French Diplomacy Is A Lilliputian Nuisance

CTNow.com ^ | March 10 2003 | GEORGE F. WILL

[knighthawk]

`We no longer live in a world where only the actual firing of weapons represents a sufficient challenge to a nation's security."

-President Kennedy, during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis

Wars do not always begin with an abrupt, cymbal-crash rupture of conditions properly characterized as peace. There can be almost seamlessly incremental transitions.

The war against Iraq has begun - much as America's war against Nazi Germany really began months before Pearl Harbor and Hitler's Dec. 11 declaration of war on America. It began when President Roosevelt ordered aggressive patrolling by the U.S. Navy against German submarines in the North Atlantic. On - note the day - Sept. 11, 1941, he said: "Do not let us split hairs. Let us not say, `We will only defend ourselves if the torpedo succeeds in getting home, or if the crew and the passengers are drowned.' This is the time for prevention of attack."

The Second Gulf War was underway weeks ago, with special operations forces in Iraq and U.S. and U.K. aircraft expanding their target lists in the name of enforcing no-fly zones. Soon the bow wave created by the movement of the great ship America into full-scale war will wash away Lilliputian nuisances, such as French diplomacy.

[knighthawk]

Europe-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[Grampa Dave]

George nailed this oped! Thanks for posting it.

[knighthawk]

Sorry I couldn't post it in full.

[what's up]

Interesting point about France trying to block Reagan's Libyan action.

Also, I think Will hits it right one when he says that France's motive is simply this: they want to be THE counter-weight to America's super-power status.

[TexanToTheCore]

A big problem with Chirac's need to act as a counterweight to the US is that we generally are on the right side of both morality and history. And to oppose us because we are the only remaining hyperpower wiil tend to place them on the same side as the Soviets. And with the same results, IMMHO.

The EU is being led by a group of megalomaniacsal technocrats whose overbearing need for "La gloire" will cause them immense difficulties in the future.

[keri]

Thanks for the ping, KH.

FYI, Allan. The war has already started.

[jwalsh07]

A nice shot across France's bow by Mr Will.

[Torie]

The amazing thing is how inept the French are in covering their tracks of total disingenuousness as to their motives and true policy objectives. Their foreign policy at the present time has about as much nuance as was displayed by the Evil Empire. This quite amuses me, because the French really believe that they are worldly sophisticates and we are sophomoric well meaning not-very-smart babes in wonderland.

[jwalsh07]

Chiraq threatened today to withdraw from the War on Terrorism if he didn't get his way. An astounding statement leading me to conclude that my theory of French compicitness with Hussein is true.

[MEG33]

Will nails it.I care not a fig about France.I do worry that Blair may have to step down.The hoax that the UN is an effective deterrent to war or violence has so permeated the public's mind that it believes we cannot go without its OK. Patience in large doses will be required.Anyone have some to spare?? I seem to have run short.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

No patience on my part. I think we should point to Frances public stance (at least I heard they said they would Veto, they probably said the wouldn't veto in the same statement.) Should be enough reason to start the war tomorrow. I really don't like the idea of giving someone like Saddam a hard date. I think its foolish to worry so much about "world opinion" whatever the hell that represents. People should just be honest, "World Opinion" is a euphomism for the "European Left."

The time has past that we should manuver to lessen their concerns.

[gcruse]

Sorry I couldn't post it in full.

Don't worry.  The previous ten postings, with varying headlines,
 have the full article.

[Allan]

Can he do it without Blair?