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Saturday, February 22, 2003
posted by gbarto at 11:37 AM:
U.N. Workers Leave Iraq VoluntarilyI wanted an Iraq headline to mention that one of AOL's top stories is a report that El Baradei - the head nuke guy for the UN - said Iraq is not cooperating while in Iran, but I can't find a link anywhere.
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posted by gbarto at 11:31 AM:
Toys 'R' Us Roof CollapsesSuburban Washington, D.C. store may still hold trapped customers
Did no one tell them you have to remove the snow every so often?
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posted by gbarto at 11:28 AM:
Dems Slam Bush RecordEdwards says 'W. stands for wrong'
5.4 Quake Hits California
Temblor centered about 90 miles east of downtown Los Angeles
Dems Blame Earthquake on Bush
Kerry says temblor 'result of two years of irresponsible environmental policies'
Just kidding about that last one. I think. The link won't work.
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posted by gbarto at 11:23 AM:
Transplant Teen Loses Brain ActivityFamily of botched surgery victim meets with doctors to discuss next step
Damn. Duke's handling of this has been a mess all the way through. Seeing headlines elsewhere about the lack of brain activity... but Duke's not prepared to make any judgments about whether she's brain dead... I don't know what you can do other than acknowledge that mistakes happen and this was a very, very, very big mistake that looks very, very, very bad for Duke. Forms were not double checked, elementary procedures for preventing this were ignored as unnecessary, and one little girl is paying the price for Duke's hubris, however well-intentioned it was.
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posted by gbarto at 2:16 AM:
Marcus is experiencing sartorial jubilation. But are bow ties really coming back?* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:11 AM:
Here come your French news headlines:Le Monde: "Iraq: Unaligned Countries Oppose War."
They also think Iraq should cooperate with inspectors and destroy the missiles. These positions reached at a conference in Kuala Lampur.
Le Figaro: "Francis Mer buries 2.5% growth goal." The minister says that goal is no longer reachable.
Libé: "Bush's War Plans." Says Libé, Bush will try to get a war resolution through the UN in mid-March. Libé also has this: "Paris 'declaration': Africans forced to sign?" The President of Rwanda says he was surprised to see his country listed as supporting Paris' views on the Iraq question in the wake of the France-Africa summit, surprised because no one had asked him.
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posted by gbarto at 2:00 AM:
Carter: U.S. Mideast Policy to Blame for Anti-AmericanismWrite your own punchline.
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posted by gbarto at 1:59 AM:
Blix Tells Iraq to Destroy MissilesWeapons exceed U.N. range limits
Iraq is allowed to have missiles up to 93 miles, which means it can hit neighboring Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Syria and Jordan -- but not Israel. But some former inspectors insist the technology Iraq chose for the Al Samoud 2 was clearly intended to support missile systems with longer ranges.So... these missiles are illegal. They were warned they would be illegal before they built them. But I know, I know, material breach just ain't what it used to be. So the Iraqis have until March 1st to start the missile destruction process. If nothing else, this shows the utility of the time limits the Bush administration has been whispering about: they're at least forcing the UN to press for action.
David Kay, a chief nuclear weapons inspector after the Gulf War, said he believes the Al-Samoud tests indicate Iraq is developing missiles to go consistently beyond 93 miles.
"I think it is worrying," he said, noting that the former U.N. inspection team told the Iraqis in 1997 that the Al Samoud missiles they were then building would exceed the limit "and not to do it."
"They went ahead," Kay said. "The Iraqis understood that if the payload were lighter it would go further. They played the game from very early on."
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posted by gbarto at 1:54 AM:
And now, it seems, they didn't have their permissions in order:A Deadly Mistake
Criminal investigation begins for concert fire that killed 96 and injured 187; Club owners say no approval was given for fireworks, but band leader claims they had permission
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Friday, February 21, 2003
posted by gbarto at 9:58 AM:
Nice column by David Ignatius about A Nation's Mystery, i.e. just what is it with the French?What mystifies and offends so many Americans is the way Chirac has worked to undercut U.S. policy at such a sensitive time, especially after elaborate American efforts last fall to accommodate French views. This is not what allies do, and it's hard to imagine any quick fix for this breach...The TurkeyBlog is of much the same mind. I've lived in France for brief intervals a few times now and have always enjoyed it. The anti-Americanism I've personally encountered in French is far less than that I've run into on the typical college campus in the US. But there is something about the French that drives one mad and I find it reflected both in my main object of study, Victor Hugo, and in people I have known.
