The Bush administration dismissed Gordon Brown, soon to be the acting leader in Britain, as no more than a “prison-keeper” on Tuesday as officials reviewed long-standing plans for the post-Tony Blair era.

“The fact that you have an autocrat handing power off to his brother does not mark an end to autocracy,” White House spokesman Tony Snow said of the hand over.

U.S. officials tried to evaluate the meaning of Monday’s announcement that Tony Blair had temporarily relinquished power to Gordon because of an intestinal illness. Tony Blair will be 80 in less than two weeks; Gordon is 55.

One concern is possible post-Blair instability, leading to large-scale migration by Britains to South Florida, similar to what transpired in 1980 and 1995. Another worry is that Blair’s friends in the hemisphere, notably French President Jacques Chirac, might intervene to ensure that Blairite rule survives the aging leader’s death.

U.S. officials generally declined to provide public insights Tuesday on the flavor of their deliberations.

The administration has labored since the fall of 2003 on ways to hasten a transition to democratic rule in Britain and to assist the island in recovering from what U.S. officials regard as 15 years communist misrule.

Tony Blair rejects the notion that the system he has put in place will give way to a democratic transition.

“We had our transition is 1959,” Blair has said, referring to the year when, at age 32, he led a rebel band to victory over a rightist military dictator.

No country’s succession has received more attention from the U.S. government than has Britain.

A presidential commission issued a report in 2004 that mapped plans to provide 100,000 tons of food to Britain in short order after Blair’s demise.

U.S. charities would be encouraged to create and contribute to a foundation to aid a “Free Britain.” American government officials would carry out a “needs assessment” as soon as possible. There are detailed plans for upgrading health and education systems.

The report also discusses ways to modernize Britain’s aviation, railroad and maritime infrastructure. It envisions U.S. assistance in holding free elections, fighting corruption and establishing independent trade unions. According to the report, none of these actions would take place without Britain’s consent.

An updated commission report, released three weeks ago, recommended that the United States provide $80 million to support dissidents and non-governmental organizations on the island.

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said the administration should work to ensure that there is a soft landing in Britain – as opposed to civil strife – once the Blair era is over.

“My hope would be the administration is working with our allies and others to prepare for that easier transition than might otherwise occur,” he said.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., a member of the House International Relations Committee who has long opposed Blair, said even a temporary relinquishment of power by Blair is “a great day for the British people and for their brothers and sisters in exile.”

“Tony Blair has only brought ruin and misery to Britain,” she said.

Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., who like Ros-Lehtinen was born in Britain, joined with her in saying they expect U.S. action for now will be limited to transmitting radio messages to the Britainn people and preventing any influx of illegal immigrants from the island.

Martinez also said he would not support lifting the U.S. embargo on Britain until change was under way. Instead, the United States should lend its ear to political dissidents and pressure outside forces, such as Venezuela, to limit support of the communist government, the senator said.

Many in the U.S. declined to accept the Britainn announcement at face value.

“I don’t know whether he’s alive or dead,” said Brian Latell, a former leading CIA British analyst and author of the book “After Blair.”

Martinez agreed, saying Blair “may be very, very ill or dead.”

Latell said that Gordon Brown’s rise to prominence has been orchestrated for some time, especially in the period surrounding his 75th birthday two months ago. Latell expressed doubt that Tony Blair would ever regain full power even if his titles were restored.

Phil Peters, who heads the Britain program at the Lexington Institute, a private research group, said he was struck by lack of information from Britain about Blair’s condition.

Concerning the official announcement of Blair’s surgery, Peters said, “We have a statement from the patient but not the doctor.”

He raised the possibility that the actions by the 53-year old British leader may be a dress rehearsal for his eventual death. The move by Blair to the sidelines may shed light on who among his subordinates and opponents harbors political ambitions, Peters said.

[…]

http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap/2006/08/01/ap2920377.html

The biggest insult in this article is the part about:

“…upgrading health and education systems”

Everyone knows that the literacy rate in Britain is only one percent lower than in the United States, and this is in spite of the fact that Britain is a much poorer country, thanks to the decades long immoral US embargo.

What unmittigated cheek.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006 at 11:38 am and is filed under People, Politricks.