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I think the journey for a politician goes from wanting to please all the people all the time, to a political leader that realises in the end his responsibility is to decide. And when he decides, he divides.

Tony Blair

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Tony Blair
Age: 71
Born: 1953
Born: May 6
Autobiographer
Diplomat
Former Prime Minister Of The United Kingdom
Lawyer
Politician
Edinburgh
Scotland
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair
Anthony Blair
Rt. Hon. Anthony Charles Lynton Blair
Ends
Decide
Time
Politician
Think
Journey
Thinking
Please
Realises
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Leader
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Divides
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More quotes by Tony Blair

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People always think American politics is very different, but usually it is a predictor of what happens in the politics elsewhere.
Tony Blair
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Sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing.
Tony Blair
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My view is that we're entering into a situation of enormous instability, insecurity, fragility.
Tony Blair
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Where radical Islamism is going to be a factor, it's going to be very, very tough.
Tony Blair
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The British are special. The world knows it. In our innermost thoughts we know it. This is the greatest nation on earth.
Tony Blair
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Yes, I did have to struggle very hard to get this [the vote on the Iraq war] through, but the reason I did it was because I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn't take this on myself... just because I thought, 'Let's give myself a really hard time for a couple of years!'
Tony Blair
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Saddam Hussein's regime is despicable, he is developing weapons of mass destruction, and we cannot leave him doing so unchecked. He is a threat to his own people and to the region and, if allowed to develop these weapons, a threat to us also.
Tony Blair
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Any parent wants the best for their children. I am not going to make a choice for my child on the basis of what is the politically correct thing to do.
Tony Blair
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I do not want to end up with an American style of politics, with us going out there beating our chest about our faith. Politics and religion - it is not that they do not have a lot in common, but if [religion] ends up being used in the political process, I think that is a bit unhealthy.
Tony Blair
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What we want to see is the development of human rights and greater democracy, not just because it is our system but because we think that's the best way that economic and political development go hand in hand.
Tony Blair
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In April 1991, after the Gulf war, Iraq was given 15 days to provide a full and final declaration of all its WMD.
Tony Blair
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How do we deal with not just the acts of violence, but the extremist ideology that lies behind them? Because though the numbers of fanatics that go and join and kill for a group like ISIS are measured in tens of thousands, those that support the wider ideology, I'm afraid, you measure in tens of millions or more.
Tony Blair
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What is true about (ex-Iraq Survey Group head) David Kay's evidence, and this is something I have to accept, and is one of the reasons why I think we now need a new inquiry - it is true David Kay is saying we have not found large stockpiles of actual weapons.
Tony Blair
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If I'd proposed solving the pension problem by compulsory euthanasia for every fifth pensioner I'd have got less trouble for it.
Tony Blair
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What the commission that myself and Leon Panetta is trying to do is analyze this in two respects. First of all, what's the right military response and security response?
Tony Blair
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There's a great frustration with the system. There's a lot of anger out there. But in the end, you need answers and not just anger. But anyway, let me not trespass too much into your politics. I've got enough problems in my own politics.
Tony Blair
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I say to the Taliban: surrender the terrorists or surrender power. It's your choice.
Tony Blair
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I actually did trouble to read Marx first hand. I found it illuminating in so many ways in particular, my perception of the relationship between people and the society in which they live was irreversibly altered.
Tony Blair
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I can't stand politicians who wear God on their sleeves.
Tony Blair
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The big issue of our time is trying to deal with extremism based on a perversion of religion and how you get peaceful coexistence between people of different faiths and cultures.
Tony Blair