Blair Out, Brown In

Almost everyone in the US has an opinion on the second-most powerful man in the free world. No, not Bill Gates - Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister. He has been both loved and hated by the people in his country and abroad. To the delight of many people, his 10 year reign as the UK's leader is coming to a (somewhat quiet) close this coming Wednesday. He will be succeeded by Chancellor of the Exchequer (similar to a Treasurer), Gordon Brown.

Gordon Brown is, without a doubt, an able Prime Minister. His economic programs lowered taxes and continued economic growth in the UK, which have hardly dropped since the nation's 1992 downturn in John Major's Conservative Government. These programs, intruduced during Blair's administration, have been hailed as some of his (Blair's) greatest accomplishments. Brown has also committed to his nation's allience with the US; however, he has stated that he will not be as close to the US as Blair was.

However, in a way, it seems as though Brown's term will be more of the same, a potential problem after 10 years of good-but-not-great Blairism. The UK has been accused of becoming the 51st state under Blair, which, oddly enough, may contribute to European (and American) anti-American sentiment. In fact, Tony Blair was labeled "George Bush's b*tch" by SNL, and others, no doubt. This could pose a problem for the new PM.

I have confidence in Gordon Brown and his ability to govern America's most important ally (NOT state) in the world today. I hope that he can fill Tony Blair's shoes. In my opinion, they are big ones to fill, so it's pretty likely that he'll fall short. But, that's okay. If it doesn't go as it should there, the Conservatives will take over. Talk about a win-win!