My enthusiasm over our new allies, the French, who according to recent news accounts indicated their had found their balls and where now talking tough to the Iranian Orc King about their aspirations for nuks must be placed on hold as well as the case of vin ordinaire from Safeway.
Apparently, the definition of "is" still needs refinement:
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner brave words, “We must prepare for the worst. The worst, sir, is war.”, like running with the shitty end of a stick must be fully understood and appreciated before picking up. "
The Dissident Frogman reminds all thick headed, naive, overly enthusiastic Yankee running puppies that there are strong reasons why jokes about French tanks coming equipped with transmission gears of one forward and 15 reverse still exist today . Ay Caramba!
"I really like the Americans. They're a bunch of incredibly decent people with an impressive record of achievements to prove it(5) but I do have to tell them something, from a friend to a friend: giving people the benefit of the doubt, and always looking for the best in them is a great quality, and one that honors your character as a nation. But when dealing with the corrupt ruling class of Old Europe in general and France in particular, it will get you nowhere, fast: Backstabbing is more than a national sport here; it's a way of life and politics. And they love to hate you."
Domestic affairs:
Observation: Sarkozy adopted part of the National Front's aggressive public security rhetoric, and managed to steal a great deal of their votes, saving the country from the 2002 presidential elections blunder that saw the far-right making it to the second turn, and killing Le Pen's party for (at least) the next decade in the same move. So far, the aggressive rhetoric on security has been just that: rhetoric.
Gut feeling: far from being the disruptive young "Reaganite" newcomer who will shake the old dusty French political establishment and "save" the country from itself, Sarkozy was in fact said establishment's smart bomb to bust the old disruptive candidate (National Front's Le Pen) who had all these neo-aristocrats shaking in their boots when the voters hoisted him against the no-less odious Chirac. It worked, and French politicians from all sides will keep sleeping and eating while inbreeding vigorously; and nothing will change.
Finally, even if we admit that I'm wrong, and that France took a 180° turn three months ago, after three decades of particularly vicious anti-Americanism(6), are we sure we want them back anywhere near the battlefield?"
Ok. So file this under Lesson Learned.
