President Blair?

[poliphilo]

I see Tony Blair is likely to become President of the EU.

My first thought was, "Oh my God, how can they possibly think of giving the job to that smarmy, venal crook?"

My second thought was, "Don't be so naive: all politicians are smarmy, venal crooks. Blair has charisma, he's a natural leader. He will give Europe real clout on the world stage."

I've always supported the EU. I know the government in Brussels/Strasbourg is bureaucratic, petty, wasteful, corrupt- but those things are matters of detail. The great thing about the EU- and what it was set up to do- is that it  has made the idea of war between the states of Western Europe all but unthinkable. When you consider European history-  how we've continuously mauled one another since the collapse of the Roman Empire- the past half century of peace is an all but miraculous achievement. 

Comments

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

And I thought my good old USA was the only loony outfit when they elected Bush II not only once, but TWICE! What kind of damage might Tony do to the EU? He and George were like twins that had been separated at birth.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

In this case I don't believe we have a vote. The president of the EU will be appointed or elected by members of the European parliament- or something like that.

[tf-1.livejournal.com]

I can't think how to put this eloquently, but consider how massive socialist projects have shown themselves to pan out. Think about China, Russia and Germany and all the lives terminated as a result. We're entering a period of massive erosion of civil liberties, a "post-democratic age" where political elites think they know how better to run our lives, and are being given carte blanche powers.
Why would anyone in their right mind give powers away to an unelected bunch of autocrats? It looks like history repeating.

Half century of peace is very questionable. What about all the millions of dead Iraquis and Afghans, for a start, thanks to illegal wars, a chief instigator of which is now tipped for EU presidency?

Out of interest, which socialist leader would you prefer to have lived (or died) under - Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler or Mao Zedong?
If Tony Blair did turn out to be the next name in this sequence, who are likely to be the next scapegoat - Muslims?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't really know what to say. It has never occured to me to see the EU as an evil empire in the making. This is a view of things I've not come across before.

Blair as the next Hitler? I don't think so.

In a future that is going to be dominated by huge economies- China, India, the USA- it makes sense for the European nations to speak and act as one.

[tf-1.livejournal.com]

From Wikipedia: "Nineteen Eighty-Four is set in Oceania, one of three intercontinental super-states. The story occurs in London, the "chief city of Airstrip One",[18] itself a province of Oceania that "had once been called England or Britain".[19] Posters of the ruling Party's leader, "Big Brother", bearing the caption BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, dominate the city landscapes, while two-way television (the telescreen) dominates the "private" and public spaces of the populace. Oceania's people are in three classes — the Inner Party, the Outer Party, and the Proles. The Party government controls the people via the Ministry of Truth (Minitrue), the workplace of protagonist Winston Smith, an Outer Party member. As in the Nazi and Stalinist regimes, propaganda is pervasive;"

"The three nations fight over the land that is left, forming and breaking alliances as convenient, and never ending the constant state of war."

We already have "problem families" monitored via 2-way tvs, half of the country work for the government, propaganda is pervasive, cctv everywhere, politicians are beyond the law etc. We are in never-ending illegal wars

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The difference surely is that where the people of Orwell's world love Big Brother, we- almost without exception- despise him.

[(Anonymous)]

You've just said that you've always supported the EU

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Touche.

It's like Churchill said about democracy: It's the worst system there is- apart from all the others. The EU is horrible- of course it is- but
I prefer it to the old Europe of perpetually warring states.

[(Anonymous)]

But the trouble is it's eating away at democracy. Various countries voted against the EU constitution / treaty and they were ignored or brow beaten. The only people that want it really are career politicians.
If large socialist projects went bad thrice in the last century, causing the murder of millions, what makes one think it wouldn't happen again? If we accept there is a small chance it could happen, one should take measures to prevent it. Having a bunch of unelected politicians with huge power and no answerability is just a recipe for trouble. A group of politicians with great power and no answerability - how can they NOT create something evil?!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Is the EU a socialist project? I must say I've never particularly seen it that way.

The demise of democracy is worrying. It seems to be happening almost as a natural process. The demos itself seems to have given up on it.