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ANDREW SULLIVAN: Come on in: the Anglosphere is freedom’s new home
The Sunday Times ^ | February 2, 2003 | Andrew Sullivan

Posted on 02/01/2003 3:48:37 PM PST by MadIvan

I received yet another anti-French e-mail last week. It was part of a spoof press release. It began: “Paris — in a stunning reversal of policy, French President Jacques Chirac announced today that the French government will be supporting the war on terror after all.

“Five hundred soldiers from the elite French Surrender Battalion of the Foreign Legion are in the process of shipping out to Iraq where they will assist the Iraqi Republican Guard in their inevitable surrender to the overwhelming might of the American armed forces.

“Chirac also announced that his government will send 3,000 advisers from the French Collaboration Force to assist the Iraqis in collaborating with the Americans while pretending to be part of a non-existent resistance movement.”

Brutal, non? But certainly not rare. I’ve lived in the United States for almost 20 years and have rarely heard anything but condescension towards successive French governments. But now that condescension has turned to contempt.

A cover piece in the liberal online magazine Slate last week had the headline “Why they hate us”. It referred to France. In a recent online poll people were asked which other countries they would place next to Iran, Iraq and North Korea in the “axis of evil”. France won by a mile.

And then Donald Rumsfeld blurted out what many privately think: France and Germany are the old Europe, with sclerotic economies, anachronistic aspirations for world power, and terribly weak leaders, shored up by appeals to crude anti-Americanism (Schröder) or to the fact that they’re not actually neo-fascist (Chirac).

That’s why when The Wall Street Journal and The Times published a letter from eight European leaders calling for unity in facing down Saddam, it was big in the United States. The chattering classes began to talk about another kind of international coalition: not one based on power-politics, or geographic proximity, but on a shared commitment to civil society and free economies, and a determination not to appease but to confront international terrorism.

The word for this nascent international alliance is the Anglosphere. The Anglospherists have been stirring discussion among Washington’s conservative think tanks. Their vision of the future of the West is starkly different to that envisioned by the Euopean Union or even, in some respects, the United Nations.

The Anglosphere is not a revived version of the “special relationship” between the US and the UK. Nor is it some racist contraption uniting “Anglo-Saxons” or even “English-speaking peoples”. It is, rather, a notion of an expanding group of nations and countries that share basic principles: individualism, rule of law, honouring contracts and covenants, and the elevation of freedom to the first rank of political and cultural values.

One of the critical elements of an Anglospherist nation is a healthy and vibrant civil society; by which I mean voluntary associations, private schools and colleges, charities, sports clubs, churches and so on — the “little platoons” of liberty that Tocqueville so admired in England and America.

Why Anglosphere? Simply because these political values — by accident of history — originated in England and subsequently Britain. But these values need not be restricted to English-speaking countries. High on the list of countries eager to join are those in formerly communist eastern Europe who value freedom more dearly for having been denied it for so long.

Others include centre-right governments in Italy and Spain. But countries where civil society is weak — Latin America, Asia or (as yet) Russia — don’t make the grade. Nor do those societies where personal freedom is close to non-existent — the Arab world. France and Germany are standouts against such a concept as well. Why? Because the state in each country is too powerful, scepticism about individual freedom and civil society deep, and economic rigidity is maintained at the expense of employment and growth.

That’s why the coalition to disarm Saddam is a sign of a changing world. Terrorism threatens societies that value freedom more than those that don’t. Citizens of free societies have more to lose from terror — more civil liberties, more personal freedom of movement and thought.

Religious terrorism is also anathema to free societies, because it threatens freedom of religion by equating it with violence and intolerance. So I don’t think it is surprising that, say, China and Russia are more ambivalent about disarming Saddam than, say, America or Australia. And it is equally unsurprising that the European Eight are those countries most sympathetic to an Anglospheric worldview.

Should this mean a formal alliance? Not necessarily. After all, one of the other ingredients of an Anglospheric view of the world is that voluntary associations are often better than forced ones. Anglosphere nations should co-operate when necessary. But just as they value freedom at home, they also value it abroad.