France's insistence on doing its own thing is infuriating. But it is also part of why France remains a special place. Many of the same Americans who are now denouncing Chirac's perfidy would doubtless love to visit France this summer -- to eat in its peerless restaurants, visit its magnificent museums, savor a culture that refuses to be homogenized...
I wish I could separate the France I love from the France that drives me crazy, but I can't. The country's best and worst features are bound up in its Frenchness -- in a national obstinacy that is at once its deliverance and its ruin.
When France fell to Napoleon III's control in 1851, Hugo was worried about how the world would get by without the light of Paris to guide it, was certain that only France could bring the mix of civilization and humanity necessary to set a course for global... democracy? republicanism? socialism? capitalism? Didn't matter. What mattered is that it be French. In the early '90s I lived with a family in which the mother worked for the Securité Sociale, France's main agency for the welfare state. She knew the agencies flaws, its problems, the fact it was out of money. And yet she defended it absolutely: if the French couldn't make it work somehow, how could any society achieve justice? seemed to be her root thought. Is it arrogant as hell? You bet. But naively sincere. That's what we're up against, a country so generous in its initial impulse that it is, alas, blind to its faults, its problems, and the other solutions the world offers. So, does one flatter? ostracize? berate? I've been studying this culture since the mid '80s, and I fear the only real answer I can offer - still - is to shake one's head and hope they'll be more reasonable tomorrow.
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posted by gbarto at 9:42 AM:
Docs: Jesica's Brain SwollenComplication in recovery from second heart-lung transplant within two weeks
It would have been nice to wake to some good news on this one. But such surgeries are difficult and with all that's happened, there's only so much you can do. Our thoughts and prayers are with the girl and her family.
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posted by gbarto at 9:41 AM:
At Least 65 Dead in R.I. Nightclub FireMore than 160 injured after rock band's pyrotechnics spark massive blaze that tears through West Warwick nightclub
I can't understand... setting off mini-explosions inside a building for entertainment purposes ends in tragedy?
What happened is a shame. And a tragedy. And amazingly stupid.
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posted by gbarto at 2:08 AM:
Here come your French news headlines:Le Monde leads with "US Army in Working Order" and ready to march. It also notes that Bush and Co. are now talking about "after we've taken Iraq," as opposed to whether.
Le Figaro leads with "Powell announces a new UN Resolution."
Libé's top of the moment is "Anglo-Saxon media brings in heavy artillery." Though battered by US media, they remain hopeful that the press isn't totally aligned against France.
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posted by gbarto at 1:51 AM:
Apparently there were demonstrations in San Francisco today. I heard about them on Alice radio. Maybe they were important. Maybe they advanced their cause in newer and better ways. I assume they were anti-war but am not entirely sure. That's because they were mentioned in... the traffic report. That's right. That's what Alice listeners needed to know: Stay out of the protest areas because they've got traffic all tangled up.Is it a metaphor for some greater truth that what a few days ago was supposed to change the history of the world has become an inconvenience for rush hour commuters?
I hope so.
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posted by gbarto at 1:32 AM:
You have to go down to the 2/18 posts to find it, but Virginia Postrel has some neat thoughts from correspondents on effects immigration might have. One is to creat ambassadors for the US. Here's Virginia:At a recent conference, I met a Guatemalan classical liberal academic who speculated that El Salvador is liberalizing more effecively than Guatemala because of the influence of Salvadoran immigrants to the U.S. One in four or five Salvadorans has spent time in the United States, including those who still live here. In Guatemala, the number is more like one in 10. That means, he said, that every family table in El Salvador has someone who knows things can be different, and that person usually particular clout because of his or her American income. Guatemala hasn't yet reached a critical mass of American-influenced migrants.
