I’ve watched the Daily Show before and I’ve really enjoyed John Stewart’s style but when I saw him interview Tony Blair the other night I couldn’t help thinking he was just not brave enough. I only saw the last half and I almost threw up at the end when the host actually gave Blair respect and gratitude for agreeing to come on the show, remarking that he couldn’t even get his own President to appear on the show. Well I can’t imagine that Blair would have agreed to appear while he was Prime Minister. The self-interests are a bit different when you are no longer in charge and have a personal career to publicise.
Seeing Tony Blair smiling and laughing on the show the other night really pissed me off. I mean he has well and truly got away with Iraq hasn’t he! Most war criminals get put on trial. Blair gets high-profile interviews on international television and the chance to self-promote. Very useful when one is starting a new venture. But to see him grinning and laughing his way out of the questions put to him by the host, who I thought was a touch too respectful towards him, really got my blood boiling. I couldn’t help think of all his victims who were killed or maimed in his illegal war. While Blair laughed and grinned and pushed his public image, hundreds of thousands of innocent people, a world away, were suffering from the Bush/Blair Iraq legacy.
Earthside 
Posted by matt on September 21, 2008 at 6:56 pm
God knows how he sleeps well at night
Posted by Sam on September 21, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Blair was, for almost 8 years, the executive leader of a country fairly prominent on the world stage (by whatever means; special relationship to the US or not).
Whatever his decisions and however you feel about them, it is obvious that he made them whilst trying to do the best thing possible, under a more weighty responsibility than you or I will ever experience or understand.
If you watched then whole show, you may have noticed that he pointed out more than once that he has never denigrated those that didn’t agree with his views, as their opinions are just as worthwhile as any that he espouses. Your disgust at Stewart being “a touch too respectful to him” is the sign of a closed mind, possessing a heady judgmental arrogance. Had Blair acted recklessly, immaturely, selfishly, or inconsiderately he would not be worthy of respect. As it is, he weighed the evidence and made a careful decision that he knew would affect millions upon millions of people. Whether you or I believe it was the right or the wrong one to make is totally irrelevant to that – but for his effort to do the right thing he deserves your respect, if not your acquiescence.
Posted by matt on September 22, 2008 at 8:25 am
Well said Sam but what you don’t mention is that Blair dismissed with the flick of his hand the biggest march in UK history, here in London. I was there and saw so many people from all walks of life, including many families. All 2 million of them were saying, ‘Don’t take the UK into this war’.
He ignored this and in the process showed his utter arrogance and contempt of the people who voted him in. We know now that God was what he believed he was communicating with.
Labour will pay the price in the next election.
Posted by earthpal on September 22, 2008 at 9:12 am
Ditto Matt.
Hi Sam.
Well first of all, Blair does not deserve my respect and he will never get it. And what you say about him trying to the best thing possible is all well and good but I expect it’s of little comfort to all the dead Iraqi citizens and their loved ones.
I did hear Blair telling his interviewer that he respected those who disagreed with him and that their opinions were just as worthwhile but he clearly didn’t mean it because as Matt said, he totally disregarded the massive anti-war rally.
Oh, and he lied too when he was trying to make his case for war. Hardly conducive to respect.
Posted by Jose on September 22, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Why! Even Bush has admitted that the Iraq war was for oil. If that means Blair enrolled Britain in that war for the good of many… I’ve been trying to find those many and just a few powerful ones come to my mind.
What Blair says now and what he didn’t say before 2003 may have different tunes.
Posted by earthpal on September 22, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Absolutely Jose. It was about nothing other than the oil and many profiteering US companies were set to make big money from this war. No-one can tell me that Blair was blissfully ignorant of the oil connection and Saddam’s threat of switching to trading oil in euro’s.
Posted by ders on September 22, 2008 at 7:08 pm
On this we agree,i just hope the right bastards pay in the end. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FtK-QCiD-FE
Posted by earthpal on September 24, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Yes Ders, someone ought to be accountable, ie the two killer B’s along with Cheney and Rumsfeld et al, but unfortunately they will all walk away from this without conscience.
Some apocalyptic-type messages there from old Johnny Cash.
Posted by ders on September 25, 2008 at 8:08 am
http://revver.com/video/585304/bombed-by-the-usa-live-street-performance/