[Violette]

This is an awesome speech.... BUMP

[p. henry]

In many lives there are defining monments. Tony Blair has met his and has risen to greatness.

[MattinNJ]

Wow. I never thought I would see the day when a liberal would give me goosebumps.

[Paradox]

I believe such a vision to be misguided and profoundly dangerous. I know why it arises. There is resentment of US predominance. There is fear of US unilateralism. People ask: do the US listen to us and our preoccupations? And there is perhaps a lack of full understanding of US preoccupations after 11th September. I know all of this.

But the way to deal with it is not rivalry but partnership. Partners are not servants but neither are they rivals. I tell you what Europe should have said last September to the US. With one voice it should have said: we understand your strategic anxiety over terrorism and WMD and we will help you meet it. We will mean what we say in any UN Resolution we pass and will back it with action if Saddam fails to disarm voluntarily; but in return we ask two things of you: that the US should choose the UN path and you should recognise the fundamental overriding importance of re-starting the MEPP, which we will hold you to.

Wow, this man is my Hero. He "gets" it.

And is it just me, or do we Americans sound like idiots compared to these guys, when we speak, LOL.

[mondonico]

Previously posted here.