THE EDITOR, Sir:
TONY BLAIR comes to Barbados this week. Here is an open letter welcoming him:
Dear Prime Minister,
Welcome to this veritable paradise. May you and your family unearth all of Barbados' many buried treasures while finding peace, rest and relaxation before again facing the mischievous sprites lurking back home.
Of which there are plenty. And their spin motives need not be re-hashed here.
However, since you brought it up in your speech to the U.S. Congress, it may interest you how one fellow-countryman foresees your place in history.
You said, "...But if our critics are wrong, if we are right, as I believe with every fibre of instinct and conviction I have that we are, and we do not act, then we will have hesitated in the face of this menace when we should have given leadership. That is something history will not forgive."
Before that, on September 20, 2001, standing beside George W. Bush you said, "I believe we have to go on fighting terrorism as long as it takes..."
And on much closer examination most of your recent public pronouncements are veritably dotted with this "I believe" mantra. Soon after arriving in Barbados for the first time years ago I was told I'd get along fine here in the tropics, "If you never believe anything you hear and only half of what you see".
Prime Minister Blair, history may forgive you for a lot of things but not for grievously misleading us all with your "I believe" ploy.
I am, etc.,
DAVID MARSDEN
Email: head-riter@asticles.com
St. Peter
Barbados
