From the International Herald tribune bashing and wishful thinking from the French:
Bernard Kouchner, the foreign minister of France and a longtime humanitarian, diplomatic and political activist on the international scene, says that whoever succeeds President George W. Bush may restore something of the United States' battered image and standing overseas, but that "the magic is over."
In a wide-ranging conversation with Roger Cohen of the International Herald Tribune at the launch of a Forum for New Diplomacy in Paris, Kouchner on Tuesday also held out the hope of talking with Hamas, the Palestinian faction that rules the Gaza Strip but has been ostracized by the West and by its Palestinian rival, Fatah, because it opposes peace talks with Israel and denies that Israel has a right to exist...Asked whether the United States could repair the damage it has suffered to its reputation during the Bush presidency and especially since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Kouchner replied, "It will never be as it was before."
"I think the magic is over," he continued, in what amounted to a sober assessment from one of the strongest supporters in France of the United States.
U.S. military supremacy endures, Kouchner noted, and the new president "will decide what to do - there are many means to re-establish the image." But even that, he predicted, "will take time."
Read Here: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/12/europe/france.php The international herald tribune
3 comments:
Interesting quote:
"Asked whether the United States could repair the damage it has suffered to its reputation during the Bush presidency and especially since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Kouchner replied, "It will never be as it was before."
How condescending can you get? The Germans were within months of overruning all of France in 1917, and they had over run France in 1940.
Shouldn't our President's have just rocked back in their chairs and said, "oh well, I guess France will never be as it was before."
The fact of the matter is that unfettered Muslim immigration into France has left that nation helpless. When the second French Revolution comes, it will be with the Muslims scaling the walls and felling one of the 'Old European powers'.
We should sit back and laugh, not one American Life to solve France's problems... they're so freaking smart solve it themselves.
I keep reading about the image of the USA. My question is, "Whose image?" All respectable countries and peoples have a good image of America. Another thing, since when is this "image" static? And what is this "magic?" Name one 5 year period in which our "image" was admired throughout the world. 70's? We were despised and our allies disgusted. 80's? Reagan was hated. Bush? Except for the Gulf War, Europe was busy dealing with Germany. Japan and China did not like us. France was the same. We got no support from the world. 90's? Clinton? He sucked up to Europe. And we got critisized for Bosnia/Serbia/Croatia. Both for ignoring it, at Europe's request, and for entering the conflict. Don't forget the complaints when we actually bombed Saddam. 9/11? Warm feelings for about a month. Then Chirac and Schroeder went back to divvying up the EU.
And the Muslim world has never like us.
So, France can take that "magic" and shove it up it's collective butt. We don't need a reputation that meets the approval of the deadbeats in France and NATO. When they start pulling their own weight in keeping this world safe from barbarism, then I'll worry about seeking their respect.
Just yesterday, I stopped and helped a lady whose VW had run out of gas near Carytown in Richmond. She was from France, and was working here as a research chemist. I pushed her car out of the middle of the road, then I went to a neighbor's house, borrowed a gas can and got her some gas, then stayed until I was sure her VW would start. Just as a lesson for those who have not run your tank completely dry, once the little gas pump loses suction (due to the empty tank) you can sometimes run your battery down trying to reestablish fuel flow. In the old cars you could "prime the carburetor" but newer cars, like this VW are so sealed you need several tools to access the intake cowling. The bug eventually reestablished fuel flow and started.
The bottom line, is that this French lady is here working to help our American industry remain competitive, and she was the epitome of politeness and friendliness, exactly the image we hope that Americans demonstrate while in other countries.
If you have a beef with the French government, then give it to them with both barrels, but let us not devolve into insulting entire Peoples. Recall that Lafayette came to the rescue of our nation and that we helped repay that favor for the French when they were conquered by the Nazis.
We will continue to have differences at the political level, but lets grow our great friendship with the French people, ever stronger.
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