howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
Since Blair's foreign policy was dictated by the need to satisfy big business and to maintain oil supplies I hope there is no truth in this. Whatever happened to the 'ethical foreign policy'?
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Protecting our oil supplies and the needs of business are a very good thing, if you want jobs that is. That said Blair did step over a fine line quite clearly at times.
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
Perhaps funding the development of alternatives to a dwindling natural resource rather than sending troops into war would have been a better long term strategy.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i think dave is being shrewd on this one, tony has bags of experience in foreign affairs.
good to drop party stances and learn.
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Blair`s tutoral at Chequers on Middle East follows Flashman`s preference to be regarded as `heir to Blair`instead of top tories preference of `Son of Thatcher`
Tories used Blairs `The unfinished revolution`as their `Dr.Spock`of government.Tories pledged to complete Blairs unfinished business.
Tories continually accused Gordon Brown of diluting Blairs policies.
Flashman`s education continues with his studies of Blairs mistakes!!!!
Not working is it.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
dave learned all he knows from tony, shows it in his public persona.
still has not mastered getting on with foreign chappies though, so far he has upset the chinese, indians and pakistanis, just the libyans that like him.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
howard;
and it libya its only rebels(of unknown terrorist background)
david is right to talk to blair why shouldn't he affairs abroad are important and blair has some experience and cameron can take stuff from him shouldnt be a political thing
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
I wonder if T. Blair is offering his services as independent adviser, which since leaving 10 Downing Street has earned him tens of millions of pounds revenue.
Things are changing in the Middle East, with Turkey now becoming more and more anti-Israel, and threatening a scene with Cyprus over oil in the Mediterranean, claiming that the Cypriot government is illegal!!! because Ankara doesn't recognise it.
Cyprus and Israel have reached an agreement to explore for oil in the Mediterranean, Turkey out of retaliation is about to do the same, but with the use of warships, and adding to all this all we need is a showdown between Palestinians and Israel, with Turkey already promissing to escort convoys to Gaza with Turkish warships.
Meanwhile the Turkish PM has gone out of his way to befriend the new leaders in Tripoli, and the USA, which supplies hundreds of millions of dollars worth of economic aid to the Palestinians every year has threatened to stop this flow of aid if the Palestinan leaders insist on a UN seat.
If Iron-Cast Dave knew his cards, he wouldn't need a joker called T. Blair in the equation! He'd keep our Country out of troubles way and play neutral, abstaining from any decision on a Palestinian UN seat.
Surely no-one in their right mind would want to see Britain at loggerheads with America!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
alex
tony blair is someone with a lot of contcts abroad built over his time in charge and is well respected in other countries, the prime minister does not have that experience so common sense dictates that they get their heads together.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Of-course we'ra all entitled to our personal opinion when it comes to national foreign policy, and mine is, that T. Blair was not elected in the present Parliament.
That he is taking part in dictating British foreign policy, rather than the PM consulting elected Parliament, is a metter of concern.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
alex
he is not dictating policy, he has been asked for advice and is giving it freely.
once dave is in possession of knowledge that tony is still gaining through his globetrotting, he will consult with his cabinet and probably other unelected people and formulate his own foreign policy.
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
Blimey! Before you know it we'll be invading Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia..............
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
you can be so cynical mark, the first three you mention do not have enough oil for us to liberate the oppressed from tyrannical regimes.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Mark - No oil in Syria, the Saudi's are too greedy to give us problems with oil supplies, the Bahrainians too vulnerable and as for Yemen - I dont think there is oil there either but even so if their government actively and officially supports the terrorists, as the Taliban regime did, then perhaps some action may be needed at some point. Hopefully it wont come to that.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
the yemen has a good bunkering point at aden,ideal location before entering the suez canal/indian ocean.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Syria has oil, and exports it; in fact a trade embargo has recently been placed on Syrian oil exports to the West.
Yemen also has oil, but the oil fields are probably still not in full function.
President Obama has made himself heard regards to the Pelestinian request for a UN seat. He says no seat if the Palestinians don't talk with Israel.
Personally I'd keep a low profile on the topic of a UN seat, we've got so many probs at home, and America is one of our best allies.