Reading the Guardian earlier (yes it's official I am middle class/aged/brow) I actually found myself thinking that it would make a great read. I am not a fan of political memoirs normally, because despite being vaguely interested in politics as they pertain to me, I find politicians quite narcissistic and self serving and their memoirs usual revolve around scoring some petty argument of about which no one really cares!
However I respected Blair as a prime minister (and I think the history books will show his premiership as some of the best years this country saw this century) and unusually I would quite like to hear his point of view.
Since he left office three years ago there has been no end to the carping about his private successes, his accumulating wealth, his position as a global force in negotiating an interfaith 'truce' in the Middle East. He rarely gets a fair deal from the press - what do they expect him to do - put on his carpet slippers, throw away his political experience and stay home and play with the baby? The recent furore over his £4 million book advance is a case in point. Before he made the statement about what his intentions were (FOR HIS OWN MONEY!) the press were harping on about his greedy money grabbing ways. Now he has announced he is to donate ALL OF It to an armed forces charity they are bleating about him showcasing his philanthropy!! Surely even if you loathe the man and everything he stands for this one incident shows he will never get a fair deal from the media!
I don't normally 'talk politics' but for some reason the launch of this memoir has stimulated my political juices!
The cartoon on the left amused me ... mainly because I am critiquing these sort of images for my thesis - so I just thought given my rantette about the Blair witch hunt project it would add a little light relief and some humour!
On the Ph.D front - little was achieved today as I was otherwise engaged!!! Now the students are beginning to return in their droves to Dundee I was faced with the unenviable task of reuniting my young cousin with his belongings (stored for the summer in the garage) ... as it turns out one car load was sufficient!
