"Power has been described as a drug, an aphrodisiac, a "filthy venom" (in the words of Maxim Gorky); it is also, for much of the time, carcinogenically boring. Like all politicians, Tony has seven or eight kinds of smile. Smiles two and three would do for the bishops. When he is making the rounds of a crowded room, his smile, towards the end, is a rictus, and his eyes are as hard as jewels."Only last week I posted Objurgatory opinion...a damning confirmation of Tony Blair's real legacy as seen in the results of various polls about his tenure in Number 10 and how Foreign policy has dominated throughout, clearly with events forcing his hand and his popularity (see graph below - links to BBC in depth report).
Amis's article, despite some time in London and No 10, highlights the foreign policy aspect as he accompanied Blair on his 'farewell tour' (Northern Ireland, Iraq, USA...) I know many don't like blogs that just regurgitate news but I enjoyed the article and thought I'd pass it on.
"Something happened to Blair in Basra… …He was quite unable to find weight of voice, to find decorum, the appropriate words for the appropriate mood. 'So we kill more of them than they kill us ... You're getting back out there and after them. It's brilliant, actually ...' The PM, it has to be said, appeared to be the least articulate man in the room."A humbling experience no doubt, being in the presence of those inexorably and seemingly inextricably involved in the business end of 'Foreign Policy'.
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