This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.washingtonpost.com/what-is-tony-blairs-global-legacy/2014/11/26/e7e9bfc5-63ad-426f-9917-e608e5dcfeae_story.html?wprss=rss_world
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| What is Tony Blair’s ‘global legacy?’ | What is Tony Blair’s ‘global legacy?’ |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Last week, Tony Blair, former prime minister of Britain, was in New York to accept the Global Legacy Award from Save the Children, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ben Affleck and Samantha Power at the high profile Illumination Gala. | Last week, Tony Blair, former prime minister of Britain, was in New York to accept the Global Legacy Award from Save the Children, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ben Affleck and Samantha Power at the high profile Illumination Gala. |
| "From the beginning of humankind there has been brutality, conflict, intrigue, the destructive obsession with a narrow self-interest," he said in his acceptance speech. “But throughout all human history, never has been extinguished that relentless, unquenchable desire to do good. To act not only in self-interest and sometimes to even to act in defiance of it." | "From the beginning of humankind there has been brutality, conflict, intrigue, the destructive obsession with a narrow self-interest," he said in his acceptance speech. “But throughout all human history, never has been extinguished that relentless, unquenchable desire to do good. To act not only in self-interest and sometimes to even to act in defiance of it." |
| It wasn't a totally unusual situation for Blair. Since he's left office, he's received a number of similar accolades -- just a few months before, he had won GQ's philanthropist of the year. And whether working as a Middle East envoy, or running the Tony Blair Faith Foundation or the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative, Blair is the upper echelons of the world of charity and philanthropy. | It wasn't a totally unusual situation for Blair. Since he's left office, he's received a number of similar accolades -- just a few months before, he had won GQ's philanthropist of the year. And whether working as a Middle East envoy, or running the Tony Blair Faith Foundation or the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative, Blair is the upper echelons of the world of charity and philanthropy. |
| Blair's "Global Legacy" award has hit a nerve, however. Shortly after it was announced outrage spread on social media. Human Rights Watch's Ken Roth was just one of many Twitter users to criticize the decision to give the award to Blair. | Blair's "Global Legacy" award has hit a nerve, however. Shortly after it was announced outrage spread on social media. Human Rights Watch's Ken Roth was just one of many Twitter users to criticize the decision to give the award to Blair. |
| As this man defends any dictator who'll pay him, @SaveChildrenUK inexplicably gives him award. http://t.co/29MmhrNZDn pic.twitter.com/PlVyYEQ1XK— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) November 21, 2014 | As this man defends any dictator who'll pay him, @SaveChildrenUK inexplicably gives him award. http://t.co/29MmhrNZDn pic.twitter.com/PlVyYEQ1XK— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) November 21, 2014 |
| As this man defends any dictator who'll pay him, @SaveChildrenUK inexplicably gives him award. http://t.co/29MmhrNZDn pic.twitter.com/PlVyYEQ1XK | As this man defends any dictator who'll pay him, @SaveChildrenUK inexplicably gives him award. http://t.co/29MmhrNZDn pic.twitter.com/PlVyYEQ1XK |
| A week later, the controversy shows no sign of dying down. A petition that asks Save the Children to revoke Blair's award is nearing 100,000 signatures (though the charity is under no obligation to do so, of course). | A week later, the controversy shows no sign of dying down. A petition that asks Save the Children to revoke Blair's award is nearing 100,000 signatures (though the charity is under no obligation to do so, of course). |
| On Tuesday, the Guardian reported that Save the Children was facing a backlash from their own staff over the award. “We consider this award inappropriate and a betrayal to Save the Children’s founding principles and values. Management staff in the region were not communicated with nor consulted about the award and were caught by surprise with this decision,” a letter signed by 200 members of staff reportedly said. | On Tuesday, the Guardian reported that Save the Children was facing a backlash from their own staff over the award. “We consider this award inappropriate and a betrayal to Save the Children’s founding principles and values. Management staff in the region were not communicated with nor consulted about the award and were caught by surprise with this decision,” a letter signed by 200 members of staff reportedly said. |
| The Guardian also pointed out that Justin Forsyth, formerly a special adviser to Blair, and Jonathan Powell, Blair’s former chief of staff, hold positions at Save the Children, raising questions about the charity's links to the former British prime minister. | The Guardian also pointed out that Justin Forsyth, formerly a special adviser to Blair, and Jonathan Powell, Blair’s former chief of staff, hold positions at Save the Children, raising questions about the charity's links to the former British prime minister. |
| This in turn sparked an extraordinary response from Blair's office, which accused the article of bias, saying that it "conveniently disregards the facts that support the award as well as quotes from African Presidents, the head of USAID and indeed anything which would give a more balanced view than the one presented." | This in turn sparked an extraordinary response from Blair's office, which accused the article of bias, saying that it "conveniently disregards the facts that support the award as well as quotes from African Presidents, the head of USAID and indeed anything which would give a more balanced view than the one presented." |
| "The award was in recognition of Tony Blair’s work in leading G8 nations at Gleneagles in 2005 to pledge to double aid to Africa and provide 100% debt relief to eligible countries," the statement said, "as well as his ongoing work in partnership with African governments through his Foundation, the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI)." | "The award was in recognition of Tony Blair’s work in leading G8 nations at Gleneagles in 2005 to pledge to double aid to Africa and provide 100% debt relief to eligible countries," the statement said, "as well as his ongoing work in partnership with African governments through his Foundation, the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI)." |
| The response from Blair's office seems extremely unlikely to quell his critics. For one thing, it didn't address some of the more precise criticisms of Blair's legacy in Africa: How the 2005 pledges were fulfilled, for instance, or Blair's one-dimensional relationship with controversial African leaders like Rwanda's Paul Kagame. | |
