Wracked with angst over the fate of our beloved and horribly misgoverned Republic, the DiploMad returns to do battle on the world wide web, swearing death to political correctness, and pulling no punches.
To call our new Prime Minister Lightweight is an understatement. He goes to the G20, takes selfies and rambles on about global warming while the adults had something more urgent to discuss. Finally, he says: Canada will continue to make a strong military contribution in the fight against Islamic militants but will continue in his plan to pull its air force out of combat. Go figure.
As I recall, we wanted France to go with us to deal with this mess in Iraq, and our pleas fell upon deaf ears. Now they're going to escalate the conflict alone. It's some serious turnabout from Den Bien Phu and the Vietnam War...
Indeed. It seems the last few decades have been mainly the French objecting to every American intervention. All of a sudden, now they want to be our pals, only to find that now we have a leader (?) who is only interested in being pals with the enemy.
Graham: Not sure it was such a brilliant idea to follow Bush in Iraq, actually. American politics in the Middle-East (Iraq, Lybia and now Syria) was a determining factor for that big, big mess that is now reaching our shore - I mean in Europe, and not in the remote United States.
Three cheers for your despicable comment about "the French that want to be our pals" - as if the French had not always been the allies of the United States from the very beginning of their short history.
Sorry Rupert, you just can't get that dog to hunt. What the French have been good at is convincing American history writers and academics of their undying love for America. In reality, they supported the USA only to the extent that we helped them accomplish their own agendas. Even at the beginning. The rest of the time they've mainly been p.o.'d that they can't run the world.
"(The French) supported the USA only to the extent that we helped them accomplish their own agendas". Sorry Graham, please stop telling tales: I could have written exactly the same about the attitude of the US towards the rest of us - France, United Kingdom - in the last century. Your country took over the military, political and economical leadership in the Western world after WWII on the ruins of the former global powers to its greatest advantage (and to our detriment sometimes, for example during decolonization wars) and I will add that makes sense and it is fair game. The Americans are not blind philanthropists, and the French are not completely stupid either. This is called Realpolitik and many governments would be well inspired to practise it nowadays.
To come back to Iraq: looking back now, how can you seriously think that overthrowning the authoritarian and corrupt regime of Saddam Hussein based on false information to replace it by a big gap was not a terrible - and avoidable - mistake? Haven't the French been reliable allies in South-Eastern Asia in the 50's, during the Cold War, during the Gulf War in 1991? May I remind you that we also stood with you in Afghanistan at the time of the Iraq controversy, sent our Foreign Legion and special forces over there for years, and lost a number of men in that rat-hole? Do you reckon the French "accomplished their own agenda" in Afghanistan?
Rupert: I actually don't object to most of what you wrote here. Certainly Iraq etc is not the topic of my post, though we could go there if you wish. Iraq was handled poorly: we agree.
And there is no question that France has been an ally of America through the 20th century and now also. Except for a few differences regarding Libya, and DeGaulle's general inability to relate to France's allies. What I'm speaking to here is that myth prominent among Americans that France is our "oldest ally", assured the success of the American Revolution, always supported American goals, etc.etc. Review of history reveals that American negotiators, back to the first ones, have always been suspicious of France's motives vis-a-vis America. Disputes arose almost immediately, and the US was in a defacto war with France in the late 1790's.
I've said or implied nothing "despicable" here. We may have some differences of opinion, based largely on our own backgrounds and desire to see our countries be successful. In fact I've enjoyed all my trips to France, and consider it a remarkable culture, even if the politics sometimes wavers!
Graham: I am not a specialist in early American history and I take your word about disputes between our contries in the late 1790's; I suppose you mean the so-called "Quasi-War" between 1798 and 1800. Fair enough! I misunderstood your comment for an outburst of French bashing, and sincerely apologize for it (for my misunderstanding, not the Quasi-War).
Writing myself a couple of miles away from Paris, and personally knowing a couple of people who were there last Friday and fortunately escaped, your comment about "us wanting to be your pals" acted as the red cape of the Spanish toreador on an angry bull. Of course we are your pals. Apart from our crazy leftists and filthy Jihadists, of course. By the way, I recently read that our secret services made a discreet agreement to physically eliminate those of the other side they could get their hands on, In Syria or elsewhere; I think it is an appropriate measure.
