5/3     The difference between Tony Blair and Dubya's town hall meetings:
        Late last week, at one of his ritual grillings - this time at the BBC
        television program "Question Time" - the audience booed when he
        appeared and then became even more hostile. "That is a lie! You lied
        to this country, and that is why we can't support you!" shouted one
        young man, accusing Blair of exaggerating the intelligence about
        Saddam Hussein's threat to the world. "What new stealth taxes do you
        intend to introduce first?" asked another. "Mr. Blair, I think you're
        very lucky that we have a weak opposition at the moment," said a
        third, in possibly the kindest remark of the half-hour session.
        "Right, I take [it] that's not a compliment," a perspiring Blair
        answered meekly. In his pour-your-heart-out style, Blair readily
        admits that the wear and tear on him has been "relentless."
        \_ I think this is less of a Bush/Blair contrast than a US/UK contrast.
           \_ You're wrong.  Blair doesn't screen his "town hall" audiences.
              Try getting in to a Bush town-hall when you drive up with a
              "Bring the troops home" bumper sticker.  We the people may be
              partly to blame, with our star-struck attitude toward people
              on the TV, but I think the change came from the top.  Our
              politicians have come to think they don't have to answer to us.
              That's why we have packaged "debates" where the candidates can't
              TALK TO EACH OTHER.  That's why you're not allowed in to a
              "public" meeting with YOUR OWN PRESIDENT if they don't like your
              t-shirt.  This is not in US tradition, though it does feel like
              it's slowly becoming US character.  And that's really depressing
              and sad.
              \_ Labour town hall meetings like that are very likely planned
                 to let Tony take some abuse.  It makes him look better if he
                 sits there looking contrite and sheepish for a bit while
                 people lay into him.  E'ist had a good point--they called
                 them "cathartic".  -John
                 \_ The point is you'll never see someone on national TV
                    telling Dubya "That is a lie!  You lied to this country,
                    and that is why we can't support you.  You dumb monkey!"
                    \_ That's because the election rules are so way different,
                       as is parliamentary seat allocation and third-party
                       presence.  Not saying it's better of worse, but yeah,
                       I'd like to see that on national TV.  -John
        \_ Yeah, but in the United States we get to have guns, so who cares?
          \_ but you can't have bullets..
        \_ Well, we've become a lot more meek since the 70s. People are less
           vocal and are less likely to question the government. We no longer
           show caskets of soldiers, soldiers getting shot in the head,
           and soldiers committing war crimes. We no longer take weeds
           in quantities close to the 70s, and we no longer light up incents
           and peppers. We no longer draw peace sign and instead prefer
           putting on SUPPORT OUR TROOPS stickers that you can buy from
           supermarkets. We no longer have Woodstock, with public figures
           and children's idols singing how they hate the war. 911 has turned
           people to be mindless lemmings, the way Neo Republicans want them to.
           \_ I take it you've only studied late war/post war history in
              depth?
           \_ The Vietnam War was pretty popular only two years after
              we started committing troops, too. Just wait till the
              Iraq War drags on as long....
           \_ That's nice how you tie rampant drug use as a good thing
              with 9/11 making us slaves. I guess you served with honor.
              \_ BUD DAY thinks your troll fu is weak.