National sovereignty is a freedom as well — one that free countries are reluctant to give up without some tangible gain. So this concept will never yield something like the EU, an institution that can only make sense to a Gallic or German mind that sees the chaotic liberty of a diverse Europe in need of false coherence and discipline.

But for these reasons the Anglosphere is also durable. It springs from the values people hold, not the concepts their leaders impose upon them. As we move slowly out of a post-cold war era, the coalition emerging against Saddam today may well mark the future of international relations. Here’s hoping.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: andrewsullivanlist; anglosphere; australia; canada; newzealand; uk; us
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One of Andrew's better efforts. I quite agree.

Regards, Ivan


1 posted on 02/01/2003 3:48:38 PM PST by MadIvan
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To: carl in alaska; Cautor; GOP_Lady; prairiebreeze; veronica; SunnyUsa; Delmarksman; Sparta; ...
Bump!
2 posted on 02/01/2003 3:48:53 PM PST by MadIvan
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To: MadIvan
Well thought out and very well written. Thanks for the post.
3 posted on 02/01/2003 4:00:07 PM PST by BOBTHENAILER (Vaporize Saddam's Smoking Gun)
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To: MadIvan
I received yet another anti-French e-mail last week. It was part of a spoof press release. It began: “Paris — in a stunning reversal of policy, French President Jacques Chirac announced today that the French government will be supporting the war on terror after all.

“Five hundred soldiers from the elite French Surrender Battalion of the Foreign Legion are in the process of shipping out to Iraq where they will assist the Iraqi Republican Guard in their inevitable surrender to the overwhelming might of the American armed forces.

Right up there with "cheese eating surrender monkeys."

4 posted on 02/01/2003 4:00:50 PM PST by stylin_geek (Clinton, somewhere between Nero and Caligula with none of the redeeming qualities)
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To: MadIvan
In defense of France and the French way, let me say that Chirac, in one month, gets more in bribes, kicbacks, and payoffs than Rumsfeld has in his entire career! The German Prime Minister gets a million dollars at a time. So, the old Eurowhore politicians do very well for themselves, thank you!!
5 posted on 02/01/2003 4:03:20 PM PST by Tacis
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To: MadIvan
Good post, Ivan.

But - I would take exception to his comment regarding le Legion Etangere, however tongue in cheek. Whatever the shortcomings of the French (and they are many) the Legion is a fine fighting organization (maybe because it is made up of non-frogs) with a history of gallantry. While we certainly don't need their help, they would be a welcome addition.

Now if he were talking about regular French troops...
6 posted on 02/01/2003 4:04:07 PM PST by LouD
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To: MadIvan
A concept to keep in mind as events progress.
7 posted on 02/01/2003 4:05:46 PM PST by gcruse (When choosing between two evils, pick the one you haven't tried yet.)
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To: MadIvan
Thanks for the post, Ivan. Anglosphere is an intriguing concept.
8 posted on 02/01/2003 4:08:35 PM PST by clintonh8r (It's better to be feared than to be respected.)
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To: MadIvan
"an institution that can only make sense to a Gallic or German mind that sees the chaotic liberty of a diverse Europe in need of false coherence and discipline."

Evidently such an institution makes sense to American "Liberals" as well. They certainly see the chaos of liberty--its great strength and the source of its power--as needing false coherence and discipline. They'll never rest until they can herd us all into identical groupthink and control everything from school curricula to the amount of water the toilet can use to the kind of tree one can or cannot plant in one's garden to the color one can paint his house to the admissions policies of private clubs to... You get the idea.

