The US, Race & War - criticism of Blair + Bush in Guardian

[Pert_UK]

"Most African-Americans didn't support the war on Iraq - with good reason. But they ended up fighting it...

Tony Blair has often taken it upon himself to placate criticism of United States military aggression abroad by pointing to its social achievements at home. And there can be few greater American accomplishments, in his mind, than race.

Quite how he came to this ill-informed conclusion, and why he would choose to share it, is not entirely clear...

In 2001 he hailed a meritocracy that could produce a black foreign secretary. "I think of a black man, born in poverty, who became chief of their armed forces and is now secretary of state, Colin Powell, and I wonder frankly whether such a thing could have happened here," he said.

Leave aside for the moment that Powell was not born into poverty; the truth is that as prime minister Blair could appoint a black person to the post of foreign secretary any time he wants...

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

Fantastic, lengthy article.....it leaves you wondering what world Tony Blair is living in:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1016247,00.html

P.

[Pert_UK]

1. This is a great article so I will kick it myself....once only.

:kick:

P.

[T_i_B]

2. Race or class?

That might be the way I look at it. The military worldwide traditionally recruits most in the working classes, with the upper class twits in charge and since race & class are so unfortunatly mixed in the US then it might seem natural that African-Americans form the bulk of the cannon fodder in the US army. :scared:

As to the lies and hypocricy of Blair, well as the article nails it here.

He might have asked himself how far his policies on asylum seekers, ID cards and immigration (not to mention the reckless language and bigoted logic of his home secretary, David Blunkett) have put back the day when black, Asian and Muslim Britons might feel similarly comfortable with their own national identity.

"new" labour is no freind of ethinic minorities. If anything Blair seems to be going out of his way to attract the skinhead thug vote. :grr:

[Terran]

3. Pert UK

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