…in Britain
They say “politics make strange bedfellows” and there are few stranger bedfellows than George Bush and Tony Blair. As a Republican, you’d think Bush wouldn’t have found much in common with a fella from the Labour Party like Blair, nuh? After all, you’re talking about the party of the 1% in the US versus the party of the proletariat in “stiff upper lip” Britain. Talk about irreconcilable differences!!
But then, slick “Tony” tried to blur those categories with his “Third Way”. The East and West may never meet, but “begad!” the lion of capitalism and the lambs of socialism would lie down together. Ever since WWII, Britain had to accept in its dealings with the US, it was no longer “Great Britain” but a junior partner who had to be aware of boundaries.
British leaders started to stress their “special relationship” with the US (George III?) to get a special squeeze…But actually, the US’ “realpolitik” didn’t give the relationship much mind – especially when the British PMs from Churchill to Thatcher still maintained residues of imperial hauteur. Until Tony Blair, that is. Blair decided to swear eternal fealty to Blair to seal the deal.
Across the pond, around the turn of the century Bush Jr (henceforth, “Bush the Lesser”) got it into his head he just had to make a name for himself to get out from under the shadow of his old man Bush Sr. He was going to go one up on the old codger who’d fought a Gulf War against Saddam. Bush the Lesser decided to remove Saddam Hussain as leader of Iraq as his claim to fame card. Bush the Lesser’s rationale was to get rid of “weapons of mass destruction” (WMD) by Saddam – even though there was scant evidence of this.
So Blair assured Bush, “I will be with you, whatever”. Imagine that! Leaders of nations are supposed to always act in the interest of their own countries, excepting Blair! So a year later, he supported the invasion of Iraq, and committed British troops even though his own intelligence service was never convinced of Bush’s claims.
But unlike Guyana, institutions in Britain do what they’re supposed to do. And an inquiry by a number of Privy Councillors, directed by Sir John Chilcot was initiated in 2009. Last week and seven years later it issued its report. Britain hadn’t been threatened by Iraq, there was no conclusive evidence on WMD and the UN had been undermined.
Most observers had figured Blair sold his soul to Bush the Lesser when an open mike at a G8 meeting had the latter calling out to the former.
“Yo, Blair!! Whattssup?”
…on US Independence
Your Eyewitness knew things were tough in America. Not for the 1% that Trump belongs to but for all the yahoos following him. But he didn’t know just how tough until he read this letter from a fellow who’s head of the baseball league in Guyana. Yes, Virginia…there IS a Baseball League in Guyana. And yes even in America they speak of the “Bush League”!!
The baseball entrepreneur claimed that the US panhandled local businesses to fund their Independence Day bash!! Imagine that!! Just to produce the new Independence Day movie (which wasn’t that hot), the producer could come up with US$165 million and the local Embassy couldn’t fund that hillbilly affair at the Marriott?
Jeez…this explains why the US gave out some 20,000 visitor visas last year. At US$160 a pop, they were able to rake in $30 million!
Sheesh! that might just buy 1 hour flight time on one of those Global Hawk drones!!
…on banking blacklist
The PPP pleaded with APNU/AFC for years to pass the FATF-demanded AML/CTF legislation. To no avail. And now even though no less than the American pro-consul assured that all was kosher, up comes Bank of America blacklisting our banks!
Say it ain’t so, Brent!
