France
Let's get to the real point. George Bush has deeply irritated France. That would be more distressing were it not for the memory that the last time the French resented America this much was in the mid-1980s. That was when President Ronald Reagan was more intent on winning the Cold War than pleasing the Elysee. And you know what? We won.It is a sad thing, but in many ways if you want to know if you are doing the right thing as a nation, look at France and confirm that you are not doing what they are.
posted by Dave Justus | 7/28/2004 12:05:00 PM
2 Comments:
It isn't a difficult thing to deeply irritate France. France has a long history of feeling they must be the foil to the US going all the way back to De Gaul's withdrawal from NATO in 1966 to "restore France's prestige in world affairs." What astounds me, regularly, is the attempts by certain political groups in the US to appease France, as though there were any gains to be made by doing so.
-- Bill
Aric,
I'm not sure why anything you said refutes what Bill said. Does it really matter why France chose to divorce itself from U.S. interests? The fact is that they did at that time and have chosen to do so know.
Even if you think the U.S. should have behaved differently in those situations (a strange position for a liberal to take) how does that change Bill's point?
I don't think that France should automatically do what the U.S. wants anymore than I think we should automatically do what France wants. We should both do what is in our national best interest. I think France is making mistakes in their choices right now, but they certainly have the right to do so.
Post a Comment
<< Home