Martin Amis talks about Tony Blair

[calsurf21]

It's easy to criticize someone in the public eye, but just imagine being 'it', being pressured by outside agency to make a critical decision. Having to appear 'on' all the time, to be 'in control' or appear that way. Millions of eyes upon you, a worldwide audience if you so much as stumble, appearing energetic when exhausted. Being held to account for taking action in a complex international arena where things are not as they appear. As Churchill observed, 'all political lives end in failure.'

[pneumaticstarsailor]

@calsurf21 That last quote actually came from Enoch Powell.

[magicpony9]

Really thoughtful analysis. Thanks for uploading:)

[1thousandways]

I've watched about 80 seconds of this video and I can't watch any more. Martin Amis is a very talented writer who is also extremely naive, he doesn't seem to have much of a grasp on how the human world really works. Blair is probably a sociopath who was probably responsible for many atrocities; not least of which was the murder of David Kelly. Blair did NOT 'believe' in what he was doing; well not in the way Martin Amis means anyway.

[The0Endless0Thread]

@1thousandways Too too terribly true.

[RATM4LYFE]

Absolutely fascinating clip, interesting commentary. Thanks.

[inmuc]

Amis is far too soft on him. Let's remember that Blair's a war criminal by any definition, and subsequently appointing him Envoy to the Middle East is like appointing Hitler ambassador to Moscow.

Who cares if he geunuinely believed he was doing the right thing? Any deranged killer can say that, but it doesn't exonerate him for a moment. Jackal.

[ashburnhouse]

@inmuc What should have been the international response to Sadam's state sponsoring of Abu Nidal, who bombed airports in Vienna and Rome? Further, what should have been done about the 180,000 Kurds that were raped, gassed and shot?

[BelatedCommiseration]

The sad thing is I believe that Blair was'nt just the lapdog of america. I believe he did sincerely believe in the war in Iraq purely to depose an evil dictator. The sad thing is that this reason alone seemed not to be enough so more was needed to serve what was essentially a moral purpose, and of course we have to get into bed with unsavoury characters like Bush who want to do what daddy didn't and enrich themselves and their associates.

[UmmahTube]

War CRIMINAL, TRANSPORT HIM TO THE HAGUE.

[mrfoxthedude123]

history will judge Bush very differently. He has presided over the greatest American revolution. Iraq will be peaceful and prosperous like those other American inventions, South Korea, Japan and Germany.

Bush is the greatest leader for 50 years. lOve him or hate him he is amazing.

[ftftttffttffttf]

You are clearly mentally ill.

[ryko26]

lol. Exactly. Straight jacket please for mrfoxthedude

[danny123xvz]

lol america invented germany haha

[nidhal00]

What a superficial this Amis! Blair admitted it:"I did what I thought was right." Hedid not do what people thought was right! Amis has nothing to say on this! No surprise, days have gone of serious analysis by British intellectuals. From the gutter press (as Oscar Wilde called it) to The Ministry of Truth (as Goerge Orwell called it).

[ftftttffttffttf]

Everything about Amis is superficial. Why do you think the uploader of these videos gives them titles like "Mart wipes his lips with his forefinger"? He is decadent & vapid. A man more interested in his own expensive false teeth & thinning hair than anything he writes about in his vain books.

Blair, a man equally as vain, is a war criminal at large, peddling his after dinner speeches to ignorant US audiences as no Brit will stomach his lies, hubris & tales of state sponsored murder & suicide

[mofi500]

Brilliant video, thanks for uploading.

[jameswp266]

He's very eloquent. Fantastic analysis

[klimes86]

A really impressive post. Well done and Amis speaks as well as he writes. He is measured, controlled, perceptive, eloquent, brilliant.

[ftftttffttffttf]

"millions of passionate murderers that would like nothing more than torture you to death with power tools & post your decapitation on the internet"

a very measured & controlled observation by Amis.

[BigToeNo7]

Do note that Amis realizes that this is an irrational gut reaction. Are self-awareness and a level of candor to be taxed now?

[8data]

thx for posting this

i still love anglo-america

but its hard

[blatspanner]

you know who has a great turn of phrase? the tight skin of my stretched ballbag. put it in your stinking maw,you ancient nightmare.

[hexag1]

great post, thanks

[Chaffinch4]

On Blair's possible thoughts in the helichopter above Baghdad: "You're flying blind in the back there and full of this thought, not v rational thought, that you were flying above millions of passionate murderers that would like nothing more than torture you to death with power tools & post your decapitation on the internet". What a turn of phrase he has!

[smoocher6]

I meant herd

[smoocher6]

"Tiny increments of progress on dozens of fronts".This is the best, the most unbiased, human, perceptive commentary I've ever heard on Blair. On any politician, in fact. i cannot stand the heard-like, mechanical hatred that some have for politicians. It's lazy.

[ftftttffttffttf]

"i cannot stand the heard-like, mechanical hatred that some have for politicians"

how do you feel about the contempt Blair had for his electorate, the destruction of all that the Labour Party stood for & the spineless acquiescence to Bush's demands for an illegal strike on Iraq & the resultant denial of any wrong doing in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary?

Or are my comments too biased, too mechanical, too "herd like"? Yet, unlike Amis's words, all unfortunately true.

[smoocher6]

At last, a new Amis clip. It's been too long.