Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Tony Blair: The world's best statesman gives his retirement speech



If you thought the U.S. Congress was a tough place to debate at, you should see the British Parliament. Politics in Britain mirrors much like the United States, except their debates are quite fierce and often times, quite loud. But out of all of the confusion that comes from Britain's legislative body, there is one man that has always been a cut above the rest - Tony Blair.

Blair's achievements during his tenure as prime minister is a long one, so I'll highlight some big ones that dramatically pushed Britain into the 21st century as a viable power in the world stage:

* A Human Rights Act was introduced in 1998
* a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly were set up
* Most hereditary peers were removed from the House of Lords in 1999
* The Greater London Authority and the post of Mayor of London were established in 2000
* The Freedom of Information Act was passed later in the same year
* Leading out in the Kosovo War against Milosevic
* Helping topple Saddam Hussein
* Olympics awarded to London in 2012

His close ties with the United States has earned him praise and criticisms, but in the end, he is known for someone that stands by his convictions and believes in doing the right thing even if it is unpopular. He has helped topple two dictators that have committed genocide -- that's already an achievement for a lifetime.

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