Blair Defends the US
Tony Blair, in a speech in Canberra, Australia stood up for the US and denounced the "anti-Americanism" in Europe:
Instead they chose to start with his Iraq policy, and the defense of it.
Blair is correct on this issue, as much as some folks in Europe hate the idea, if we "pull up the drawbridge", they would be screwed. Based on the fact that they've depended on us to defend them for nearly 60 years, no one in Europe has a big enough stick to really worry out of line countries.
Seriously, does anyone out there think a scolding by France or Germany is going to get anyone's attention? If you do please look at the Ivory Coast, a less than third rate country that France can't handle problems in.
Bitch moan and whine as they might, when Europe says "NATO will get involved", what that means is US logistics, a good number of US troops, and a lot of US aircraft. The "Coalition" no fly zones over Iraq for a decade consisted of one or two European squadrons, and the US Pacific Fleet and a half dozen AF squadrons.
Blair and Bush may be unpopular right now, but the fact is they are a few of the only leaders in the world who will stand up and take action. If we wait for France, Germany or Russia to do something, you can be it will happen only when it's in their best interest, not the worlds.
H/T to Junkyard Blog
Technorati Tags: Iraq, politics and Europe Tony Blair World Police
(From the Guardian) Mr Blair told the Australian House of Representatives: "I do not always agree with the US. Sometimes they can be difficult friends to have.Oddly, the UK newspapers led with his talk about relationships with the US, while the Associated Press decided to leave that for the end of their release that ended up in US papers.
"But the strain of, frankly, anti-American feeling in parts of European and world politics is madness when set against the long-term interests of the world we believe in.
"The danger with America today is not that they are too much involved. The danger is they decide to pull up the drawbridge and disengage. We need them involved. We want them engaged."
Instead they chose to start with his Iraq policy, and the defense of it.
Blair is correct on this issue, as much as some folks in Europe hate the idea, if we "pull up the drawbridge", they would be screwed. Based on the fact that they've depended on us to defend them for nearly 60 years, no one in Europe has a big enough stick to really worry out of line countries.
Seriously, does anyone out there think a scolding by France or Germany is going to get anyone's attention? If you do please look at the Ivory Coast, a less than third rate country that France can't handle problems in.
Bitch moan and whine as they might, when Europe says "NATO will get involved", what that means is US logistics, a good number of US troops, and a lot of US aircraft. The "Coalition" no fly zones over Iraq for a decade consisted of one or two European squadrons, and the US Pacific Fleet and a half dozen AF squadrons.
Blair and Bush may be unpopular right now, but the fact is they are a few of the only leaders in the world who will stand up and take action. If we wait for France, Germany or Russia to do something, you can be it will happen only when it's in their best interest, not the worlds.
H/T to Junkyard Blog
Technorati Tags: Iraq, politics and Europe Tony Blair World Police
posted by Crazy Politico at 3:51 PM
5Comments:
Sometimes I think the US and Britain should give up on the UN, Nato, Nafta, EU etc and just link up with a few other free nations influenced by British thinking and form an "Anglosphere" dedicated to freedom, prosperity, and responsibility, as well as serious defense against aggression from the "barbarians."
If the rest of the nations of the world wish to destroy themselves through inertia and socialistic stupidity, let them.
That would be an interesting way of going about things, but at some point may come to fruition.
It could be like the Delian League in ancient Greece...
Great post!! What would Germany or France do if they were attacked??? They would be screwed and we would still probably come to their aid and they wouldn't thank us.
I'm not a fan of socialist Blair but he has been a surprising ally in the war on terror and in other areas.
Tim... That's a not often seen reference, but right on the mark.
LMC, I don't find Blair as big a socialist as the folks of his party Pre-Thatcher. He's got issues (like most euro-libs) but has keep most of their tax and market reforms in place. Though some have tacked to port a little.
And, through both Clinton and Bush he has been a very good ally.
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