The public figure that I am admiring more and more these days is the British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Wouldn't it be easier for him to follow public opinion, rather than be accused as an American poodle for his stand o­n Iraq?

After all, isn't that what a democratically elected leader should do? Go along with the majority, which is the o­nly way to ensure political survival in a democracy?

History has shown us that at the beginning of last century, there too was a voice in the political wilderness in Britain, making unpopular statements about the threats from Hitler. However, unlike Blair, Neville Chamberlain* was eventually brought back from the wilderness to lead the British people in their finest hour against the tyranny of Hitler. Someone said, history sometimes reveal that people never learn from history.

Is there anything, other than force, that could make someone like Saddam Hussein give up his weapons of mass destruction, or intention to acquire WMD? Ask Neville Chamberlain. The same Neville Chamberlain who made the following statement in 1938 to a cheering crowd at 10 Downing Street: "My good friends, for the second time in history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time.... Go home and get a nice sleep".

Maybe Tony Blair can get a nice sleep if he had lived in the old Europe.

*Erratum: The writer has clarified that he was referring to Winston Churchill in his original sentence. The error is regretted.