As I have always made known, the only morally honest thing Blair did was to go to war in 2003. That it was against a scumbag murdering butcher like Saddam, who committed his first murder on purpose aged 11, makes it better for me.
All libertarians who read our blog will know, ad nauseam, that I have never failed to criticise those of our persuasion who oppose the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I will be cheefully and frankly defending my aggressive foreign policy position recommended for libertarian governments (is that a tautology?) at our conference later this month in London.
"It is hard, I know, to play the ball and not the man."
Is that you bringing your day job cliches to work at samizdata, Jonathan?! ;-)
"...it is the very idea that the EU needs some grand president at all, not simply the personality of this rather creepy individual, that should be kept front and centre."
Absolutely.
Boris was much better off as the daft sod on HIGNFY; it was only in that capacity that anybody with his head screwed on could have had any time for him.
Mike, I get confused with the sports journo occasionally, but I must admit I wasn't thinking of that when I wrote those words!!!
Boris is a lot cleverer than a waggonload of Cameromonkeys. He only went on that increasingly leftist sho HIGNFY (which I now can't bear to watch) to get his profile up with "voters".
This is a good move, to use the seemingly neutral parts of the Wireless Tele Vision Machine to promote yourself as a sensible human droid, because Teh Masses will follow you, for about 48 hours which is the half-life of MSM ephemera.
The show is shit now: it wasn't when Brian Blessed was on it, sometimes, but it is now. Even Ian His-plop can't save it, and you can forget the other rude dude.
Something about the way J P phrases the "Libertarian" attitudes toward certain kinds of wars (or other "external engagements?") causes one to consider:
Ideas are Libertarian
People are not.
Alisa: hah! I only wish that sometimes she would! You're a cheeky neb aren't you?!
"The show is shit now..."
So I've heard, though I wouldn't know first hand myself not having watched it for about four years now (except the odd youtube clip).
Whatever, I still think Boris is a pillock - and I agree with Jonathan; drawing attention to the personality of Blair rather than the institutional monstrosity of the EU itself is not going to get any other reaction from me than a roll of the eyes.
I mean for crying out loud, Boris proclaims his support for Cameron every time someone points a camera at him, and yet he denounces Blair with almost unequalled venom. He's an utter plank and has infinitely less value to me than the girl who served me a couple of burgers in McDonalds this morning.
The only reason Tony Blair would get the "presidency" of the non-country (not a country! no theft of sovereignty! heaven forefend!) of the EUSSR would be that the French, as always, might use it to poke Britain in the eye. The French will be aware of how loathed he is in Britain, even among his former fans.
I think, on the subject of Boris, who I do not particularly care for, although I can see his appeal, if he replaced Cameron tomorrow, the Tories would storm to victory.
I do not discount Cameron being replaced before the election. Just a vague thought.
Please, people -- get behind the only alternative that makes sense: Barack Obama as the very first President of Europe.
It makes sense on so many levels. The man does not even like America. He has a tremendous desire to make history. It would be the ultimate Euro-putdown of the US to sign the sitting President away for the new team. O can read French off the teleprompter as well as English. And his wife will keep the English tabloids in material for ever.
You know it makes sense. Now make it happen!
Oh, they can have him if they are stupid enough to want him.
Mrs Obama is the first President's wife to dress solely in the haberdashery department. She is the first, as far as I know, president's wife to dress mainly in couch covers and curtain fabric.
"Tony" Blair as "President of Europe" - good, I can not think of a better way to discredit the European Union.
I am much taken with Alice's suggestion of the presidency of Europe as a post-Presidential career for Barack Obama. He should be available by 2012.
Be careful what you wish for guys, the Euros might dump Tony on us in return.