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The View from Europe
Five More Years?
By Nicola Mitchell
April 29, 2002 -- LONDON (APJP) -- As Tony Blair gears up to celebrate the 5th anniversary of his rise to power, it appears that the familiar political landscape he had enjoyed when he first came to power has been replaced, and is now almost beyond recognition -- leaving in its place something we all hoped had been put far behind us.
We just have to look at the power changes that have taken place in Washington itself. For years Tony Blair admired Bill Clinton from afar, but as soon as he entered Downing Street, the two became firm friends. Together they promoted 'the third way', they shared a similar vision, and they were on the same wave-length.
It seemed that both Americans and Britons had put the years of Conservative rule behind them, that the times of Reagan and Thatcher era were nothing but a distant memory. But this has now all changed.
Ever since the election was stolen from Al Gore, America has become a different place, a million miles apart from the land Blair once visited when he first came to power. Washington is no longer full of the young Democrats Clinton used to surround himself with, and has returned to the times of old. The Bush Dynasty has been restored -- and with it has come all the old values.
In George W. 'big business is my best friend' Bush we have a rootin', tootin' gun totin' Texan. Gone are the policies concentrating on Middle America, education and health care; in is the 'Toxic Texan' with tax benefits for the rich, a return to global warming, and half his daddy's old cronies to help him on his way.
But it's not just America that has undergone such a transformation as events in Europe over the past week have demonstrated. The victory of far right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen has sent shock waves throughout Europe. His fascist views and racist tendencies have left voters in Paris in uproar.
Of course, the world of politics can never be the same again in the aftermath of September 11th, but one of the main reasons for the dramatic changes that are taking place is voter apathy. Blair won a second term amidst one of the lowest voter turn outs of recent years, and many in France blame Le Pen's shock victory on similar circumstances.
Tony Blair was recently quoted as saying that one of the things he is most proud of during his 5 years in power, is that he has managed to prove that the Labour Party can govern from a centre Left position, and in these turbulent times around the world -- and particularly in Europe -- the Labour government and those like it are becoming a rare breed.
However, with 3 years remaining in his term of office and a successful budget under his belt, Blair may well stand a chance of celebrating another 5 years in power -- and if that happens, let's just hope there will be a better political world outlook then than there is now.
Copyright © 2002, Bryan Zepp Jamieson.