Letter: Slogans which make no sense
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Is it possible that Tony Blair's article on Kosovo was in fact destined for some other newspaper and appeared by mistake? Alongside a number of thoughtful and illuminating pieces on the same subject it seemed more like an essay by a primary school student rather than a serious response to your newspaper's point of view. In fact, it did not address a single criticism of the grounds and conduct of this wretched war but offered instead a laboured mantra on the awfulness of Milosevic ( as if your readers were unaware) and how it's great to live in a liberal democracy (again, as if your readers were unaware). And it's the same mantra that every New Labour minister chants ad nauseam as if repetition will render it the only truth.
I wonder also if Mr Blair is aware of some of the ironies of his prose. Take his assertion that the Nato strike is "a battle for values"; written on the tenth anniversary of Tiananmen the logic for world order is either frightening or just plain inconsistent. And then we have the notion that the UK is "a vibrant democracy" when, in fact, not a single debate or vote on the war has occurred in Parliament and not a single clause in the Nato treaty should have triggered the current response to Serbia. Such is the Third Way, short on intellectual honesty, long on propaganda. No, Mr Blair, your letter cannot have been meant for the Independent on Sunday.
GRAHAM LANE
London W5
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments