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The View from Europe: A Slow News Month Yields...
The Super-Toilet and the Blair "Presidency"
By Nicola Mitchell
Sept. 5, 2001 - LONDON (APJP) -- This time of year is never the most exciting in political circles, but despite the fact he's been AWOL for the past few weeks, Bush has still managed to raise the odd European eyebrow.
In announcing his decision to opt out of the ABM treaty, Bush has further alienated himself from Europe. Citing the reasons for his decision, Bush said the treaty "hampers our ability to keep the peace, to develop defensive weapons necessary to defend America against the true threats of the 21st century." I suggest if he wants to find the true threat to the 21st century he should try looking a little closer to home.
How on earth can the man talk about peace when he is essentially provoking a new arms race? Does he not realise that he may be able to build a big defence shield around the country, but there's nothing to stop the rest of the world building bigger and better missiles to break through it?
But perhaps one place Americans may be safe is in the new military "Super-Toilet" we've been hearing so much about over here (did I mention there was hardly any news around)! The European media have taken the chance to jump on the unveiling of the Collectively Protected Expeditionary Latrine (CPEL) and compare it to many of the military excesses of the Reagan years. According to one Air Force Colonel quoted in the press the military have spent "...a lot of time and brain bytes to think this through."
To me it seems quite a worrying thought that this is what the nation's mighty military force dedicates it time to. In fact, maybe Son of Star Wars isn't a bad idea after all.
Meanwhile over here, people have finally grown tired of Prime Minister Blair trying to transform himself into President Blair.
The media has long joked about his presidential style of leadership, but after Blair's latest attempts to cosy up to Bush, Tim Dalyell, a senior labour MP has spoken out against the Prime ministers "White-House-isation" of British politics. The warning came after it was reported that Blair planned to introduce policy advisers to replace the current non-partisan private secretaries who run Downing Street.
Blair has dismissed the claims, insisting that he has no interest in turning Downing Street into an American-style political machine, much to the annoyance of the rest of the Labour party who have been witnessing his attempts at change ever since he came to power.
So as we draw the curtain over another quiet political summer, we might finally get to hear about something more interesting than the affairs of Gary Condit saga, or the latest in military technology -- although with Bush in the White House, I very much doubt it.
Copyright © 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, American Politics Journal Publications, Inc.
