is tony blair evil?

[kinkajou2]

or an elaborate conman?
Judging by Peter Oborne"s - The Wonderful World of Tony Blair last night
I"d say both!

[craft1948]

Looking at his wife I'd say he's..................unlucky.

[boxtops]

I'd like to have seen that, but something else got in the way.

[emmie]

I would say he was like a Barnum and Bailey ringmaster, lots of spin but very little substance.

[NOX]

Ghastly man responsible for a huge amount of pain and bloodshed and thanks to the war against Iraq guilty of nearly dismantling our multicultural society, I truly despise him above nearly anyone else.

[birdofprey]

He is the ultimate conman - he conned the country three times and in so doing managed to secure his own financial future at the expense of many thousands of lives and quite possibly the security of the world.

That makes him EVIL as well.

[ladybirder]

Well he chose his wife craft.

I taped it so I'll watch it tonight.

[boxtops]

He's certainly rich on whatever methods he uses - I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him, no idea how he got the Middle Eastern job with his track record.

[emmie]

I did watch some, it was a hatchet job, but no harm in watching the rest on catch up i player i reckon.

[KUSTARD]

You know Boxtops, that would have been the BEST solution for my coconut dilemna - to crack it over his head!!! I think he's vile and slimy and - as for his wife - I think they are pretty well matched. What's the betting he's really ashamed of his father-in-law though. He'd have no truck with "Scouse gits"!

[bednobs]

the programme was, as em says, a complete hatchet job. Not that i ever really liked him but the presenter was really annoying me so much i had to turn it over

[ladybirder]

Ooh a hatchet job you say. Great, I'm gonna really enjoy it.

[jno]

what a lot of nonsense... he was a politician, he rose to the head of his party, was elected three times as prime minister, then retired. People who voted for him knew perfectly well what they were getting - voters aren't idiots. He presided over economic growth, continued Thatcherite polices such as cosyingup to Murdoch and bankers, and sealed a peace deal over Northern Ireland after generations of fighting.

He also followed the USA into war, which was a valid choice - it's useful to be on the side of the big boys, and the case for it was strong. If the wars had been won he would have been seen as a defender of western civilisation - no bad thing. However, the wars petered out into failure, and the only person who sees him that way now is himself.

But he's no better and no worse than any amount of other politicians, and calling him evil is poppycock. Save the word for people like Fred West if you have to use it at all.

[NOX]

Sorry I disagree there jno, I think it's perfectly valid to call Tony Blair evil, as anyone who allows their own ego to lead them into a situation where they cynically refuse to objectively examine the facts, preferring instead to put their own spin on it to lead us into a war which had NO 'strong case' for it whatsoever, is certainly evil.
I for one don't care if we won or lost the war against Iraq, I would never have seen Tony Blair as a ' saviour of Western civilisation' as I considered the war against Iraq to be wrong and cynical. Likewise I find his closet devotion to the Roman Catholic faith whils in office to be an advert for his lack of honesty- if the man can't be true to his faith until it's politically exedient for him to do so then he lacks all moral fibre necesary for his office.

[ichkeria]

Well said jno. Thank heaven for some common sense. If people think Tony Blair is evil what does that make some other world leaders.
The trouble with hyperbole like this is it prevents people getting below the surface and actually discussing things in a sensible manner. There were lots of things I disliked about Tony Blair, but calling him evil is just stupid - and lazy

[emmie]

Jno as already mentioned if other politicians hadn't started the ball rolling long before, with regards to Peace in Northern Ireland, then Blair wouldn't have got the plaudits. I wasn't one of the the one's who voted for him. I listened, watched back in 1997 and never changed my mind as to the person, as well as what was on offer, and as they say i found him and his policies wanting.
He alongside Bush rushed into a conflict that had no end, no exit strategy
that caused death and mayhem to millions, not least our servicemen and women. So pardon me whilst i don't share your enthusiasm for this extremely repugnant man.

[emmie]

He may not be evil, but i still think he was the worse Prime Minister Britain has had in a long while.

[askyourgran]

I didn't watch the programme purposely, I detest the man and his awful wife. They have filled their pockets and headed for newer pastures now there is nothing left to plunder here. A fast talking con man.

[ichkeria]

I suggest people read his book before being too judgmental. You might, if nothing else, change your mind about the Northern Ireland settlement.
If that had been me I would have given up long before!

[jake-the-peg]

I don't think people on this thread are in the least interested in evaluating evidence or making a fair evaluation.

They fell victim to the Tory propaganda years ago and changing their minds would be admitting that they were wrong.

Mother Theresa herself could descend from heaven accompanied by angels and stand for the Labour party and some here would hurl abuse.

I'm afraid they were Murdocked too long ago

[emmie]

sorry to copy this, it's a tad long i know.
The Downing Street Declaration was a joint declaration issued on 15 December 1993 by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, John Major, and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, Albert Reynolds at the British Prime Minister office in 10 Downing Street. It affirmed both the right of the people of Ireland to self-determination, and that Northern Ireland would be transferred to the Republic of Ireland from the United Kingdom if and only if a majority of its population was in favour of such a move. It included, as part of the prospective of the so called Irish dimension, the principle that the people of the island of Ireland, North and South had the exclusive right to solve the issues between North and South by mutual consent.[1][2] The latter statement, which later would become one of the points of the Good Friday Agreement,[3] was key to produce a positive change of attitude by the republicans towards a negotiated settlement. The joint declaration also pledged the governments to seek a peaceful constitutional settlement, and promised that parties linked with paramilitaries (such as Sinn Féin) could take part in the talks, so long as they abandoned violence.[4]

The declaration, after a meeting between Gerry Adams and American congressman Bruce Morrison, which was followed by a joint statement issued by Adams and John Hume, was considered sufficient by the Provisional Irish Republican Army to announce a ceasefire on 31 August 1994[5] which was then followed on 13 October by an announcement of a ceasefire from the Combined Loyalist Military Command.[6]