President Chirac Has a Bad Case Of Postwar Nerves (Global View)

The WAll Street Journal ^ | April 8, 2003 | GEORGE MELLOAN

[WaveThatFlag]

When a wave of Nazi-like vandalism in France spread to a British military cemetery in Etaples, President Jacques Chirac finally stepped in. The man who had done so much to stir French passions against the war wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth II to let her know that painting a swastika on a memorial to the Britons who died for France was "unacceptable."

[WaveThatFlag]

Chirac is unacceptable. He has made no apologies about the fact that his foreign policy focuses on limiting US power. If anything he touts that mission. Now, having failed, he is attempting to change the rules of the game after it has been completed. Sooner or later, even the French are liable to wake up and demand a regime change of their own.

[Conservateacher]

"They are trying to form their own coalition of the
willing to demand that postwar reconstruction be taken out of U.S. hands and turned over to the U.N. "

What makes them think the future government of Iraq will want anything to do with them?

[TheDon]

The worm stoked up a little nationalism to cover his poor performance as President, and is now concerned his short sightedness was a mistake? Poor baby. He must pay the price for his foolishness. He helped push the Coalition into war by not standing firm with the international community against Iraq, thereby giving hope to Saddam that he would not be attacked by the US.

[WaveThatFlag]

What makes them think the future government of Iraq will want anything to do with them?

They have to. France is a major world power, with a controlling influence on the worldwide wine and soft cheese markets. The market for alcoholic beverages is limited in Iraq. And soft cheeses don't do very well in the desert. But Iraq desperately needs the UNs help if France says so, because France has a veto on the Security Council. And if France is not somehow able to reassert the importance of that veto soon, France's claim to world importance really will become dependant on wine and cheese.

[Dergie]

The Treaty of Versailles was a French product. They were mad at the U.S. for not signing on to their stupid treaty.

The net effect of the Treaty was to drive the Germans into despair and poverty. The Treaty sucked the German economy dry in order to pay the "allies" back for all the damage caused by WWII, for which they held Germany responsible.

It sucked Germans dry. How soon they forget what France has done to them.

The despair and hopelessness in Germany gave the perfect soil for someone like Hitler to rise to power. The Germans were willing to make a deal with the devil to get them out of that situation, and they did.

France did the same to Algeria. They suck them dry and leave them with poverty and despair.

France would do the exact same thing to the Iraqi people.

Yeah, absolutely, let France in the front door if you want guaranteed failure.

They're leeches.

[Smedley]

Sooner or later, even the French are liable to wake up and demand a regime change of their own.

Yeah, but the likelihood of the new regime being better is near zilch.

Don't forget 20% of France voted for LePen, who is the David Duke of France. Sure, sure we here were highly amused at the whole French election when the crook finally beat the fascist and Chirac was elected, but France is a mess and even our democRATS and the British Labour Party seems absolutely extreme right-wing compared to anything the French have.

[Smedley]

They're leeches.

You're giving leeches a bad name.

[Conservateacher]

"They have to. France is a major world power,"

Oh ya. How could I have forgotten?!

(funny reply)

[ex-Texan]

He is a total freaked out Frog. They are all like he is.

I just spent the last two days watching videos from my collection.

'Wanted Dead or Alive' starring Ruger Hauer is about terrorists trying to bomb Los Angeles with a huge chemical cloud. 'Executive Decision' starring Kurt Russell and Steven Seagal is about terrorists trying to release a cloud of nerve gas in D.C. They are both very good flicks.

Someone ought to make Chirac watch these films and a dozen like them over and over again until he drowns in his own vomit.

[expatpat]

Excellent article, IMO (probably because it accurately reflects my view).

[mtbopfuyn]

Mr. Chirac's sometime ally, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, also had a battlefield conversion.

Slimey greedy two-faced backstabbers. I bet they had a conversion, about the time Greg and buddies rolled trough the gates of Baghdad and camped out in the palace they helped furnish. My only hope is that the Iraqis kick their sorry rears out for good.

[peeve23]

The Security Council was stymied because France (a permanent member) pledged to use its veto power no matter what.

The US, also a permanent member, has a veto. We should use it to stop dead in its tracks any proposal by anyone who opposed the liberation of Iraq.

[FairOpinion]

"Yeah, absolutely, let France in the front door if you want guaranteed failure.

They're leeches."
-----

You summed it up exceptionally well.

I think we really MUST get out of the UN, because that is the vehicle France is using to counter everything the US is doing.

The US is contributing 25% to the UN, Japan is contributing 20%, if these two countries withdraw, the UN collapses.

Then we can set up an international body, where Cameroond and France don't have the same power in voting as the US.

[boreddough]

'Wanted Dead or Alive' starring Ruger Hauer...

Still on my lifetime top ten list for best movie endings...."$#*% the bonus"

[Steven W.]

I've been trying to figure out what, exactly, it is that Germany, France & Russia think they bring to the table for Iraq. We've seen that France has provided pesticides for placement & cover next to a stockpile of Saddam's deadly Sarin+Tubin+Mustard cocktails, but their services in these regards are no longer necessary. Similary, we've heard how much the Germans are quite proud of the work they completed building Saddam's bunkers but, with his regime gone, that money will be directed elsewhere. Russia has now frantically removed the last of their military advisors in that convoy that was inadvertently struck in the midst of an Iraqi firefight and, certainly, Iraq will no longer need any of those (apparently) new chemical weapon shells that were found with 3 spigots surrounding a central plug on the rear of cyclindrical devices with Russian military stamping on all the boxes. So, what exactly do these allies of Saddam bring to the table in a new Iraq where weapons of mass destruction, terror and the hanging of children by lampposts is no longer the ritual of the day?

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Let's be generous and welcome Messrs. Chirac and Schroeder back to the democratic world.

I would say, "Sorry, boys, that train has left the station. However, we will let you send a get well card to the Iraqi people explaining why you can't be there in person."

Just as the UN and the French have become burdens to our efforts, so has our desire to save Tony Blair's rear. He is a socialists who represents the British socialists. His was a courageous stand but note worthy only in that it was the correct stance. France, Germany, and Russia made courageous stands also, in that they were confrontations with the US. However, they were wrong. Do we rescue a socialist for being right as we punish other socialists for being wrong? I say we reward Blair by allowing Britain to fully participate but that we do not allow the socialists a delayed victory by giving them the control they have wanted all along, i.e. deferring to the UN and allowing our nemeses full participation.

[Dergie]

I think we really MUST get out of the UN, because that is the vehicle France is using to counter everything the US is doing.

The US is contributing 25% to the UN, Japan is contributing 20%, if these two countries withdraw, the UN collapses.
-----
And you have summed it up quite nicely yourself. It is impossible for the U.N. to carry out its true mission. I mean, it was a nice idea, but you know, all the best laid plans of mice and men.

Now the U.N.'s purpose is to carry out France's petty penile envy (excuse the vernacular).

Any group or institution is only as good as its weakest link, and France has proven itself to be petty, vindictive, greedy, spineless, and cowardly.

That's as weak as you can get.

[uncbuck]

Does anyone know if the MRE contract from the army was re-awarded to an American co. as opposed to the frog one?

[uncbuck]

"They're leeches."


They are what they eat.

[geedee]

Excellent analysis!!!!!!!!!!!!