Tony Blair's Legacy - A PostGlobal Comment
Wrote a comment on PostGlobal. It's on the main page for now, which is pretty cool, I suppose:
I was living in London when Blair became Prime Minister. I remember the May Day celebrations that year. Finally, we all thought, finally we have one of us in charge. He was a man of the people, talking about labor rights, and about prosperity for all, and about education, education, education--meaning a reform of the public school system to ensure England would be again a world-leader. This was not to be achieved through colonialism and violent control over other countries' resources, but by looking after England's own resources: the future generation of scientists and thinkers, brought up by the public school system.
Then he put his son in a private school, and his moment was gone. He was no longer a man of the people, but one of the "Them" young people hated so much and overwhelmingly voted off power. He smiled his way into power, courting us all with the image of reform, but in the end we didn't matter at all.
His son went to a private school and England's children went to Iraq. That will be Blair's legacy. He rose up to power due to hatred of corrupt government only to redefine corruption. He gave us hope that our children were special, and then he sent them to die.
9 comments:
During Blair's speech, I take it he didn't say "I'm going to bend over and be George Bush's Bitch." He should've been more candid.
Who Hijacked Our Country
Just playing Devil's Advicate by asking, how does the Prime Minister's child stay in Public School? It seems un-British. It's certainly un-American.
I have more thoughts on this but need to collect them.
Tom, I may have taken a pee break when he was saying that.
Scot, for a moment in British history it seemed like the the importance of class was about to be diminished. Blair put public education at the top of his agenda (his speeches talked about the future of Britain depending on education, education, education). But when it was time for him to enroll his son to school he chose an elitist private school. Public education may be important in election time, but Blair was not going to sacrifice his child's education to appease those who had already voted for him. Class lines had to be maintained.
How can you type standing on your hands like that?
This is tricky. If I could afford private school for my child, then she wouldn't be in public school right now, even though I support public education.
I went to public school all my life. Now I'm in grad school, at a private institution, and there are positive differences I can't deny no matter how hard I try.
Is Blair a hypocrite for campaigning on public education and later putting his child in private education? It is possible.
I was at the CDP convention where I watched and listened to John Edwards address poverty, days after the $400 haircut made headlines, yet I still find him credible on socioeconomic issues.
I think this is more like if Edwards was campaigning on a bold-is-beautiful America and then decided to grow his hair.
On the other hand, Blair was suggesting that the future of England would be one where people wouldn't feel their child's future depended on how much many they could afford for education. Turning away from Tory elitism, this was a future of "We're all in this together."
The fact private education offers more than public school is obvious, but for a moment in British history it seemed like things were changing.
A sad way to end what cold have been a great career...It is a tragedy that he was sucked in by Bush and his nonsense..
From another former soldier in China...
OMBW
Puppeteered by our own puppet here in Ameirca, BUSH!
Did ya see "The Queen" with Helen Mirren? Blair's early days are chronicled lots in that movie.
Most interesting.
It's a bit sad that the only punishment he will get is the scorn of history (and even then there will always be those who will applaud his sacrifice on behalf of the special friendship with the US). It could have been a great career, especially considering the hatred for the Conservatives before the election, but he blew it all away while exposing the emptiness of the so-called Third Way in politics.
I didn't see "The Queen". You got me curious, though. I was living next to the highway where Diana's coffin was going to pass. It was incredibly surreal. I woke up and saw a sea of people outside my window. I followed them and stood on a bridge near my house. Then everyone got quiet as the car drove under us. Some people started to cry. And then a minute later it was over and everyone left. I probably fail to do justice to the experience by describing it here. It was a very strange day, though.
His son went to a private school and England's children went to Iraq.
Nice. What an ending.
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