>What I found most impressive about this interview, though, was the lack of deference shown Blair by both Paxman and the audience. There was none of the obsequiousness US Commanders in Chief expect as a matter of course from the US media and public. Yes, the American Revolution was a famous victory for sure.
To be fair, obsequious debate is a cultural peculiarity of yanks in general. I've noticed they expect "debate" to be on extremely polite terms and get quite upset when this etiquette is breached. Any form of challenge is a breach of etiquette. Basically, Americans don't do debate and are quite shocked that other people do.
For example, an Australian Labor politician, Mark Latham, recently described Geaorge Bush as the "most incompetent and dangerous president in living memory". The US ambassador, a crony appointment of Bush's, got very upset about this and started planting stories in the media. Latham defended his comments in a TV debate on Friday night (you can listen to it at: http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2003/02/20030207ll_forum.ram) where he claimed he was actually "going easy" on Bush and most Australians would probably agree. Latham recently called John Howard an "arse licker", which is considered fairly strong rhetoric in polite society. Though not in wider society, the joke in this country is that when John Howard is in Washington they don't need toilet paper in the White House.
But Americans seem to be appalled by this kind of frankness. It isn't just about fawning to their leaders, it seems to be how they debate amongst themselves. Americans are just very sensitive types.
Debating yanks on this list is like having a discussion with my aged spinster great aunt, a life-long member of the Salvation Army. I have to tread so carefully, not say anything that might upset their delicate sensitivities and when I slip up I get adult men stacking on a terrible turn and shrieking hysterically about how rude and uncouth I am. Yet from my point of view, I've been going easy on them.
The bits of that Blair interview I saw on the TV seemed quite polite and restrained. Only Americans are amazed that the interviewer doesn't lick the PM's arse, I'm sure the poms would be disgusted if the interviewer was obsequious. The point is that this is what the American public presumably expects, so this is what they get.
Frank debate is alien to Americans, in private as well as public. They get what they want and what they deserve.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas