In this he was not. He has presided over a domestic policy of promoting fear to enable the onset of the national surveillance state. Fear of youth, fear of muslims, fear of...you name we'll make you afraid of it.
cue Michael Douglas in the American President We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it.
Well blair isn't a serious politician either. But he plays one on tv. and he's damaged this country domestically and he's damaged this country's international reputation as well. We are seen as the nodding dog in the back of the US military SUV and we could get away with it before. But now we'll have to spend a couple of premierships with fiercely independent PMs before we can be taken seriously as anything other than a US lackey. keep to the Fen Causeway
Still, I'm not sure I can look at this from a British perspective. My impression is that most Brits are rather comfortable with being a seoond-tier country. But from the outside looking in, I'm appalled by Blair's domestic policies as well -- the national IDs, collaboration with extraordinary rendition, racial profiling, all the various "Security" acts that never seem to inspire much opposition.
At any rate, for all these reasons my vote goes to Blair. Up till now, the UK always managed to muddle through its Edens, Thatchers and Majors, but Blair has caused real and, I believe, permanent damage.
