8/14/2019 TheSun 2009-11-02 Page13 Europe is Not in Love With
Blair
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by Eric S. Margolis
HENRYKissinger once sarcasti-cally asked whom he should callin
Europe if the world caughtfire.
At the time, the EU hadno chief. That has been theEUs problem
since birth. The
EUs power and identity werefragmented between its
vast,Kafkaesque Brussels bureauc-racy, the European parliamentin
Strasbourg, and nationalgovernments.
Now, after a long, excruciatingprocess of tightening
governanceand revising rules, the 27-mem-ber EU is finally ready to
name apowerful president. Alas, the EUis having trouble finding
one.Many of its leaders are so blandand faceless that Europeans
can-not even name them.
Unfortunately, Europesmost popular politician, BarackObama,
already has a job.
But just in time for Hal-loween, Britains perenniallysmiling
former prime minister,Tony Blair, has risen wraithlikefrom the
political grave. Britains
current prime minister, GordonBrown, is urging Blair be namedEU
president. So is Washington.
The glib Blair is light yearsahead of any other
Europeanpolitician when it comes to namerecognition, profile, and
media
glitz. Compared to Blair, theother candidates so far being
considered for the EU presidencylook like zombies.But Blair is
also widely de-
spised, even hated, in much ofEurope and Britain. He still
bearsthe curse of George W. Bush, onwhose lap Blair sat for so
long,wagging his tail.
Blair acted as a shill andfacilitator for Bushs brazenaggression
in Iraq. He betrayedhis Labour Party, the interests ofBritain, and
his former image asan honest politician.
Clare Short, a highly respectedformer British cabinet
ministerand MP, summed up Blair:Blairs craven support for
theextremism of US neoconservativeforeign policy has exacerbatedthe
danger of terrorism and theinstability and suffering of theMiddle
East.
He has dishonoured the UK,undermined the UN and inter-national
law and helped to makethe world a more dangerousplace.
Many Britons and Europeansstill see the unctuous Blair as
speak up!13theSun | MONDAY NOVEMBER 2 2009
a creature of George Bush. Why hedecided to facilitate Bushs
illegal acts
remains a mystery. In the end, Blair gota lot of British
soldiers killed for noth-ing not to mention huge numbersof Iraqis
and Afghans and made hisnation an enemy of the entire
Muslimworld.
Britains Labour Party shot apoisoned arrow into Blairs back
thisweek. Former Home Secretary CharlesClarke warned Blair would
wreck ef-forts to restore frayed British-EU rela-tions. Britains
Conservatives warnedof war with Europe if Blair becameits
leader.
Off in Brussels, the head of the Eu-ropean Parliaments Social
Democratssaid his bloc would veto Blair whohad turned his back on
Europe overIraq. Bushs war against Iraq, bitterlyopposed by western
Europe, may not
have gone ahead without Blairs ful-some support.
Germanys re-elected ChancellorAngela Merkel and Frances
president,Nicholas Sarkozy, had reportedlyfavoured Blair, who has
spent a lot oftime schmoozing these kingmakers.
But a senior Merkel aid just leakedthat she could not bear
listeningany more to Mr Flash. Sarkozy justreversed course and came
out againstmy dear friend Blairs candidacy.AurevoirTony.
Nor have Europeans forgotten howBlair thwarted efforts to bring
Britaininto the Euro zone or integrate its de-fenses with the
EU.
Blair continued Britains traditionalstrategy of undermining
European uni-ty while pretending to be a supporter.Many saw Blair
as a Trojan Horse for aUS also intent on keeping Europe weak
and divided. He came to symbolise theFrench stereotype of
two-faced Britain
as Perfidious Albion.The three leading candidates for theEU
presidency are Luxembourg PrimeMinister, Jean-Claude Juncker,
DutchPM Jan Balkenende, and former Finn-ish MP, Paavo Lipponen are
a tripleyawn.
But boring in politics may be a vir-tue. Most Swiss cant name
their federalpresident, yet Switzerland runs like a... Swiss watch.
Maybe a competentplodder is just what Europe needs. Itcertainly
does not need any more of theundead Mr Flash.
Eric S. Margolis is a contributing editorto the Toronto Sun
chain of newspapers,writing mainly about the Middle Eastand South
Asia. Comments: [email protected]
Hard work pays offIN Single stream schools a wiseoption
(Letters, Oct 29) the writerstates that the authorities shouldalso
seek the cooperation andassistance of Chinese schools,recognised
for their superiority inteaching mathematics and science,
to provide guidance in terms of theirmethodology and
approach.
It should be made clear thatmethodology and approach playa
limited part in learning. Study,exercise, and practice are
moreimportant. If Chinese schools dobetter in maths and science it
isbecause the students there spendmore time doing homework andnot
because of any method.
Maths and science are subjectsthat require lots of practice
andstudents need to be hardworkingto pass or get distinction in
thesetwo subjects. While methodology isuseful, no method or
approach cansubstitute for the time a studentmust spend seated on a
chair, infront of a table where his schoolbooks are and where he
must com-plete all the exercises necessary forhim to know the
subject well.
Unless a student is willing tostudy, he cannot be a good
studentor a top scorer. Both the parentsand the teachers must be
involvedin the nurturing of a top scorer,yet not all students can
becometop scorers even with the best of
nurturing. Teachers must see this,parents must accept it, and
the gov-ernment must put equal emphasison both work and study, and
notmake study the solution for all oflifes problems.
Single stream schools are indeed
a wise option, but parents must notexpect too much of schools.
Theoriginal reason for public schoolsto be set up was that they
shouldteach the letters and the numbers,and this remains their
function.
Presently, schools have toomany subjects and too much timeis
spent on unnecessary activities.Teachers have been trained to
begeneralists and not specialists, andso they are often not
proficientin the subject they are asked toteach.
This makes lessons boring forthe students who consequently
willnot do well in tests and examina-tions.
Additionally, too much workhas been shoved in the directionof
technology and computer aidedlearning. Even with the most
attrac-tive computer program, the teacher,the book, and the
willingness of thestudents to learn remain the mainingredients for
the acquisition andapplication of knowledge.
Marisa DemoriIpoh
[email protected]
Europe is not in love with Blair
Local council slow to actI WROTE a complaint (with sugges-tions)
via email to Petaling Jaya CityCouncil on the lack of road
safetyoutside SK Kg Tunku where my sonis studying. A pupil was
knockeddown recently outside the schoolgate and suffered a broken
leg.Till today, the city council has notacknowledged receiving the
com-plaint, much less act on it.
The school canteens ceilingcame crashing down last monthafter 20
minutes of heavy rain. Ithas not been repaired till today. Iwonder
if the beams were checkedsince then to ensure they are notrotten.
Also, despite being broughtup at a parent-teacher association
meeting last year, drain covers arestill either missing or
uneven, pos-ing a hazard to pupils and staff.
Does the National Institute ofOccupational Safety and
Healthcheck safety standards in schools?Must we wait till our
children arehurt before taking action?
Can we all do something now?Local councils must act fast and
theEducation Ministry officers respon-sible for safety in schools
must bepunished if they drag their feet ordo not perform. Safety
comes firstat all times.
Concerned ParentPetaling Jaya
