Posts About England
Don't Get Media Attention, Get Results
Tony Blair has left behind a series of unfinished political initiatives in the UK. Many Britons believe that he was a prime minister in love with media attention rather than serious substantive policies. His record on Iraq will be his biggest obstacle as envoy. He will need to overcome a resume of attention-grabbing tactics and focus on real strategy.
Opening Old Wounds to Polarize
This opening of old wounds is a desperate attempt to polarize communities. It is simply a bad idea -- be it honoring Rushdie or promoting the violent ideas of bin Laden. Both are misguided efforts rooted in an aimless desire for more violence. Few have read Rushdie's book, and equally few have read Khomeini's fatwa.
Don't Treat Russia like a Third World Country
Since the end of the Cold War, Russia has done much to ingratiate itself with the West, sometimes at the expense of its own pride and national interests. It went along with the West in dismantling former Yugoslavia. Britain would have received more cooperation on the Litvinenko case if they had opted for friendly persuasion and mutual respect.
Marshall Plan for Palestine
Blair should push for a Marshall Plan for the Palestinian Authority, to demonstrate to the Palestinian people that the Quartet's efforts will improve their lives. Hamas and other radical groups have used Islamic charity funds to win impoverished hearts and minds through economics. Western funds must be tapped to provide a real alternative.
Not the First Accused of Blasphemy
Britain knighted Salman Rushdie like many British citizens before him, honored for their service to Britain. Protesting this internal affair is like protesting against granting British citizenship to Rushdie, or to any other individual. Rushdie is not the first and will definitely not be the last writer with a Muslim name to be accused of blasphemy.
Better Feral Beasts than Ignoble Lackeys
Look who’s talking about sensationalism. Someone should remind Tony Blair that it was not the media but his government that “sexed up” intelligence about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction -- famously known as the September Dossier -- to stir up support for a war against the non-existent danger posed by Saddam Hussein.
In on a Stallion, Out with Tail between Legs
Tony Blair cam into power like a hero, young and zealous to change the Labour Party and the world. He clicked with his equally savvy counterpart in the White House, Bill Clinton, But despite his robust reforms in the UK, his association with Clinton's successor turned him into a servile beast, devastatingly humiliated.
Nostalgia for Swords and Heroes
I am not a fan of hereditary rule. But I can understand why Brits hold on to their queen. Even citizens of former British colonies like my country, Somaliland, cling to their royal memorabilia. In our modern era it can be hard to find heroes, and the crown represents a lasting badge of Britishness in a sea of globalization.
Will Deal With Musharraf, Why Not Ahmadinejad?
Ahmadinejad's recent moves seem to have succeeded in the short term, in sending a signal to the West and to his allies in the region. Many in the Middle East see him as democratically elected, and U.S. attitudes toward various regimes as confusing and hypocritical.
Just the Sort We Should Honor
Personally, I find all knighthoods needlessly provocative. But if my country is foolish enough to continue to hand them out, I cannot see why Salman Rushdie should be disqualified. Britain waited 18 years after Iran issued its fatwa against him before knighting Rushdie. Calling that needlessly provocative is more than ridiculous.
An Englishman Says Abolish Monarchy
As an Englishman, I feel a need to respond to the accusation that we are all twits who dote on the monarchy. It is an anachronism from a past age of deference. But Brits are largely indifferent to the monarchy, prefer to keep it around as they would keep a nice old building rather than see it demolished.
Gitmo Not Exactly Model Diplomacy
Why have the Iranians seized these British sailors? Probably because they could. Iran is not the only country to noisily violate international norms. When the U.S. does it, the problem is that we do know who runs the country.
Yes, It's Their Human Right
London, England - This question is upside down, in both moral and logical terms. Instead it ought to read: "Why shouldn't homosexuals be allowed to marry?"....
Potentially Devastating
London, England - I disagree with Moises Naim's claim that the collapse of Doha is not devastating. True, it isn't devastating on its own, but what this collapse could lead to could well be dangerous -- especially, as he eloquently says, for the world's poor....
Master of New Labour, Puppet in Iraq
It will not take 25 years before Tony Blair is recognized as the most imaginative and effective European political leader of his time. He has modernized the British Labour Party, forging a third way to reform our complex societies torn between welfare state and the requirements of globalization. But he also fell into a classic British trap.
Western Tranquility Won’t Last
The bombs in London make me no less and no more safe where I live. We have had enough violence and bloodshed not to be moved by the discovery of what appear to be amateurish attempts at bomb-making. I am afraid that the tranquility the West has enjoyed will not remain a permanent condition.
Brits Pardoned Only After Iranian Diplomat Released
The pardon of the sailors shows that neither Iran nor the United Kingdom live on an island. This decision came after news that an Iranian diplomat was released unexpectedly in Iraq!!!