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posted by gbarto at 1:12 AM:
French Oil Firm Sees Future in IraqHow do you spell "French love for peace"?
O-I-L
Incidentally, the Post also has
Hussein Emboldened by Antiwar Sentiment
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 19 -- President Saddam Hussein's government, apparently emboldened by antiwar sentiment at the U.N. Security Council and in worldwide street protests, has not followed through on its promises of increased cooperation with U.N. arms inspectors, according to inspectors in Iraq.Way to go, marchers for peace! You've increased the likelihood that war will have to come. Increased the likelihood that the UN will wind up in history's dust heap. Increased the likelihood that neither NATO nor the EU will be able to coalesce behind common interests any longer.
Goodness, well-meaning people haven't had such positive effects since Roosevelt went to Yalta...
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posted by gbarto at 1:03 AM:
Blix Mulls Deadline on Iraqi MissilesSo, like everything else, we don't just have to ponder action. We have to ponder pondering action too!
How do you spell UN?
L-E-A-G-U-E-O-F-N-A-T-I-O-N-S
Though at least that organization had the grace to die out once it's uselessness was revealed. How long will it take the UN to catch up?
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posted by gbarto at 12:59 AM:
New Resolution Expected MondayU.S., Britain hope to garner support from U.N. for war against Iraq
Just so we don't start confusing garnering UN support with doing the right thing. After all, this is the UN that turned Adnan Abdul Karim Enad over to the Iraqis after he sought their help.
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posted by gbarto at 12:56 AM:
Girl Critical After Second TransplantTeen who got wrong organs now has new lungs, beating heart
If you've got any prayers to spare, it sounds like she could use them. Let's hope this awful mistake can be helped.
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posted by gbarto at 12:55 AM:
French Jokes Gain Wide AudiencesAnd why not? My favorite is still:
What do you call ten thousand men with their hands in the air?
The French army.
But that's doubtless indicative of my barbaric, cowboy nature. Granted, I have a masters in French language, literature and culture, but still...
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Thursday, February 20, 2003
posted by gbarto at 1:35 AM:
Instapundit has another tragedy from the drug war. Now that's a war I could march against.* * *
posted by gbarto at 1:00 AM:
Hmm. But if the US looks ready to act then using the right color handkerchief will have the UNers back calling for more time, no doubt. In the meantime, here's WaPo:U.N. Inspectors Find Fault In Iraqi Cooperation Effort
Officials have seen no positive moves to fullfill promises made last Friday.
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posted by gbarto at 12:57 AM:
Here come your French news headlines:Le Monde says The UN pushes Iraq to destroy missiles. It says it's getting ready to deliver a letter after the next round of inspections of missile producing sites. Why wait? Why not demand that Iraq immediately work toward compliance?
And in the Philippines, there's a Resurgence of Violence on the Island of Mindanao. 50 dead over the last day or so as government forces clash with warriors for the religion of peace.
Le Figaro reports that Washington wants to make France bend. That's their headline regarding plans for a second US-sponsored UN resolution. As goes Chirac, so goes Le Figaro. They're both a little... overwrought of late.
Libération leads with France-Africa, return to flames. The French are doing their damnedest to prove the futility of military action in the Ivory Coast while trying to extend their authority and the possibility of order in a region fraught with war and crisis. The TurkeyBlog will spare you the lectures on France's arrogance in assuming that what it does is ok since it's a force for humanity while the US probably only cares about oil.
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posted by gbarto at 12:43 AM:
You mean that guy who used to have Nancy Pelosi's job?...Gephardt Launches Presidential Bid
I know I've been sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for this one.
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posted by gbarto at 12:41 AM:
Rough day in the air:Plane Crash Kills 302 in Iran
All on board die; passengers were members of the Revolutionary Guard
Pakistani Air Force Plane Crashes
Among 17 dead is air force chief; inquiry into cause of crash underway
Oh, and...
N. Korean Fighter Jet Crosses Border
S. Korean anti-aircraft missile unit moves into battle position
North Korea seems bound and determined to be the leader of the Axis of Evil.
