France's Chirac, Bush Speak by Telephone

The Washington Post ^ | 4/15/03 | Associated Press

[Stefan Stackhouse]

Thanks for your comments. Yes, I am aware that present-day Iraq and Syria are only one of many possible arrangements of that part of the Middle East (just as modern France is just one of many possible arrangements of Western Europe). Because most modern nation states don't like to see the system of borders and national identities unravel, there is a strong bias toward keeping things as they are, illogical though they may be. Thus, although neither Syria nor Iraq make particularly good sense as nations, it is unlikely that anything other than their governing regimes will change anytime soon.

I don't know how things will play out in Syria. My perception is since we happen to have some troops on their border at the moment, we are just engaging in a litle bit of opportunistic pressuring of the Syrian regime.

What is France after?

1. Money -- an oversized, unearned piece of the action

2. Power -- preferably at the expense of the US

Pretty much everything else is just a subset of those two big objectives.

[kidd]

Interesting. While its likely some unknown despot would have risen to power (other than Lenin/Stalin/Hitler/Mao/Pol Pot) I cannot fathom that they would be any where as near as bad as what actually happened.

Why anyone should feel the least obligation to pay them [France] even a moment's attention, let alone anything that costs money or blood, is beyond me.

The French have nuclear weapons and numerous nuclear facilities. French culture is dying and its population is rapidly being replaced by Muslims. Once the Muslims have the majority in France, they will then have control of the nuclear capabilities. The French need to be disarmed and soon. Once this has been accomplished, then they can rot.

[showme_the_Glory]

Touche..........

[battlegearboat]

Chirac was just trying to get up a Risk game for the weekend.