CLOSING STATEMENT

You may be surprised to learn that we are not single-minded fanatics...

The purpose of Backing Blair was to do our bit to correct a local outbreak of a near-to-global infection that is marked by (but not limited to) the cynical manipulation of the terrorist threat for political gain.

There are a number of things that the Blair government has condoned, allowed, enabled or instigated under this banner that are well out of order; 'little' things like pre-emptive military strikes, the use of media, black propaganda and even legislation to stifle dissent, detention without trial, torture and murder... we could go on and on.

Apparently we were supposed to stand by and let all of this happen so we didn't undermine the Labour Party.

Sorry, but no.

The best way to address the problem was to call Tony Blair to account - and do so while he still held office. This would have sent a message that governance through lies, spin and fear simply wouldn't be tolerated.

Sadly, it now appears that the majority of our representatives are so power-hungry, cowardly, browbeaten and/or hamstrung that Blair will be allowed to leave quietly via the back door.

This disgraceful state of affairs has done more to undermine the Labour Party than anything we could have managed.

It also leaves us with a big problem; the next set of dirt-bags who gain overall power will operate knowing that they can mislead the public on a grand scale (with the most severe of consequences) and still remain in power.

But there is an even bigger problem...

Right now, at every level of politics, people can be split into two groups:

1. Those who feel distanced from politics and/or helpless to change matters because of a growing culture of obfuscation and impunity in the political arena.

2. Those who are willing to exploit this culture to gain or maintain power.

Never mind the Labour Party; consider just for one moment what this is doing to undermine our democracy.

There are already countless politicians, media-owners, campaigners and publishers (including bloggers) who are exploiting this state of affairs for their own personal gain and online intrusion is on the increase following several successful attempts to synthesise grass roots movements and/or cynically exploit the frustration that genuine people are feeling.

The time has come for all good people to stand up and face these problems in a tangible way... and have the courage to be judged on their merits.

Once again, Blair has helped to create problems that will take a lot of fixing... but we're willing to try.

We'd love you to join us.

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