He famously resigned from Blair’s cabinet in opposition to the Iraq war. CNN reports that he collapsed and died while walking. BBC News says he was 59 years old.
Don’t miss Suskind’s front-page tribute to Robin Cook at our partner EuroTrib: “UK’s Strongest Voice Against The War — Robin Cook Dead at 59.” Suskind includes a photo and direct quotes from Cook’s famous speech that begins, “I have chosen to address the House first on why I cannot support a war without international agreement or domestic support.”
That’s really sad. From what I know about him, he was honest and outspoken.
He was a man of principal who was not afraid to take a stand against dishonesty and injustice, a quality rare enough these days without it being further diminished by his loss. R.I.P.
On a morbid note… why is it that those of the lefty persuasion keep dying young while you don’t hear about the evil people on the right dropping dead until they’re 90.
Is it more stressful to be good than evil? I’ll answer my own question… probably when there is so much damn evil around you.
I don’t want to sound too morbid or superficial with this comment but… Ben Stack is one of those strangely artificial mountains that dot the UK. It was probably a hill fort/beacon site and simple garbage built up upon it’s top and formed the squareness of it. But, it could have been consciously contrived like the Glastonbury Tor or Silbury Hill.
It’s not a strenuous climb — there are actually steps all the way up with many places to sit down and rest. The day I did it, I was passed by a number of ruddy older British ladies with stout legs and no-nonsense shoes. At the top, you are rewarded with an outstanding view of the North Sea — if the weather cooperates.
I rather hope Robin Cook got the view before throwing off his body and flying away into the Aether.
Oh, that’s comforting.
Tell me, is that a spot where William Wallace and his men watched the English coming?
for that. They were watching for Norsemen from those ramparts.
Thank you for finding my comment comforting. It is a desolute place and yet that is part of its beauty and wonder. I think dying from the exertion of climbing a mountaintop is not a bad way to go. But, I’m weird, as you may know.