but would it be possible to hold power for a decade and get everything right? I really don't understand why he evinces such unrestrained vituperation from people who once (surely) cheered him on. It's an eerie, actually frightening, manifestation of the fickle mob in Julius Caesar.
I have less of a problem with people who have disliked Blair all along!
On a lighter note: evinces violent, vicious, venomous, vituperative, vengeful, visceral hatred. And V for Vendetta.
8 comments:
You must try to imagine the feelings of families who have lost sons in Iraq. Read the numbers not just of the dead,but of the maimed and paralysed who will never be able to lead a normal life.It really sounds flippant to say Blair "can't get everything right", for going to war was not just one of those gaffes inevitably made by every politician at some point . I am delighted to read that Brown intends to make it impossible to declare war in future without the support of parliament.
He has said in one of this weekend's newspapers, something along the lines of 'I accept I may have made mistakes, but I belived wholeheartedly that what I was doing was the right thing at the time'... (to that effect).
I believe him 100% when he says this. I think it's very honest, but it doesn't excuse him. It just reflects very badly on him for lacking sense and good judgement.
You can't carry out ill-informed deeds that go against the will of the people and then say, by way of explanation, 'But I thought it was right'... not unless you want to be perceived as a megalomaniac.
Not forgetting 'vitriol/ic'
I think he took the decision after some thought. Perhaps if he had not been let down by the wholly inadequate American planning for what would happen post-Saddam, history would make a different judgement. At the moment of decision, much of this was unforeseeable. (Plymouth, politicians frequently go against the will of the people; otherwise we'd have Sarah's Law, hanging, etc.)
What is unforgiveable is, firstly, that he did not demand a fully worked-out plan for the occupation of Iraq, and (b) that he distorted the intelligence to mislead Parliament.
I didn't mean to sound glib. I just don't get the "rot in Hell" stuff, which should be reserved for the real monsters.
Well, yes, the will of the people is very much secondary to using *one's own* good judgement... I think we may actually have Sarah's Law (not sure).
People who are now suggesting he rots in hell just can't come up with an original or independent thought of their own.
I really do think that he meant to 'do the right thing', just that his version of the right thing and our version don't tally.
vindictive,vilifying,vehement,vile,vitriolic,vociferant,volcanic,
vot?
vell, I vas going to add "volcanic" but it vanished into the void.
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