Tony Blair: Autism as a Political Philosophy

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Autism could be defined as “an abnormal absorption with the self, marked by the inability to treat others as people.” How is autism expressed politically? On June 23rd, Tony Blair, who Bush has chosen to be the "International Community's" special peace envoy to the Middle East, had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. According to the Guardian, "Mr. Blair's talks in Rome were largely centered on his strategy to secure a reconciliation between Islam and Christianity.” However, on the 16th June, Blair had already recommended novelist Salman Rushdie for a knighthood, an honor which appears to have set back the reconciliation between Islam and Christianity considerably. As you probably remember, in the future Sir Salman’s 1988 book, “The Satanic Verses”, the wives of the Prophet Mohammad were portrayed as prostitutes and it seems that the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims, who still take these things seriously, have taken permanent offense at this artistic liberty. Agence France-Presse quoted Egypt's parliament "To honor someone who has become famous because of his hostility to Islam is a rejection of all diplomatic principles and respect for religions". Certainly, with the death of an estimated 650,000 Iraqis already partially on his shoulders, knighting Rushdie as the opening of a diplomatic mission to the Muslim Middle East might just qualify as autistic. DS