childhood of Tony Blair unconditional solidarity with the U.S. Tony Blair had at the start of the Afghan war shown by troops sent there. Tony Blair was also the beginning of the Iraq war following 46,000 British troops invade Iraq - the largest foreign contingent after the U.S. armed forces. Quite a few troops for a pure alliance partner, not 11th September had seen and could have a rational act. "I wanted
war, it was the right thing " he is quoted later. (See Spiegel-Online, 17.11.2007, "
I wanted war, it was the right thing )
Blair also admitted that he struck the advice of his advisers and ministers in the wind, because he believed that the U.S. would do the right thing. "
His faith went so far that he even an offer of U.S. President George W. Bush turned down, the United Kingdom to stay out of the war. The Labour politician (...) even admits candidly that they had used his influence as the strongest partners of the United States never to promote a diplomatic solution in Iraq. He was never after looking for a way out (...) . "(ibid.)
The" Monster "Hussein was for Blair as a reason for war, Blair would" take the same decisions again, "and the Iraq War "Has made the world safer." writes
derStandard.at. Even during the Kosovo crisis was a military action for Blair, the only conceivable and "right" way: "Just as I believe
There was no alternative to military action, now it has started I am convinced there is no alternative to continuing until we succeed . (
THE BLAIR DOCTRINE , 22/04/1999)
I thought for me because of this war sequences of sense to look at the childhood and youth of Tony Blair more closely. Tony's father, Leo Blair, war experiences. From 1942 to 1947 he served in the British army and rose to the rank of major. (See Mischler, 2005, p. 18) As the war years shaped him, is not mentioned in the source. To assume is that he, like most soldiers of the 2nd World War, was a traumatic experience, which he ausschwieg later. Later, Leo Blair, then the "hardcore conservatives," the "heart and soul defended the policy of Margaret Thatcher with. (Ibid., p. 19) about Tony's mother, we learn very little in the text used here for these sources. The biographers tend to focus on the professionally successful father. It is clear that it was primarily for the children and - as is said - even enjoy it had. Leo Blair was against it often absent, and went to his career. (See Sopel, 1996, p. 15), social advancement and success for the father of central importance, inasmuch as he seems to have expected a lot from his two sons, Bill and Tony and provided an appropriate schooling. About the emotional relationship with his sons, we learn nothing in the sources. When Tony is ten years old, the father suffers a stroke. Tony Blair calls this day later than the day ended when his childhood. (See Collins, 2005, p. 17) "With the security and financial security of the family, it's over," writes Mischler (2005, p. 20) It takes three years to talk to Leo Blair again can. He is also limited in its ability to move. The father is unable to work and frustrated. As Tony's brother Bill says, Blair developed over the years a strong sense of duty. He wants to please his parents.
ill addition, his sister Sarah at the age of eight years from a form of arthritis and spent two years in hospital. (See Collins, 2005, p. 17)
As the family evaded emotionally with this situation, one experiences in any of the sources. Much time and attention for Tony will be from his mother certainly was not there.
Let's see now, what Tony Blair himself says about his parents. In his memoirs er seine Mutter als sehr gegensätzlich zu seinem Vater, der eher ihm gleichen würde und den er als „
motiviert, entschlossen, mit einem konzentrierten Ehrgeiz, der sich, wie ich fürchte, bei uns beiden leicht in Selbstsucht verwandelt. “ beschreibt (Blair, 2010, S. 9) „
Mum dagegen war eine freundliche, liebenswerte, fast heilige Frau. Sie war schüchtern und in Gesellschaft ziemlich still. “ (ebd.) Als Tony Blair ca. 17 Jahre alt war, erfuhr er, dass seine Mutter an Schilddrüsenkrebs erkrankt war. Er war gerade 22 Jahre alt, da starb sie an dieser Krankheit. Mit Rückblick auf ihren Tod beschreibt Blair, dass seine Mutter immer für ihn dagewesen wäre und ihn geliebt hätte. Viel mehr erfährt man - nach allem was ich sehen konnte - nicht über seine Eltern in Blairs Memoiren. Vor allem die Beziehung zum Vater wird von ihm nicht beschrieben, sondern eher auf die Anerkennung dessen beruflicher Karriere beschränkt. Das deutet vielleicht schon auf die Art der Beziehung der beiden und die hohen Erwartungen des Vaters hin. Aufmerksam macht mich noch die Bemerkung, dass Blair seine Mutter als „
fast heilige Frau “ bezeichnet. Das ist schon ungewöhnlich und etwas überhöht, wie ich finde. Mehr Anmerkungen möchte ich mir hier nicht weiter erlauben.
