innocent_lex (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
innocent_lex) wrote2010-08-16 10:14 pm
innocent_lex) wrote2010-08-16 10:14 pm
Is this actually blood money?
Honestly, it's not an extreme question. It was announced today that Tony Blair will be donating all proceeds from his upcoming book to the Royal British Legion to support members of the armed forces injured in war. I was stunned when I first heard the news, for all of about 20 seconds, and my next thought was to wonder how far this will go to assuage the man's guilty conscience.
Let's face it: he isn't hurting financially. No ex-PM these days has any kind of problem with money. He doesn't need the book money, but he does need (want?) people to start thinking of him as something other than the man who took the country to war when a million people marched against it.
The Legion are certainly not saying no - they'd be crazy to say no. But this is money made by a man who caused a lot of the problems in the first place. It's his responsibility that so many people need the support and services of the Legion. It's his responsibility that so many people didn't survive to get that support. I wouldn't turn the money down, either, if I were the Legion, but... I'm repeatedly wavering between 'well done, at least you got your head partially out of your arse, even it is far, far too late' and 'you sanctimonious prick'. Not sure where I'll end up. Won't be buying the book, though - I'm sure it'll be as much of a work of fiction as most of what's come out of his mouth over the last 15 years, and I've read much better fiction.
Let's face it: he isn't hurting financially. No ex-PM these days has any kind of problem with money. He doesn't need the book money, but he does need (want?) people to start thinking of him as something other than the man who took the country to war when a million people marched against it.
The Legion are certainly not saying no - they'd be crazy to say no. But this is money made by a man who caused a lot of the problems in the first place. It's his responsibility that so many people need the support and services of the Legion. It's his responsibility that so many people didn't survive to get that support. I wouldn't turn the money down, either, if I were the Legion, but... I'm repeatedly wavering between 'well done, at least you got your head partially out of your arse, even it is far, far too late' and 'you sanctimonious prick'. Not sure where I'll end up. Won't be buying the book, though - I'm sure it'll be as much of a work of fiction as most of what's come out of his mouth over the last 15 years, and I've read much better fiction.
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The news this morning speaks of another 50 people being killed by a bomb in Iraq. It happens every single day. If that happened in the UK or the US or Australia it would be decried as an abomination.
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I'm not sure what to think either. On the one hand it is good that he wants to make amends in some way (assuming that is the motivation). On the other hand, making amends in such a public manner leaves a bad taste.
I won't be buying it either.
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