Standing Up For What’s Right

‘NINETEEN standing ovations in 40 minutes may sound a lot but, when your destiny is to heal the world, it is really no more than you would expect.

‘My name’s Tony Blair and you’ve been a great audience. Goodnight!’

Tony Blair wisely chose not to repeat his famous claim yesterday as he addressed the US Congress – Americans may not be big on irony, but even they would have had trouble taking that one seriously.

Instead, he adapted his usual theme (why I am great) to a different question: how history will judge me.

His verdict was that history will forgive him for destroying ‘a threat that, at its least [sic], is responsible for inhuman carnage and suffering’.

This was Tony’s way of sorting out the row over the existence of WMD in Iraq.

He added that he believes ‘with every fibre and conviction’ that he was right, and in his case, that’s a helluva lot of fibre and conviction.

As Blair spoke, the congressmen rose to their feet – not in a stampede to get to the toilets and throw up, but to clap their hands in warm appreciation.

‘He’s one swell guy!’ exclaimed one, proudly pointing to the Tony Blair booster button on his lapel. ‘He’s dreamy!’ sighed an elegant congresswoman from New York.

Sadly, though, the admiration was not universal.

The Guardian reports that a cross-party delegation from this country ‘struggled to join in the applause’, and shadow chancellor Michael Howard ‘found it most difficult to join in the standing ovation’.

He should seek advice from his opposite number, Gordon Brown – a man who also experiences extreme physical discomfort whenever he is called upon to show appreciation of Mr Blair, but struggles manfully to overcome his handicap.

A wintry smile or a tiny nod of the head is the very least he can do – and, with his keen sense of loyalty, he makes sure that’s exactly what he does.

‘

Posted: 18th, July 2003 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink