Since "Anglo-Saxon" is the preferred French shorthand for the Bush-Blair view of the world, we may as well keep things simple and designate the Chiraquiste alternative as "French." The "Anglo-Saxon" view -- the Bush Doctrine -- thinks that liberty will do for the Middle East what it's done for Eastern Europe and Latin America. The "French" view is that it's much easier if relations with the world's dictators are managed by a sleazy transnational elite. If M. Chirac and M. de Villepin and TotalFinaElf can live with Saddam, why can't the Iraqis live with Saddam, 24/7, forever and ever?In the last year, we all had plenty of time to make our choices. Eastern Europe chose "Anglo-Saxon." The British and American left voted "French": in the Sixties, the peaceniks thought the Communists would transform South Vietnam into an agrarian utopia; this time round, it didn't bother going through the motions of even rhetorical progressivism -- they marched to keep the Iraqi people in chains, and they were happy to do so. A week ago, a European poll revealed that a third of the French people wanted Saddam to win the war. If he makes it out from under that rubble with his moustache intact and manages to hop a fishing smack to Marseilles, maybe he should try running for a seat in the National Assembly.
How very interesting. It was all about oil with the frenchies.