Arab Media Covered War, Not Terror Plot
Amman, Jordan - For over a month, I've viewed both Arab and foreign television stations. In addition to al Jazzera and Al Arrabiyeh, I regularly watch CNN, BBC, and Sky. Both Arab and foreign stations have been remarkably similar in their war coverage, as if competing for live coverage, interviewees, analysis and even graphic designs. But this similarity in coverage changed dramatically with the news of the foiled terror plot on the British Airways flights....
The Anglo-Social Third Way
Perhaps not a great modernizer, but a good one who took advantage of a wide consensus in 1997 that Britain needed -- and could now afford -- to readjust the Thatcher reforms in a social democratic direction. Even the Conservative opposition has now accepted his reforms, which deserve the title of a "model" -- the Anglo-Social model.
The End of the United Kingdom?
London, England - A successful multinational state and key U.S. ally could start to unravel in the coming months: I mean, of course, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
U.S. Should Be Example of Citizen Rights
There are strong arguments for and against the new law. U.S. law enforcement agencies are actually behind their European counterparts in the scope of eavesdropping on terror suspects. But Europe is not the ideal standard. America should be a shining example of a country that treats citizens' rights as the cornerstone of civil society.
Lessons From Iran-Britain Standoff
There are many lessons we can all learn from this. The first is that the Islamic Republic of Iran, when genuinely engaged, is negotiable, unlike what neo-conservatives try to make us believe.
Politicians Fail; We’re Still Writing
What a good boy Tony is! After 10 years, he has waited until his last days at Downing Street to vent his rage at the press. Mistrust, contempt and one-upmanship are common and neutral between power and the press. That, at least, is much healthier than cronyism. The press may be punished, but can never be eliminated.
Blair's Freedom Agenda -- Not China
As a former subject of Queen Elizabeth II, I view the UK through the prism of Hong Kong. Blair visited Hong Kong after it was returned from British to Chinese control, advocating stability and managed progress. While he preached freedom, democracy and human rights elsewhere, this somehow did not extend to China.
Hollywood & Royalty: False Heroes
The problem in the Arab world is not the continuation of monarchy itself, but the fact that revolutionary ideas have turned into repressive hereditary regimes. The weakening of democratic institutions in the West, and their unhealthy fascination with celebrity, have had consequences around the world.
Soccer and the Quirks of Nations
Italy -- Every twist, turn and bent ankle on the field seems to mirror one national debate, trauma or preoccupation after another. That's the secret of the World Cup's success - each team completely mirrors the outstanding (or even disgusting) characteristics of the nation it represents....
Yes, How Outrageous to Uncover Iraq Lies
Certainly, journalists do not have the high moral standards of today's politicians. How could they have the indignity to reveal Blair's cover-up of bribery in arms deals with Saudi Arabia? They couldn't even take a hint and keep quiet about Blair's lies on Iraq. How sensational! Even The Economist stooped to such lows. As a practicing beast myself, I understand his outrage.
Don't Mix Popular Movements with Government
New Delhi -- The G-8 is an assembly of governments, not popular movements or insurgencies. Should Russia and the other G-8 countries send representatives to the Anti-Iraq War movements in America and Britain?...
Lest We Forget Al Qaeda
Cairo, Egypt - The significance of this latest terrorist plot is in its timing. Hezbollah's successful efforts at confronting and surviving Israel's military onslaught in Lebanon over the past six weeks has provoked Al Qaeda to attempt to divert attention to itself....
Does It Matter Where He's Tried?
Russia's law should dictate the answer to this question. But there is another question behind the one asked: "Should the Brits ask the Russian authorities to hand over the man accused by them of assassinating the ex-KGB agent?" I am not sure the answer is yes. Why would a British court be more objective, or do more justice?
I Worry for All of Us
London has no problems that are entirely London’s alone. Neither has New York, Paris, Berlin, Budapest or any other city. My daughter lives in London, so my view of this situation is somewhat emotional. Yet I worry not just for her but for all of us. How can we be so short-sighted to make our own existence so insecure?
No Great Leaders, Only Great Times
I happen to think that there are no great leaders, only great times. And in great times, politicians and statesmen can lead effectively enough to earn the appreciation of posterity. Some luck is required to find oneself in power during great times, and some luck is needed to avoid making great mistakes.
A Queen’s Motherly Compassion
History is packed with nations that have shifted from kingdom to republic, with only a few examples of countries moving in the other direction. But why not? A queen could instill a mother's compassion into the male rivalry of partisan politics -- and it might be fun.
New Superpower Pair: U.S. & EU
Budapest, Hungary - The American era is slowly ending, and not just in the Middle East. The question is: What kind of an era will replace it.
