WASHINGTON — Tony Blair had a rough day after he stepped down as Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Upon getting his first mobile phone the day after he left office, he sent his first text message to a friend, who replied: "Sorry, but who are you?"
Turns out that Blair forgot to identify himself when he sent the message.
But everybody knew who Blair was in the standing-room-only hall where he delivered the keynote address Monday at the CUNA GAC conference here.
In a wide-ranging speech that covered topics from leadership to geopolitics to how he had trouble helping his youngest son with online-based homework, Blair also praised the credit union community on this side of the pond.
"You've got a great movement in credit unions in the United States," Blair said. "We're rather behind you" in Britain.
As he discussed the qualities that make a strong leader, Blair noted that, "This is a tough time to be a leader.... Today the best and easiest short-term politics is often in conflict with the best long-term policy."
On the topic of geopolitics, Blair said he spends a lot of his time traveling to the Middle East to assist in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. The Western world cannot "stay out" of conflicts in the Middle East and other areas because eventually they reach their "tentacles" around the globe, he said.
Similarly, the West cannot ignore the struggles of Northern Sub-Saharan Africa because if the area destabilizes, it will have long-term effects
"My view is that struggle is so important and fundamental that we can't stay out of it," Blair noted.
Blair also spoke at length of the challenges faced by today's leaders.
"One thing I am very sure of is that when the challenges are most profound, we need leaders who can stand up and do what's right for the long-term health of their country," he said. "Whether in USA, UK or Europe, we need to focus on long-term."
In a sit-down question-and-answer session with media consultant Paul Berry after his speech, Blair was asked what obligation he felt America has to be the world's "policeman" and where does that obligation end?
The fact that the United States is the most powerful country in the world can be viewed as an obligation and a responsibility as well as a necessity and opportunity, according to Blair.
The 21st century will see biggest shift in geopolitics, he said, as China is likely to become as powerful — if not more powerful — than the United States. He also mentioned the rising influence of India and Indonesia.
"In time to come, in this century, for the first time the west and the east will have to share power," Blair predicted.
"It's important to have a strong America that can stand up for the values of the free world," he added.