9 posted on 02/01/2003 4:43:15 PM PST by Savage Beast
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To: Howlin; Miss Marple; mombonn; DallasMike; austinTparty; MHGinTN; RottiBiz; WaterDragon; DB; ...
Pinging Sullivan's list.
10 posted on 02/01/2003 4:47:56 PM PST by Pokey78
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To: LouD
Yes, the Legionnaires are fine soldiers. Unfortunately, they are led by French officers.
11 posted on 02/01/2003 4:51:56 PM PST by CatoRenasci (Ceterum Censeo Mesopotamia Esse Delendam)
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To: CatoRenasci
m
12 posted on 02/01/2003 4:52:17 PM PST by Nick Thimmesch
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To: LouD
All the officers are French, no matter the quality of the rank and file. The soul of St Cyr rules the legion,its motto is "s'instruisent pour vaincre" loosly translated as fight to the death...when cornered like a rat.
13 posted on 02/01/2003 5:37:35 PM PST by ijcr
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To: MadIvan
Thanks, Ivan.

Why Anglosphere? Simply because these political values — by accident of history — originated in England and subsequently Britain. But these values need not be restricted to English-speaking countries. High on the list of countries eager to join are those in formerly communist eastern Europe who value freedom more dearly for having been denied it for so long.

And thanks to the English. For all it's failings, no better system of government has arisen than that started at home and then promoted overseas by Britannia. Just look around the world and see the difference. The only failed former colonies are those that replaced the original British system with left-wingers and Marxists. Unfortunately, that is currently the biggest threat of all to the Anglosphere.

14 posted on 02/01/2003 5:45:40 PM PST by xJones
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To: MadIvan
Mr. Sullivan has outdone himself.

BUMP!!

15 posted on 02/01/2003 5:46:00 PM PST by upchuck (Prayer: †††††††)
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To: MadIvan
CHEEERS, MATE!
16 posted on 02/01/2003 5:51:05 PM PST by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
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To: LouD
LouD wrote: But - I would take exception to his comment regarding le Legion Etangere, however tongue in cheek. Whatever the shortcomings of the French (and they are many) the Legion is a fine fighting organization (maybe because it is made up of non-frogs) with a history of gallantry.

And how do we know; what evidence have we seen that this is still true today?

They certainly didn't show us much in Desert Storm I or Somalia.

While they're good at strutting along in that 'slow march' of theirs, I haven't seen any proof of their fighting prowess during my lifetime — outside of the movies.

17 posted on 02/01/2003 6:04:14 PM PST by quidnunc
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To: MadIvan
Hey! I think we have a plan. Good post.
18 posted on 02/01/2003 6:09:11 PM PST by Temple Owl
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To: LouD
The French Foreign Legion must be foreign to the French because it is held to MUCH higher standards.

"THE LEGIONNAIRE'S CODE OF HONOR

1. Legionnaire : you are a volunteer serving France faithfully and with honor.

2. Every Legionnaire is your brother-at-arms, irrespective of his nationality, race or creed. You will demonstrate this by an unwavering and straight forward solidarity which must always bind together members of the same family.

3. Respectful of the Legion's traditions, honoring your superiors, discipline and comradeship are your strength, courage and loyalty your virtues.

4. Proud of your status as a legionnaire, you will display this pride, by your turnout, always impeccable, your behavior, ever worthy, though modest, your living-quarters, always tidy.

5. An elite soldier : you will train vigorously, you will maintain your weapons as if it were your most precious possession, you will keep your body in the peak of condition, always fit.

6. A mission once given to you becomes sacred to you, you will accomplish it to the end and at all costs.

7. In combat : you will act without relish of your tasks, or hatred ; you will respect the vanquished enemy and will never abandon neither your wounded nor your dead, nor will you under any circumstances surrender your arms [No wonder they need a Foreign Legion].

19 posted on 02/01/2003 6:39:56 PM PST by xJones
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To: quidnunc; ijcr
quidnunc wrote: While they're good at strutting along in that 'slow march' of theirs, I haven't seen any proof of their fighting prowess during my lifetime — outside of the movies.

Maybe I just read too much Jean Larteguy at an impressionable age, or maybe it was the nights I spent drinking with Legionnaires in Marseilles...

20 posted on 02/01/2003 8:43:39 PM PST by LouD
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