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Wednesday, February 19, 2003
posted by gbarto at 2:38 AM:
Below, we've got the French press on Jacques Chirac's idiotic mumblings. Much to our delight, the French press, too, has its share of people who are appalled by his comments. Libé seemed particularly eager to point up how bad Chirac had made France look. Have a look at that, and then for marvelous commentary, have a look at this tour de force exploration of the issue by - of course - Steve Den Beste.* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:28 AM:
A Dog's Life is back home with much to tell about the trip to Westminster. Drop by for another peek into the world of dog shows. And congrats to Lacey on her Award of Merit.* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:15 AM:
French news is below; I wanted to hit a few more things from Libé, though. First, highlights from this article, also linked below:[Sidebar quote]"The Union is not the Warsaw Pact. These countries have their opinions and must express them." Chris Patten, charged with Foreign Relations.
The Fifteen had barely succeeded in settling their differences over Iraq when Jacques Chirac opened a new fault, this time between the EU and the former communist countries called to join the club soon...
Despite the insistence of London, these countries were not invited to sit with the Fifteen, Germany and France having refused them. The Thirteen therefore had no right, yesterday, to "a single bit of information" about the compromise reached overnight by the heart of the Union.
The threats of Chirac against these "traitors" against Europe were plainly badly received. What the President said "is not democratic." "I hope he'll regret them. We are all Europeans and, in one family, everyone has the right to express his views," declared Romanian president, Ion Iliescu.
Quickly seizing the chance to sock it to Chirac, Tony Blair yesterday sent a letter to his opposite numbers to offer "infinite regret" that they were so treated at the end of the summit. On Iraq, "perhaps the candidates are merely guilty of following the 'French method'?" joked the Irish Pat Cox, president of the European Parliament. A pique surely felt with respect to that "arrogance" that often jostles "little" countries.
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posted by gbarto at 1:50 AM:
Update to everything below: at 1:50 I gave up and went into blogger along a different route (we'll see if it will post) since it hadn't been getting me to the pro2 site since 1 am. Here's offline stuff I'd been preparing to manually add:As I type, Blogger is down (1 a.m. or so). Yet again. I was reading about how going with google would allow them to grow. But, whether related or not, they've been doing a less than stellar job since the buyout announcement.
You'll know by the formatting if it's back up by the time I post.
So, we're up to 125 in the South Korean subway fire. No terrorism, etc., from what I read. Just a first-class loony tune. Here's the story:
125 Killed in S. Korea Subway Fire
Man arrested for starting blaze was attempting to commit suicide
He missed.
Israeli Tanks, Helicopters Storm Gaza
Hamas crackdown leaves 11 Palestinians dead, including suicide bomber
Wonder if Saddam will pay the last guy's family.
Activist: Jackson Compromised by Ties to Club Owners
Oops. If Jesse had kept his mouth shut, nobody would have cared. But he came to the defense of the owners of the club where there was a big stampede without acknowledging that one of the owners was a good friend.
Of course, anybody with a brain could see that something was amiss. He didn't shake 'em down for thousands to the Rainbow Coalition before making his statement.
1:20 Blogger Pro site 2 still not functioning
French news headlines
Lots of stuff at Le Monde:
Second Resolution Expected at UN. That resolution is from the Bush team, of course.
Also mentioned, Chirac castigates "ill-mannered" candidate countries to quick to support the US. He specifically threatened the hopes of Bulgaria and Romania for joining the EU in two years and stated that a certain sense of solidarity would be necessary to joining the Union. However - and give Le Monde credit here - the article points out two reasons why the candidate countries weren't on the same page as France: 1) They were specifically not invited to the European Summit where the EU's position was formed so wouldn't have seen the workings that led to the position, and 2) The invitations were denied at the request of Germany with the support of Greece and the assistance of France, because it was feared their presence in discussions would highlight "new" Europe's tendancy toward Britanno-American thinking and make Germany's explicit pacifism look even more out of touch.
Le Figaro leads with Blair's affront to Chirac. Speaking of those bothersome "new" European nations, Tony Blair sent them a letter. The letter highlights current EU president Greece's decision to leave them out of the summit. Funny how if France plays hardball with the UK it's realism but when it goes the other way it's an affront.
