Mail Call

Although British prime minister Tony Blair's political days are numbered, he is still trying to hang on to his career. He wants to linger on by telling more lies about his absolute support of the Bush administration in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the Israel-Lebanon war turned the tables: President Bush humiliated him in public and paid no heed to Blair's proposal of an immediate ceasefire and cessation of all hostilities by both parties. Blair has proved his loyalty and obedience to Bush by telling lies about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction as a reason for invading Iraq and sending British troops to the Middle East. Blair has been dropped like a hot potato by his own Labour Party members, who are demanding his earlier departure. The young, dynamic leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron, has challenged Blair's leadership and ridiculed him many times in the House of Commons. The curtain has already fallen on Blair's political career. Goodbye, Mr. Blair! Britain will be better off without you.

Syed Rashid Ali Shah

Vroomshoop, Netherlands

I thought your article "and now, Adieu," was biased and almost free of legitimate criticism in assessing why Tony Blair is now on the way out. As far as the British are concerned, Blair is tainted: his decline started with the war in Iraq, when they realized that he had lied in order to gain parliamentary approval to take Britain into an illegal war. Forget weapons of mass destruction--Bush and his "poodle" decided very early on to invade Iraq. All they had to do was to con the public into believing their reasons for doing so. Blair, with his ego, did this superbly by adopting spin, dodgy dossiers and lies. Add to this Blair's running of the United Kingdom like an American president, showing his contempt for Parliament and an obsession to agree with Bush on everything--including the latest Lebanon-Israel conflict. The electorate has become sick of him. His "New Labour" policies at home--on health, education, crime, immigration and transport--have failed miserably, and that is after 10 years in government. We Brits are now hated the world over as much as the Americans (especially in the Middle East and other Muslim countries), while Blair is detested for his sleazy dealings, his lying and spinning; his corruption of the Civil Service; his weakening of democracy; his imposing of "Big Brother" laws; his freebie holidays; his greedy wife, Cherie; using his reputation to earn mega-bucks, etc. Most of all, however, Blair is detested in this country for his lack of moral fiber.

G. S. Cotton

Fosdyke, England