United Kingdom
Editorial
Prime Minister Tony Blair is one step closer to his dream of being president, said the London Telegraph in an editorial. He has ordered his own private jet, so that he can travel in luxurious style, just like an American head of state. The plane isn’t even ready yet, but the press has already dubbed it “Blair Force One.” Downing Street argues that it robs Britain of dignity when the prime minister must arrive for state visits on commercial airliners—particularly when he must use a carrier other than British Airways. That argument, though, misses the point. The charm of the British is precisely our egalitarianism. The prime minister is not a head of state but merely a head of government, a subject of the queen like the rest of us. Blair’s constant attempts to be “more than presidential, positively imperial,” are nothing short of vulgar. “He diminishes himself, and embarrasses us all, by his preening.” Let’s hope the government comes to its senses and cancels the order. Surely it can find a better use for 12 million pounds.
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