Im Alter von dreizehn Jahren wird Tony schließlich auf das renommierte Fettes College in Edinburgh geschickt (Private school), it is mainly the father, his sons are to get the best possible education. Tony finds the other hand, fat horrible. In many private schools it was the mid 60's too rough, fat was present backward than most others, is reported. For everything there are rules and strict discipline of the students is expected. The school is similar in many ways a military camp and also has a cadet corps, in which Tony takes his first two years at Fettes service. And: "Students are beaten in fat. (...) Blair's classmate Nick Rydon describes as a prison camp fat: Frankly, our time in the late sixties it was easier for a Westerner, unhindered by the Soviet Union to travel than to arrive for a fat-student at the center of Edinburgh. "(Mischler, 2005, p. 20f)
was the worst for Tony, however, the" fagging system "of school. The students from the lower classes were assigned to 4 years older pupils as "Fag" (boys) and had to toil for them (from cleaning, laundry have arranged to make toast, etc.) to do everything they say. The elders had the right to enter, dormitories and study rooms, and "Fag", so to call fellow who had gone to then quickly in their direction. They also smell her servants by beating your own. Tony Blair got the cane on several occasions an older feel. (See Sopel, 1996, p. 32) (reminds me of this system inevitably to the basic military training, as practiced in many countries. Practice obedience, submission and the potential elimination of feelings are the objectives, so that the cadets then so again may be constructed as one wants them. Until they come even in the series and other torture. Whether Tony was later also granted a "boy", in which he could omit to be in the sources but not reported. It in view of the former school system probably very likely that it had been.)
Tony is unhappy and feels unable to act against the terror regime of the private school. " (See Mischler, 2005, p. 22) Finally, he runs away. His teacher caught him, but again, writes Mischler. Collins (2005) also reports of an escape attempt (see p. 23). Tony wants to fly to the Bahamas and is in fact the first to board a plane at Newcastle Airport apprehended without a ticket. Whether this is the second or the same escape attempt, reveals itself not in the two texts. Collins writes in any case that Tony was taken personally by his parents back to school and had a lot of trouble with them and the school administration.
This information can I find quite remarkable. Tony Blair's parents here seem little attention to the desperate situation of her son taken to have. He should return to the school, the expectations were high, made him something should be. At all costs, so it seems. You can not learn much in the sources about the relationship of parents to their children. In this situation, however, a very significant hardship and lack of consideration for Tony. Tony spent at least until his eighteenth birthday about his time at Fettes, a total of about five years and he studied diligently and took his degree. A long time within a "terror regime". The Fettes College mentioned Blair in his memoirs in five places in the book. With no mention of it the humiliating and strict rules, and his misfortune during this time. (See Blair, 2010, p. 43, 67, 460, 613, 632) Again, this speaks for itself.
found in the sources, no information about whether Tony Blair was beaten by his parents as a child. The Blair government had rejected early 2006, a total prohibition of physical violence in the education of children. In a report on BBC News is mentioned that Tony Blair has beaten his own children. (".
children Prime Minister Tony Blair has admitted smacking his older ") (BBC News, 22/01/2006: "
Calls for smacking ban rejected ")
Spiegel Online Blair quotes from the BBC interview: "(...)
I think you see, this blows ... I mean, you are right with what you have just said, I think everyone knows the difference between slapping a child and the abuse of a child . " This justifies, and he played down the violence against his children where he employs the comparison to child abuse.
I see this information as an indication that Tony could have also learned from his parents and violence. Because very often beating parents were beaten as a child of her parents. (In addition, says that parenting something out of Blair's relationship to violence in itself.)
All in all, are found in childhood and youth by Tony Blair some events that could be responsible for a spill of emotions and empathy. Blair broke in any case all too often conflicts with violence. Accordingly, a loving, safe childhood and youth was really not expected from him. I was very surprised, however, his answer to a question from an interviewee in 1990. "
What part of her life she would take in another life? "he was asked. "
childhood," said Tony Blair (see Mischler, 2005, p. 18) Given all the problems and destructive experiences that I have described above, this is an amazing response. If the former Prime Minister Tony Blair pushed his feelings at that time or split? If so, this would explain some of his political decisions in the war. By the way: On the back of his memoirs, Tony Blair is back on the left side of the cover to see how he stands on 02.05.1997 as the newly appointed Prime Minister at the door of Downing Street No. 10. On the right side reflects a hazy view reflected in his front door. Perhaps no image is so well against the strong possibility of mental division of Tony Blair, as this double image on his own memoirs.
biographical sources: Blair, T. 2010: My Way. Bertelsmann Verlag, Munich.
Collins, TM 2005: Tony Blair (Biography), Lerner Pub Group, Minneapolis, USA.
Mischler, G. 2005: Tony Blair. Reformer - Prime Minister - religious warriors. Partha Verlag, Berlin.
Sopel, J. 1996: Tony Blair: the challenger. Source Verlag, Stuttgart.
