OhmyNews International, South Korea
Feb 16 2007

The Decline and Fall of Tony Blair
[Opinion] The barbarians are pounding on the gates

Mike Cunningham (Mike66)

Consider the spread of possibly the greatest empire ever to straddle
the known world! In the days of the caesars, the very stride of the
Roman legions put fear into their enemies, and gave hope to those
under their protection. From Hadrian’s wall in the north of Britain,
to Egypt’s burning sands; from the wine harvest of Hispania to the
olive groves of Armenia, the rule of law was that of Rome, and the
rules were handed down by those same caesars!

Not for nothing was the proud boast made that a Roman could walk the
length and breadth of that empire, cloaked only in the famous words,
"Civitas Romanus." I am a Roman citizen!

The knowledge of certain death was enough to stay the hands of
brigands, outlaws or thieves who would disturb the peaceful progress
of that same citizen, because the empire promised, and the empire
always made good on its promises!

If the will of the reigning caesar was to institute a water system
which delivered plentiful arable growth to an area, woe betide the
fools who tampered with the acqueducts. The empire rolled forward,
but the decline began with the senate, who took office for what they
might gain, instead of how they might serve. It continued with the
elevation to emperor of those who were simply either unworthy, mad or
totally venal.

The empire fell when Rome was unable to resist the onslaughts of the
barbarian hordes in a hundred different places, and under a thousand
different rulers!

Fast forward some 2,000 years, and view the tattered remnants of the
rule of Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland. Once astride the victorious body politic, with a massive
majority in parliament, with a cabinet solidly behind his every move;
with an opposition rent with discord and disharmony, unable to give
any rein whatsoever to an unstoppable march to further the aims of
New Labour, and with a second term won in a walk, he seemed to
literally "have it all!"

With an economic stance seemingly firmly based in the concrete of
"good governance," husbanded by a fellow Scot (Chancellor Gordon
Brown) whose nickname was "Prudence," his government delivered on
promise after promise.

With the virtual privatization of the Bank of England as a
cornerstone, his government was seen to have delivered on low
inflation, on unemployment, on medical care! But the cracks started
to show early, with a revolt against a plan to freeze "single parent"
benefits, and the revolts, plots and cabals only increased in both
number and virulence as the years rolled by.

He pushed through devolved government for Scotland and Wales, and saw
the day dawn when he must have bitterly regretted his move. The
upstart Scottish National party seems unstoppable in its path towards
a majority, and a fresh search for independence from the United
Kingdom.

His work towards an devolved government, and accomodation with a
bunch of terrorists in Northern Ireland broke down when the
largely-Protestant D.U.P. refused to share power with SinnFein/IRA,
and the devolved Assembly sat dormant for over two years. There are
plans to resurrect it, but don’t hold your breath.

His friends, who were given preference, made blatant and grave
mistakes, but he kept them on, because he couldn’t rid himself of
those whom he trusted. His government was characterized by "spin" or
propaganda. The "message" was placed above all; and his own press
secretary only resigned because he became better known than his
master. His transport secretary’s spin doctor was forced to resign
after sending out an email suggesting that the government should take
advantage of the Sept. 11 crisis to bury any controversial decisions.

He delayed the British General Election due to the onslaught of a
cattle disease known as "foot-and-mouth," and saw his government
roundly condemned for its’ shambling approach to the problem, which
cost Britain over ?’4.8 billion ($9.3 billion), and its meat markets
within Europe possibly forever.

He signed Britain up to join the coalition which invaded Afghanistan,
and the Taliban crumbled like breadcrumbs. Mission accomplished. But
then he joined with George Bush on an ill-fated expedition to conquer
Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

Now in itself, the invasion was well done. But the bean-counters
tried to do things on the cheap, so there were never enough soldiers
(with guns) on the ground, the Iraqi Army was disbanded against all
good advice, the Americans removed all the Baa’thists from power who
knew where everything was, and we see the results to this day, with
civil war just around the corner.

His government then heard bitter criticism of the intelligence upon
which the Iraq war was waged, and a senior scientist, Dr. David Kelly
was "outed" by the government and committed suicide. The enquiry
which followed this death cleared the government of wrongdoing, but
it (the enquiry) was widely viewed as a whitewash.

Blair’s problems increased at this point as he had made a "pact" with
his chancellor that he would resign mid-term, and let Gordon Brown
take the reins. Unfortunately, Blair wasn’t for resigning, and
"Gordon’s poison brew" commenced living next door at No. 11 Downing
Street.

The Iraq survey group decides that the intelligence which was relied
upon before the invasion was faulty, and that Iraq never had
possessed "Weapons of Mass Destruction," but Blair once again refused
to resign!

His third General Election saw his majority slashed to 66, and this
has dogged his steps ever since, mainly because the Labour Party
"awkward squad" number around 40, so he has to tread very warily if
he wants to avoid defeats inflicted by his own party.

His party loses a by-election in Dunfermline, the first in over 20
years. He lost more cabinet ministers, mainly due to stupidity rather
than misconduct, but retained his own deputy’s services, despite
stripping him of virtually all jobs, after news of sexual misconduct
with his blonde secretary. He nearly lost his job last autumn, when a
Labour Party "putsch" fizzled rather than fired, but was grievously
wounded in the political fallout. He eventually confirmed that he
would resign, but didn’t say when. Naturally, that became the "story"
rather than anything else, and so he became more embattled by
default.

His next, and some would say worst, travail began when allegations
surfaced regarding the "loans for peerage" scandal. Labour Party
donors were alleged to have been promised seats in the House of
Lords, or other preferment, after "lending" large sums of money. He
has been awarded the rather dubious honour of being the first serving
prime minister in British history to be interviewed twice by the
police, albeit not under caution, and further revelations are
expected soon.

Blair’s enemies are circling, and he doesn’t know where the next blow
will fall.

The shine, so apparent in the smile of 10 years ago, has worn off,
and we see the dull false metal underneath!

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