President Blair?
Oct. 2nd, 2009 10:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poliphiloI 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.
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.
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no subject
Date: 2009-10-04 08:31 pm (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-04 09:02 pm (UTC)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?!
no subject
Date: 2009-10-05 08:30 am (UTC)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.