French want abuse to stop

The Age (Australia) ^ | April 19 2003 | Nate Guidry and Michael A. Fuoco

[ellery]

The French ambassador to Washington, Jean-David Levitte, has pleaded for a stop to "French-bashing" by Americans now the war with Iraq is at an end.

Singling out prominent businessman and commentator Richard Perle, who is a close friend of US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Mr Levitte said Mr Perle's "French-bashing is not very useful". He said it had triggered a vicious cycle of anti-Americanism back in France and he hoped it could now stop.

Mr Levitte's remarks came the day after French President Jacques Chirac telephoned US President George Bush and told him he wanted to play "a pragmatic role" in the reconstruction issues in Iraq.

It was the first time the two leaders had spoken since the breakdown of negotiations at the UN Security Council over Iraq and the call was accepted only after repeated pleading by French diplomats, it has emerged.

The US-French relationship faces another challenge soon. The UN Security Council must decide on the role of the UN in the reconstruction of Iraq, specifically whether a US-led administration will get access to the oil-for-food program.

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Mr Levitte would not be drawn on whether France would push for a greater UN role in Iraq, but answering critical questions from the audience at Washington's University Club, he rejected claims that France was now anxious to get a share of lucrative postwar contracts in Iraq.

"We don't consider Iraq an El Dorado," said Mr Levitte. "We don't see any cake in Iraq but we see a huge burden."

He was also pessimistic about Iraq's transition to democracy, saying it was deeply divided between Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds and bringing stability and democracy to the country would be a "daunting and long-term ambition".

He explained the divisions between Europe and the US on Iraq as the result of both history and the September 11 attacks.

Mr Levitte was working in his post at the UN in New York on the day of the attack and saw the towers collapse. "Here you are at war," he said. In Europe, the battle with terrorism was more a low-intensity conflict that Europe had struggled with for several decades.

Two centuries of war and fragile borders made Europe more concerned about national sovereignty and opposed to pre-emptive military action.

[Interesting Times]

Obviously if the French ambassador feels the need to state that "French-bashing is not very useful," then the reverse is true. France has opposed American interests for decades, but now their behavior is starting to exact a cost. This is true of French relations with both America's government and America's markets.

May the cries of dismay continue.

[knighthawk]

The French ambassador to Washington, Jean-David Levitte, has pleaded for a stop to "French-bashing" by Americans

Or else? What will they do to us? Surrender themselves?

[never4get]

Oh no, the Fr4ench are getting serious...

France Withdraws Support from Jerry Lewis
U.S. offers Bulgaria $30 billion to hail him a genius

NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE

March 12 — In a sign of the deepening rift between France and the United States, France today announced that it was withdrawing its support from the actor-comedian Jerry Lewis.

“AS A NATION, from this day forth we will no longer consider Jerry Lewis a comic genius,” said French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin. “Nor will we be pressured into thinking he is funny.”
For years, France had isolated itself by being the only country in NATO to hail such Lewis films as “The Nutty Professor” and “The Bellboy,” as sublime achievements of a brilliant comic mind.
But by withdrawing its support from Jerry Lewis now, the nation that has long sustained the reputation not only of Lewis but also of the unshaven American actor Mickey Rourke is sending a strong signal that it will no longer be seduced by America’s dubious cultural icons.
“If I were Madonna I would be very, very concerned right now,” said Henri Broyard, an observer of the French cultural scene.
At the White House, aides to President Bush were taking the French announcement in stride, expressing confidence that they would soon find another nation to celebrate the work of Jerry Lewis.
While reports indicated that the administration was prepared to pay Bulgaria $30 billion to recognize the genius of Lewis there was some surprise that Britain’s Tony Blair had not offered to embrace his art.
But aides to Blair indicated that the prime minister’s popularity, already sagging due to his support for a war with Iraq, would be “irreparably harmed” if he said he thought Jerry Lewis was funny.


© 2003 Newsweek, Inc.

[Zacs Mom]

[Anamensis]

Make them say "uncle" first.

In English this time, not German.

[Bill Davis FR]

BOYCOTT FRANCE FOREVER

[DCPatriot]

The French can kiss my dimpled American A**!

[Anamensis]

Trivial Americans go to Paris when they die.

And they can keep Jim Morrison. You should see all the grubby hippies hanging out by his grave, even now. It's just pitiful.

[NewMexLurker]

..."If Joe Smith had found those Gold Plates burried in a hillside in France there would be no French bashing allowed on FR!"...


What does this LDS reference mean?

[mtbopfuyn]

He was also pessimistic about Iraq's transition to democracy

So, is France going to keep up their back stabbing by interfering with Iraq's newfound freedom and a democratic government? Watch for this, folks!

[Anamensis]

Just send 'em a fruit-basket.

France IS a fruit basket.

[TexasCowboy]

The biggest problem the french have is that they think Napoleon is still leading their country.

[yianni]

As a demonstration of good faith, Chirac should offer to make France a bilingual country - 'merkin English in addition to the current corrupt Latin slang.

[kcvl]

"We [France] believe that the war set a very dangerous precedent, and my hope is that Iraq will remain an exception," Levitte said.

The United States must respect that France considers the Middle East as much "its backyard" as the U.S. does Mexico, he said. "We [the European Union] are proud of our sovereignty."

[Mr. Mojo]

Singling out prominent businessman and commentator Richard Perle

Why does Perle always get singled out, usually by Buchanan-types and the French?

[rhetorical question]

[mtbopfuyn]

Ha! But Napoleon wasn't French!!!

[never4get]

I was wondering, does anyone have a picture of Jerry Lewis in a French Foreign Legion uniform they could post?

[kcvl]

Levitte took pains in every appearance to insist that the French are not disdaining the American people, only Bush's policy toward Iraq. And many in France, where 78 percent of the populace oppose war with Iraq, nonetheless worry about the lost tourism and export dollars that a seismic rupture in the U.S.-French relationship could mean.

[kevao]

"French-bashing is not very useful".

But it sure is fun.