| Nor does it address Blair's relationship with the Middle East, where, as my colleague Ishaan Tharoor has pointed out, Blair's relationship has been confusing (both supporting and dismissing the Muslim Brotherhood, for instance) and lucrative (Blair is reported to have earned millions advising a number of repressive Middle Eastern governments). | Nor does it address Blair's relationship with the Middle East, where, as my colleague Ishaan Tharoor has pointed out, Blair's relationship has been confusing (both supporting and dismissing the Muslim Brotherhood, for instance) and lucrative (Blair is reported to have earned millions advising a number of repressive Middle Eastern governments). |
| In fact, many would argue that many of Blair's charitable achievements might fit the "narrow self-interest" he criticized in his New York speech. "Mr Blair makes much of his philanthropic foundations and hefty personal contributions to good causes," the Financial Times' Philip Stephens noted recently. "The trouble is that the boundaries between private profit and public service are hopelessly obscured – one assumes deliberately so – in the corporate labyrinth that is Tony Blair Associates." | In fact, many would argue that many of Blair's charitable achievements might fit the "narrow self-interest" he criticized in his New York speech. "Mr Blair makes much of his philanthropic foundations and hefty personal contributions to good causes," the Financial Times' Philip Stephens noted recently. "The trouble is that the boundaries between private profit and public service are hopelessly obscured – one assumes deliberately so – in the corporate labyrinth that is Tony Blair Associates." |
| But most importantly, Blair's office ignored what much of the world sees as Blair's biggest legacy: His role in the 2003 Iraq War. | But most importantly, Blair's office ignored what much of the world sees as Blair's biggest legacy: His role in the 2003 Iraq War. |
| Given the current state of Iraq, which struggles under sectarian infighting and religious extremism, many now view that legacy as toxic. Earlier this year, a number of Blair's critics published an open letter calling for him to be sacked as the Quartet's envoy. Those critics, who include a number of prominent British politicians, wrote: | Given the current state of Iraq, which struggles under sectarian infighting and religious extremism, many now view that legacy as toxic. Earlier this year, a number of Blair's critics published an open letter calling for him to be sacked as the Quartet's envoy. Those critics, who include a number of prominent British politicians, wrote: |
| In order to justify the invasion, Tony Blair misled the British people by claiming that Saddam Hussein had links to al-Qaida. In the wake of recent events it is a cruel irony for the people of Iraq that perhaps the invasion's most enduring legacy has been the rise of fundamentalist terrorism in a land where none existed previously. We believe that Mr Blair, as a vociferous advocate of the invasion, must accept a degree of responsibility for its consequences. | In order to justify the invasion, Tony Blair misled the British people by claiming that Saddam Hussein had links to al-Qaida. In the wake of recent events it is a cruel irony for the people of Iraq that perhaps the invasion's most enduring legacy has been the rise of fundamentalist terrorism in a land where none existed previously. We believe that Mr Blair, as a vociferous advocate of the invasion, must accept a degree of responsibility for its consequences. |
| In order to justify the invasion, Tony Blair misled the British people by claiming that Saddam Hussein had links to al-Qaida. In the wake of recent events it is a cruel irony for the people of Iraq that perhaps the invasion's most enduring legacy has been the rise of fundamentalist terrorism in a land where none existed previously. | In order to justify the invasion, Tony Blair misled the British people by claiming that Saddam Hussein had links to al-Qaida. In the wake of recent events it is a cruel irony for the people of Iraq that perhaps the invasion's most enduring legacy has been the rise of fundamentalist terrorism in a land where none existed previously. |
| We believe that Mr Blair, as a vociferous advocate of the invasion, must accept a degree of responsibility for its consequences. | We believe that Mr Blair, as a vociferous advocate of the invasion, must accept a degree of responsibility for its consequences. |
| Blair's Iraq war legacy has few supporters left. Unlike President George W. Bush, who can still count on the support of many Republicans despite the war, in the Britain Blair has become a target for not only the right wing Conservatives, but also the left wing Labor Party which he once led (in no small part due to Blair's divisive legacy within the party). His biggest critics, who include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, argue that he should face trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Many expect a British government-run inquiry into the war, run by Sir John Chilcot and due to be released soon, to portray Blair in a negative way. | Blair's Iraq war legacy has few supporters left. Unlike President George W. Bush, who can still count on the support of many Republicans despite the war, in the Britain Blair has become a target for not only the right wing Conservatives, but also the left wing Labor Party which he once led (in no small part due to Blair's divisive legacy within the party). His biggest critics, who include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, argue that he should face trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Many expect a British government-run inquiry into the war, run by Sir John Chilcot and due to be released soon, to portray Blair in a negative way. |
| Blair has attempted to justify himself at various points. "It is a bizarre reading of the cauldron that is the Middle East today, to claim that but for the removal of Saddam, we would not have a crisis," Blair wrote recently in a lengthy blog post on the Iraq and Syria. "We have to put aside the differences of the past and act now to save the future," he concluded. | Blair has attempted to justify himself at various points. "It is a bizarre reading of the cauldron that is the Middle East today, to claim that but for the removal of Saddam, we would not have a crisis," Blair wrote recently in a lengthy blog post on the Iraq and Syria. "We have to put aside the differences of the past and act now to save the future," he concluded. |
| The problem is, Blair's critics feel differently. They don't want to forget past mistakes, or focus on Blair's more positive (though often, still complicated) work in other parts of the world. For them, Blair's global legacy is the Iraq war, and it was a disaster. | The problem is, Blair's critics feel differently. They don't want to forget past mistakes, or focus on Blair's more positive (though often, still complicated) work in other parts of the world. For them, Blair's global legacy is the Iraq war, and it was a disaster. |