Blair, legacy and foreign policy

Tony Blair reckons that the UK's interventionist foreign policy is justified. Well if he really believes that, then he's a fool...

The head of Her Majesty's Government is misguided for a number of reasons. Firstly, the United Kingdom isn't a superpower. We have no real right to aid in "policing" the world (OK, one can ask whether any superpower has the right or duty to police the world, but that's another argument..) The days of Empire have gone and people should realise that Britain is relatively less powerful than it used to be.

Secondly, this foreign intervention makes us a target for terrorists. And no, I don't believe the Islamists "hate our freedom/way of life". If you were a Muslim living in the Middle East, how would you feel if Western powers were always intervening in your region's affairs? The USA, for one, not only invaded Iraq, but supports the House of Saud, supports Israel, initially helped Saddam, has threatened Iran, etc. Don't forget that Muslims share a sense of "brotherhood" with other Muslims and would care if some members of Islam are being persecuted. Islamists have realised that enough is enough and are fighting back.

If Islamists truly do hate our freedom, then why have only a few Western liberal democracies been attacked? Why hasn't France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, etc. been aggressed against? Also, the UK was a freer place in the 19th century. It was also the age of Empire and we were intervening in many parts of the world. Why was there no Islamist terrorism then? A terrorist attack would have been easier to execute in that day and age.

Our armed forces should be focused upon national defence, not national offence. Many hotspots around the world have no direct bearing on our national sovereignty. Did Iraq, or Sierra Leone, or Afghanistan or Kosovo?

Anti-discrimination laws

I was listening to the radio this morning and the discussion was about anti-discrimination laws for gays.

Over the past few years, there have been reports of B&B owners refusing to admit gay people. Well, frankly, you don't NEED to know my views on this. Homophobic B&B owners possess a right to such views and the right to deny access to gay people. It's simple freedom of association.

B&B owners who admitted all would gain custom over those that chose to discriminate. There is also nothing from stopping gays creating their own B&B's or hotels.

As always, the market would sort it out.

"Selective schools"

According to this article, the majority of British people want selective schools, rather like grammar schools in the day.

In principle, there is nothing wrong with selective schools. It probably is beneficial for brighter students to be taught together.

Still, I would want selective schools to exist within the free market and not be financed by state coercion and force. Sadly, the day New Labour would implement my idea is the day pigs will fly and there is a cold day in hell...