Masterful Coup Despite Finger-Wagging
The seizure of British sailors -- and their surprising release -- was the perfect publicity stunt by Ahmadinejad. The U.S. needs to stop thinking it can scare countries into passivity by simply labeling them as its enemies.
Disappointing, Not Devastating
Washington DC - The political problem with trade negotiations is that while the benefits of lowering obstacles are diffuse, the losses are concentrated. The owners and workers of companies that are adversely affected by lower trade barriers are fewer but far more motivated to mobilize than the many consumers who would benefit from greater liberalization....
The Real Problems Are Economic
I agree with Tony Blair about the news media. But I disagree very strongly with his omission of issues that are far more important than the ones he raises: ownership of the media, the decline in readership and the difficulty of covering the costs of producing serious and authoritative news in a very changed world.
PostGlobal Bloggers
M. J. Akbar, New Delhi, India Mubashar Jawed Akbar is a leading Indian journalist and author. He's the founder and editor-in-chief of The Asian Age, a daily multi-edition Indian newspaper with a global perspective and editor-in-chief of The Deccan Chronicle, a news daily based in Hyderabad. He has written books including Blood Brothers, Nehru: The Making of India, Kashmir: Behind the Vale, Riot After Riot, The Shade of Swords, and India: The Siege Within. Kyoko Altman, Hong Kong, China Kyoko Altman is a writer based in Hong Kong. She has worked as a correspondent and anchor for CNN and...
Repent for Past Sins, Start Afresh
Blair should consider the lessons of his successful peace-making efforts in Northern Ireland and the failures of the Quartet's efforts to date in the Middle East, and re-launch a peace-making effort that includes all the principal parties in the talks. If Blair does convert to Catholicism, he should also remember the church's dictate on repentance.
Takes a Beast to Know One
Given what Great Britain has done in the Middle East under his leadership, I don't know how he speaks with a straight face or a clean conscience about morality or decency. Blair is right about the British media's excesses -- but then it takes a beast to know a beast.
21st C. Churchill in Another Man's War
Tony Blair's legacy has many parallels to Britain's revered leader of World War II, Winston Churchill. But while Churchill sent British troops into battle to defend their homeland against Nazi invaders, Blair has sent his soldiers to die for a cause not their own. It is that of the friend who may bring his legacy down: George W. Bush.
Confront Real Obstacle: Genocidal Jihad
The first thing Tony Blair should do is rethink the whole concept of a "Mideast envoy." What the job needs most now is not a mediator but a truth-teller. The struggle for peace is no longer between Israelis and Palestinians. It is against the jihadi axis (Hamas, Hezbollah, al Qaeda, Syria and Iran) that wants to block peace at all cost.
To Beat Terror, Defeat Iran
Jerusalem, Israel - Five ounces (150 milliliters) of nitroglycerine, a liquid explosive, can bring down an airplane. This does not mean it is impossible to secure an airplane but it does mean it is impossible to secure wide open, target-rich, democratic societies from suicide bombers solely with defensive measures....
What About Cricket?
New Delhi, India -- In a way, I agree that football is the great globalizer, and also the destroyer of nationalism -- though the World Cup month is the wrong time to say so. In more normal times, during the intervening four years, the multinational clubs arouse greater passions than the encounters between two nations....
Iraq Exports Weapons of Desperation
Car bombing has developed as a unique weapon of desperation in the hands, mostly, of Islamic extremists. We have not seen it in East Asian cities, which have more homogeneous populations than London and strict standards of public security. But is this phenomenon a result of Iraq? The bombings do seem to extend outwards from there...
The Most Uncompromising Kind of Imperialism
There is no reason for Muslims to take personal offense to this gesture, which has been given to a variety of personalities from many nations. The problem with Muslim fundamentalism is that it demands submission to its zealotry. By insisting that we yield to their "sensitivity," they seek to impose their values on nonbelievers.
Mixed Up in the Wrong Crowd
The West is about to lose the only formidable leader in the cohort of the past age. Tony Blair’s tragedy is that he has been surrounded by Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schröder and George Bush -- the most disappointing team of Western leaders since World War II.
More Lessons: Iran Showed True Colors
I don't agree with my PostGlobal colleague Hossein Derakhshan that Iran has won this round of the PR war. While Iran has proven to be more flexible than some had anticipated, the incident has also shown what Iran is capable of doing.
Passionate Believer in Humanity
I envy the Brits for having Tony Blair as their leader. Who could have believed that one day Protestant Rev. Ian Paisley and Catholic former terrorist Martin McGuinness would share a government after decades of bloodshed in Northern Ireland? Blair, one of the most impressive leaders of the 21st century, made it happen.
