[Jakarta ex-pat]

The Prime Minister told Labour party delegates today that he wanted to use the United Nations to solve the situation in Iraq.

Oh yes good ole Tony.

Some of his reasons for supporting an attack on Iraq (I do support an attack on Iraq)

"A country where today, 135 out of every 1,000 Iraqi children die before the age of five - 70% of these deaths are from diarrhoea and respiratory infections that are easily preventable."

"Almost a third of children born in the centre and south of Iraq have chronic malnutrition."

Of course, it's for the children ya know.

Another thing most may have missed was his knock at Mrs.Thatcher, when he pompously announced there would be no more cigarette advertising.

"Take yesterday, and an end to tobacco advertising. Opposed by the Conservatives. The right thing to do. And done by a Labour Government."

For the children ya know.

"After years of under-investment, we are now making the commitment to public services that people have wanted to see for decades.

More teachers, more nurses, more police. That is what you get from a Labour Government."

Sound familiar?

Well, it's for the children ya know.

"British values. Labour values. Values worth fighting for. Values to inspire our journey of change. Values to sustain us for the great challenges ahead. Values to drive us as we create the Britain that we promised and the Britain that today our world needs."

Our world!

Very ironic that the only people Tony quoted were Iraqi.

Thanks Tony.

Long Live Margaret Thatcher.

More of a man than Tony could ever dream to be.

[George W. Bush]

Long Live Margaret Thatcher. More of a man than Tony could ever dream to be.

Well, we all admire Thatcher. But she was dumped by her own party. Don't be too certain that deposing Blair would give rise to any PM of either party that would be our ally.

As far as his couching his speech in terms of Labor party politics, I don't think you can fault a speaker for knowing his audience and speaking to their sensibilities.

Blair is very brave right now, in many ways. And he's showing leadership to the rest of Europe, those outside the Axis of Weasels who are also standing with us, governments who are looking to him for the courage to oppose their own domestic peace nuts. Like Churchill, he recognizes there are longterm security issues at stake more important than his own political career. And that is admirable, even in a liberal.