What did Blair have to gain from all this warmongering?

[Skidmore]

* is just freakin' crazy, as is Cheney. We know that. But what did Tony Blair have to gain from this?

[MadMaddie]

1. I think the * Cabal had something on him...

I think they were twisting his arm and threatening him....

[blm]

2. Palast told us when Bush took office that they threatened Blair right away

that if he didn't play ball with Bush they would work to collapse Britain's economy.

[Skidmore]

4. Blair should have turned around and passed this on to his people.

These freakin' bully boys back down when you spit in their faces.

[alfredo]

3. BP got kicked out of Iraq, all assets seized. They wanted back in

real bad. I think if you dig deep enough you will find that is one reason why the Brits went to war.

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. Ding! Ding! Ding! n/t

[alfredo]

7. In one word

oil

[Norquist Nemesis]

9. You got it! It's the oil-based economy baby!

If (and when) they successfully shift to their goal of becoming hydrogen-based, we'll be looking elsewhere.

[alfredo]

11. bush wants to use gasoline for the production of Hydrogen.

Mass transit is the way to go.

[keta11]

6. Vanity- He wanted to feel good. I think he has a little

pecker and at the risk of bringing terrorism to his people decided to ride with the dumb cowboy Bush

[coalition_unwilling]

8. Britain's imperial history in the middle east goes way, way back.

As junior partner to the * Crime Family, Blair and the capitalists who have made "New Labor" the British analogue of the DLC probably thought they could score oil contracts, given that they're stationed in the southern portion where large oil reserves exist.

There is no war on terror. There is a "war for empire." Once you have that internalized, all the moves start to make sense.

[Taxloss]

10. "Legacy."

Blair is obsessed by the mark he leaves behind on Britain and the world. That means he is easily drawn to high-stakes, risky and often ill-advised ventures. He leaves most of the business of government to technocratic ministers, and concentrates on the "eye-catching" stuff like Iraq. He cannot resist a fight. He appears to think that legislation is not worthwhile unless it provokes a storm of controversy and a rebellion within his own party.

Also, I think he was really beguiled into thinking that Iraq was the Right Thing To Do. back in 2001 his popularity was enormous; I think he thought he could walk on water.

Idiot.

[Mandate My Ass]

12. A $hit load of money

At the peak of their earning power, John Major and Margaret Thatcher are reported to have earned more than £1m a year after leaving No 10. Mr Major is on the board of the US-based Carlyle Group, which is due to reap huge profits from the privatisation of QinetiQ, the government's defence and security technology agency.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foi/story/0,,1705558,00.html

Membership has its priveleges. :eyes:

[LSdemocrat]

13. Blair LOVES the idea of nation building

Believes it can be done purely on the strength of ideas, regardless of planning or resources.

Also has no reluctance in using the military. In the Kosovo conflict, Blair wanted to send in ground troops in addition to the aerial bombing campaign, but Clinton held him back.

[spanone]

14. Probably same as shrub, unlimited wealth for life.

Wonder where that 8.8 BILLION DOLLARS THAT ARE MISSING could be? Could be anywhere. That's a lot of money to move around, think you would need to involve banks at the highest level to transfer those sums.

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. A guaranteed seat on the board of the Carlyle Group?

[Beelzebud]

16. His seat at the New World Order meetings.

At one time I would have been joking had I said something like that.