Tony Blair Tells Europe to Quit Begging the U.S. for Help

[DonViejo]

Source: The Daily Beast

The former British prime minister and partner of George W. Bush says 70 years is enough time depending on Washington.

Tony Blair has called for Europe to pull itself together and stop begging the United States for help every time something goes wrong.

The former British prime minister said it was time the continent stood on its own two feet more than 70 years after America intervened decisively in the Second World War. Recent crises in the region and conflicts in countries along the border have exposed the total reliance on Washington to alter events within Europe’s neighborhood.

Blair said it was incongruous that such an economically powerful union was still “having to turn to the U.S. and ask for their help” whenever a foreign policy crisis erupted whether it be Libya, Syria or Ukraine. More than a decade after the birth of his partnership with President George W. Bush, he said Brussels (capital of the European Union) should develop a stronger foreign policy and more powerful defense strategy.

“Now I’m a great fan of the U.S.,” he said. “I think it’s important that we remain strong allies of the U.S. but we ought to develop in Europe the capability of being able to handle the problems on our own doorstep.”

-snip-

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/21/tony-blair-tells-europe-to-quit-begging-the-u-s-for-help.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. True.

.

[DonCoquixote]

2. I know tony has an agenda

Namely to make the EU join the same stupid arms race the res of the world does, but, the EU does have a habit of leaning on us, making us spend money to protect THEM from the Russians and then acting angelic when something like the Ukranian mess happens.

If we are serious about cutting spending, we will have to assess how many bases, if any, are worth keeping, especially as we are not welcome.

[CJCRANE]

17. I agree.

I doubt Blair really wants to see an independent Europe able to make its own decisions and stay out of wars and interventions.

[samsingh]

3. an odd thing to say for W bush's b*tch

[SummerSnow]

5. He would have never said that under Bushs' Presidency.

He was so far up Bush's butt he could have done an artist rendition of his colon

[perdita9]

4. It's about time Europe solved its own problems

I agree on Blair with this

[Bohemianwriter]

12. Then I suggest....

You keep your banks and corporations setting up camp in Europe on a leash! The depression in Greece is a direct consequence of Wall Street meddling in other countries affairs, tricking with the numbers to make them look better than they actually are.

I would also suggest USA solve it's own problems instead of blaming everybody else for your FAILED policies! I suggest you get the hell out of EVERY SINGLE country you have an army base in, stop having the racist state of Israel as allies, supporting their crimes against humanity!
Better yet!

I suggest that every single whitey get the hell out of America, since you have spent only 250 years on destroying what was once a clean continent, and go back to Europe! You haven't even learned the lesson that the democratic confederation of the Iroquois once taught you.

Blair is nothing more than a professional liar, a gold digger and war criminal who shouldn't get any airtime unless it's in a mic. at the war crime tribunal in the Hague, sitting in the same dock as Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, Rice and Powell.

Savvy?

[perdita9]

16. You don't know me well enough to hate me so much

And, if there's a reason Europe should not take the lead on the Ukraine incident, please explain why.

[BillZBubb]

6. Europe to Bliar--shut up war criminal!

[cosmicone]

7. Translation

"I'm the sole poodle and entitled to all the dog biscuits and treats. You guys go find your own master. Wuff Wuff"

[harun]

8. Poignant. Hope they listen.

[jakeXT]

9. I wonder what would happen if Germany tried

Despite base closings and personnel cuts in recent years, Germany still plays host to about 40,000 American troops and several major installations, including Ramstein Air Base, two combatant commands in Stuttgart and several Army facilities scattered around the country.

Recent events set tone

What does the new German sentiment mean for this vast military presence?

“I can hear noises about this being an anachronism,” Trenin said. “During the Cold War it was a very real protector against the Soviet Union. Today, there’s no real fear of Russia in Germany. I think eventually, 20 years from now, there are no more U.S. bases in Germany.”

Not all experts agree.

“I think the friendship is too strong for that,” said Silvia C. Petig of the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. “There are too many ways the countries are bound together. Even for the people critical of America, there’s too much of a historical bond.”

http://www.stripes.com/news/espionage-claims-could-test-us-german-military-accord-experts-say-1.293787

[americannightmare]

10. I'd like to see some articles demonstrating this...

so-called begging. All my Google searches turn up nothing except for a request for increased exports of shale oil, which they have to pay for, it's not a gift. Also, Obama wants more money for increasing the military presence in Europe, and Europe is at best divided on our presence there. Our military presence there has very little do with "helping" Europe, and never has. It's about the Clinton doctrine and the Bush doctrine of protecting U.S. interests - and European interests and U.S. are not always the same thing, particularly when you throw Russian sanctions into the mix.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

11. +1 n/t

[roamer65]

13. Even though he's a war criminal, I tend to agree.

Europe should have a distinct foreign policy and a self defense force, just like Japan. We should slowly bring our presence to zero in Europe, Japan and South Korea.

[daleo]

14. Poodle to Europe

Be tough and independent like me. Arf, Arf.

[rickyhall]

15. I can't the bastard but I've been the same thing for a long time

I'm no isolationist but I don't think we should be minding everybody else's business either.