[lafroste]

I actually see some good news here. The french continue to win friends and build brownie points, with India last week over the Airbus fiasco, and now they are impressing their new friends in Tokyo with their "we rule the world" attitude.

But, if you read between the lines, it's the US, Russia, China, the EU, etc. France is no longer even considered a world player, just a province of the EU (a smarmy, snot filled province at that). When the EU constitution crashes and burns, or if it doesn't, a short time further out, France will lose even the illusion of control of the EU and we'll be done with those pests strutting as world players, maybe forever.

It's a pity about Notre Dame however. It won't make a very good mosque.

[CasearianDaoist]

No really. They bullied everyone else in the EU off this project. ITER is about French prestige and building up French infrastructure, scientific institutions and talent. It was always billed and an "EU programme," but at its core the intent is for the benefit of France. Spain actually had a reasonable plan and local, and one more aligned with our and Japan's interests, but the French in effect pulled a bait and switch and the last moment.

We need to pull pull out of this Turkey now. I fear, however, that back room deals were cut with the Euros over ITER (the abandonment of the notion of lifting the China arms embargo?)

I not that the preparatory work on our side is going ahead full steam even though a site has not been fixed.

Too bad.

The Brit bring good people, but ITER will rely quite a bit on our money and our talent. It is another give away program against our national interests.

Why should we help the Euros become competitive?

Why should we be helping them when they are going ahead with projects like Galileo?

Before the 1990's this would have been a no brainer. It shows how we have fallen as a nation.