To call our new Prime Minister Lightweight is an understatement. He goes to the G20, takes selfies and rambles on about global warming while the adults had something more urgent to discuss. Finally, he says: Canada will continue to make a strong military contribution in the fight against Islamic militants but will continue in his plan to pull its air force out of combat. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteAs I recall, we wanted France to go with us to deal with this mess in Iraq, and our pleas fell upon deaf ears. Now they're going to escalate the conflict alone.
ReplyDeleteIt's some serious turnabout from Den Bien Phu and the Vietnam War...
- reader #1482
Indeed. It seems the last few decades have been mainly the French objecting to every American intervention. All of a sudden, now they want to be our pals, only to find that now we have a leader (?) who is only interested in being pals with the enemy.
DeleteGraham
Graham: Not sure it was such a brilliant idea to follow Bush in Iraq, actually. American politics in the Middle-East (Iraq, Lybia and now Syria) was a determining factor for that big, big mess that is now reaching our shore - I mean in Europe, and not in the remote United States.
DeleteThree cheers for your despicable comment about "the French that want to be our pals" - as if the French had not always been the allies of the United States from the very beginning of their short history.
Sorry Rupert, you just can't get that dog to hunt. What the French have been good at is convincing American history writers and academics of their undying love for America.
DeleteIn reality, they supported the USA only to the extent that we helped them accomplish their own agendas. Even at the beginning.
The rest of the time they've mainly been p.o.'d that they can't run the world.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Delete"(The French) supported the USA only to the extent that we helped them accomplish their own agendas". Sorry Graham, please stop telling tales: I could have written exactly the same about the attitude of the US towards the rest of us - France, United Kingdom - in the last century. Your country took over the military, political and economical leadership in the Western world after WWII on the ruins of the former global powers to its greatest advantage (and to our detriment sometimes, for example during decolonization wars) and I will add that makes sense and it is fair game. The Americans are not blind philanthropists, and the French are not completely stupid either. This is called Realpolitik and many governments would be well inspired to practise it nowadays.
DeleteTo come back to Iraq: looking back now, how can you seriously think that overthrowning the authoritarian and corrupt regime of Saddam Hussein based on false information to replace it by a big gap was not a terrible - and avoidable - mistake? Haven't the French been reliable allies in South-Eastern Asia in the 50's, during the Cold War, during the Gulf War in 1991? May I remind you that we also stood with you in Afghanistan at the time of the Iraq controversy, sent our Foreign Legion and special forces over there for years, and lost a number of men in that rat-hole? Do you reckon the French "accomplished their own agenda" in Afghanistan?
Rupert:
DeleteI actually don't object to most of what you wrote here. Certainly Iraq etc is not the topic of my post, though we could go there if you wish. Iraq was handled poorly: we agree.
And there is no question that France has been an ally of America through the 20th century and now also. Except for a few differences regarding Libya, and DeGaulle's general inability to relate to France's allies.
What I'm speaking to here is that myth prominent among Americans that France is our "oldest ally", assured the success of the American Revolution, always supported American goals, etc.etc.
Review of history reveals that American negotiators, back to the first ones, have always been suspicious of France's motives vis-a-vis America. Disputes arose almost immediately, and the US was in a defacto war with France in the late 1790's.
I've said or implied nothing "despicable" here. We may have some differences of opinion, based largely on our own backgrounds and desire to see our countries be successful. In fact I've enjoyed all my trips to France, and consider it a remarkable culture, even if the politics sometimes wavers!
Graham
Graham: I am not a specialist in early American history and I take your word about disputes between our contries in the late 1790's; I suppose you mean the so-called "Quasi-War" between 1798 and 1800. Fair enough! I misunderstood your comment for an outburst of French bashing, and sincerely apologize for it (for my misunderstanding, not the Quasi-War).
DeleteWriting myself a couple of miles away from Paris, and personally knowing a couple of people who were there last Friday and fortunately escaped, your comment about "us wanting to be your pals" acted as the red cape of the Spanish toreador on an angry bull. Of course we are your pals. Apart from our crazy leftists and filthy Jihadists, of course. By the way, I recently read that our secret services made a discreet agreement to physically eliminate those of the other side they could get their hands on, In Syria or elsewhere; I think it is an appropriate measure.
Long live to the free world.
I have a plan for eliminating DAESH, somebody needs to tell obambi and camoron that DAESH does NOT believe in global warming.
ReplyDeleteImmediately DAESH will be the priority for all hard-of-thinking "leaders". The pentagon is already on-board with this issue.