Who will judge Bush, Blair et al?
Alastair Campbell famously stated "We don't do God" and Tony Blair's advisers have advised him not to mix religion and politics. Blair has heeded that advice. The invocation of the Almighty or alternative history is the refuge of fools and scoundrels. THe western world is led by at least two deluded men. If this is the case both Bush and now Blair have fallen into the long line of leaders who find themselves in deep holes and are devoid of a rational explanation. There was a time when the use of any language to talk of the creative force was taboo. But these devout Christians find no problem claiming their judgement has been divinely inspired. As one of the characters in Lenny Henry's latest series says "I don't think so...." Indeed is no one going to explain to them that they lead democracies where elected representatives, the theory has it, make decisions which the leader is supposed to put into practice. When was God elected to do their work for them. Evidently both Blair and Bush see themselves as the chosen ones directly inspired to creat death and mayhem across the globe. Godlike features indeed.
Families who have lost their loved ones in this needless war feel a sense of outrage at the Prime Minister's latest justification of his acts. God and history were both mentioned as the arbitors of his actions. On occasions such as these both are equally meaningless and one can imagine are not going to give any comfort to those who sacrificed lives in its cause. What cause? It seemed that Thatcher went to war with Argentina to satisfy a vanity. She needed to go down in "history" as great Churchillian leader keeping Britain as if still the head of Empire. This is another sample of how Blair has followed his role model.
As far as I'm concerned, having been brought up in a Christian tradition as a Methodist, I find this thinking appalling, if not blasphemous. It is the source of socialism for me and many others but it leads me in a rather different direction to this P.M. What has being a Christian to do with ordering bombing as a feature of foreign policy? As I write a couple of e-mails have been announced. Taking a quick look I read they are about Watford and now Arsenal, supporting Israel. This is a country which claims the idea of the Almighty to justify its racism and genocidal acts. Blair and Bush seem to approve......
Sorry I've gone back to listening to a comparative review of Bruckner's Seventh. The alternative is just too painful.
Further resources:
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article349125.ecePosted by John Tyrrell at March 4, 2006 09:02 AM
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Blogged by WebMan at April 21, 2006 11:55 PM
