Tony Blair sobre os EUA e a UE

Num discurso hoje à noite, Tony Blair defende que a UE e os EUA são os dois pilares do Reino Unido no mundo. Gosto da ideia, mas estou cada vez mais céptico. O anti-americanismo está a atingir níveis assustadores (alguém me afirmou convictamente, este fim-de-semana, que o americano médio não usa mais de 200 palavras diferentes). Um extracto do discurso:

So there it is. I remain committed to our two pillars. Of course, it is difficult. The tensions have strained both. But overcoming them is a far more intelligent course of action than giving up in the face of them. For be in no doubt. If Europe were to let Anti-Americanism define its foreign policy it would be disaster. However tough, Britain needs to be constantly in this debate to turn it back to where it should be: as I said in my speech to Congress, Europe as America's partner not its servant or its rival. The agenda for partnership between Europe and America needs our alliance to be full-blooded and whole-hearted. Terrorism and WMD; MEPP; HIV/AIDS; global poverty; climate change and world trade: the issues are too vast, the interdependence between us too ingrained to let arrogance, jealousy, misunderstanding or even disagreement, cloud our better nature and joint path to the future.

The hardest thing in politics is to keep clarity of vision when all around the clatter of political intrigue and day to day policy from the petty to the profound, swirls around you, jostling your footing, confusing your senses and unnerving your courage. Remove it all and the vision is indeed clear and sharp. Europe and America together. Britain in the thick of it. The world, a darn sight safer as a result.