Wolcott: Even a poodle receives a doggy treat now and then (Blair)

[kskiska]

One City, One World, One America

One of the puzzling and perverse questions raised by the poodle relationship between Tony Blair and George Bush is what Blair gets out of it, and, by extension, what benefit Britain obtains by playing deputy sidekick to the Sheriff of Nazareth. Where's the payoff, the reward? Even a poodle ought to receive a doggy treat now and then. The loyalty has been entirely one-sided. Bush made it insultingly clear before the G8 summit that he wasn't going to do a major budge on global warming and African aid just because Blair was so staunch on Iraq. He said that he didn't believe in any quid pro quo and as for Iraq--"Tony Blair made decisions on what he thought was best for keeping the peace and winning the war on terror, as I did." His manner in that interview couldn't have been more matter-of-fact and dismissive, when he wasn't blinking up a storm.

Like Johnny Rotten in "No Feelings," President Bush has got no emotions for anybody else, and can't be bothered even to go through the formal motions, having so many more important, interesting things to do, such as fall off his bicycle.

Tom Watson, blogging at The Huffington Post, noted the difference between how the Brits mourned our losses on September 11th and how the leader of the free world breezed out of the summit after their losses last week.

(snip)

"Our President, George W. Bush, was actually in the United Kingdom when terror struck London. He was in Scotland, a two-hour flight from Heathrow. Understandably, he and the other leaders completed the G8 summit, unbowed by the carnage in the London transit system.

"And then our President came home.

"And in doing so, he knowingly cast a gob of bitter spittle in the face of our constant ally, and disgraced the United States of America.

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http://jameswolcott.com/

[AndyTiedye]

1. Blackmail Is More the BFEE Style

If they are blackmailing TonyPoodle, they don't have to give him any treats, ever.

[Jade Fox]

2. When did we become such a selfish, uncaring nation?

Quoting from Wolcott's blog, here is what went on in Europe to recognize the
loses in London while we've done nothing:


Britain's Queen Elizabeth stood in silence at Buckingham Palace. In London's
Trafalgar Square, a giant banner declared 'One City, One World.'

"Taxis and buses pulled over, workers left their offices to stand in the street
and financial markets paused to remember the dead.

"In Italy, government offices, railway stations and airports paused while
television stations cut into normal broadcasting to honour the London dead.

"In Paris, President Jacques Chirac's annual Bastille day television address
was put back so the French could mark the moment. Chirac stood silent on
the steps of the Elysee Palace."

[Inland]

3. Read the entire post......

It's almost as if the admin. went out of its way to show it had no sympathy or solidarity with Britain at all.

For everyone who thought the reason rightwing Americans hate the French and the Germans and everyone else was because they crossed Bush, think again. Rightwing Americans are simply xenophobic. They hate all foreigners, or at least, don't see them worth humanity. Hume's first thought was to buy stock. The other fox talking head's first thought is how the bombing is going to help Bush. And Bush's first thought is anything except a gracious gesture.

[Demeter]

6. I'm Not Sure They Like ANYBODY

not even (especially) themselves. Talk about your psychological basket cases! It's looking more like a Mafia (without the good business practices) every day.

[democracyindanger]

4. I noticed only one moment of silence

It was before the MotoGP race at Laguna Seca this past weekend. But if it was, say a motocross race, where the majority of fans and participants aren't Europeans, I doubt it would've happened.

Shameful.

[acmavm]

5. Wolcott perfectly describes the vapid idiot that we have squatting

in our White House.