On the same, Libé notes, Jacques Chirac sends cold winds eastward or words to that effect. More on this in the post above.
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Tuesday, February 18, 2003
posted by gbarto at 3:12 PM:
Bush: Protests Won't Sway U.S.President says nations trying to extend inspections want to give Saddam Hussein 'another, another, another last chance'
The left has been talking all about the horrors of war, so delay, delay, delay. What about the horrors of peace?
A really nasty idea for a commercial:
Arianna Huffington and others have been taking their shots at Bush and asking why we're so worked up about Iraq. And America's college students, ever the sheep of those offering a spot on the non-conformist bandwagon, have been bleating away. It's time for a little consciousness raising. So, here's the set-up:
Iraqi exile tearfully recounts fleeing Iraq when it got to be too much, talks about the pain of leaving family behind.
He then talks about extended family, say his favorite little niece, who must be all grown up by now.
He then says, "But this is the last picture I have of her..."
Cut to one of the rape videos (censored of course) sent to exiles in Kuwait.
Screen goes black. White block letters appear:
X fled Iraq in 1990.
He is one of the many exiles who got videotapes like this.
Videotapes that showed family members
being gang-raped.
Saddam's message was clear: Your family will pay the price for your freedom.Screen goes black. White block letters appear:
President Bush wasn't kidding when he said
EVIL
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posted by gbarto at 3:02 PM:
The WSJ has a front-pager on the increasingly intransigent Chirac and his quest for a legacy. We think it's far less complicated - he simply wants to be beloved enough of the French liberal elite that they don't prosecute his ass when he leaves office.* * *
posted by gbarto at 3:01 PM:
Hmmm... today's the third time I've had trouble accessing Blogger Pro since Google bought 'em. What's up with that?Anyway, here's the headline:
Turkey Wants Money In Exchange for Basing Troops
May we humbly suggest that the next time he has talks with them, Sec. Rumsfeld wear a "Free Kurdistan" lapel pin...
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posted by gbarto at 11:29 AM:
Says "Is that legal?", it's the 61st anniversary of executive order 9066, which led to the internment of Japanese Americans. It was signed by FDR, a Democrat; something to consider for those who call the Republicans nazis and fascists all the time.* * *
posted by gbarto at 11:18 AM:
I see the death toll in the South Korea subway bombing is up to 120. And they've arrested a suspect. Here's the story:120 Killed in S. Korea Subway Fire
Man arrested for igniting milk carton filled with flammable material
Our categorization of the story as an example of evil last night has a bizarre aspect to it. It appears the guy who did it was just plain nuts, having threatened to burn down several other things before. I don't know, but it looks like there's no terrorism connection, however.
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posted by gbarto at 11:10 AM:
Just a clerical error:Fatal Mistake
Girl near death after medical clerical error gives her wrong organs
Hmmmm. Wrong legs amputated was bad enough. But now this. Do doctors not look at files before operating anymore? Jeebus. I'm not privy to the process, but to miss something this fundamental... The last thing we checked before starting an experiment in my organic chemistry lab was to make sure we had the right equipment and the right chemicals so we wouldn't fill the lab with anything dangerous. Can such a basic step have eluded the practicioners of medicine at Duke University?
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posted by gbarto at 1:08 AM:
Den Beste here and here on the run-up to war.* * *
posted by gbarto at 1:01 AM:
TurkeyBlog in strong competition for the "Statement of the Obvious" award for the post below. But we'll let it stand, with strong encouragement to read Steve's version.* * *
posted by gbarto at 12:59 AM:
Den Beste has thoughts on the death of pitcher Ron Belcher from heatstroke. Like the Chicago mess, awful, upsetting and unnecessary. You'd think we'd make better use of our humanity than this. Baseball may be a big deal - as may a big party - but neither is worth dying for.* * *
posted by gbarto at 12:51 AM:
Here's your French news headlines:Le Monde: The Fifteen Adopt A Common Text. Yup, they've picked a position for the EU. They say war is not inevitable but will come if Iraq doesn't shape up, that Iraq can't play this game forever - though there's no deadline, and that they wish to work with many nations on disarming Iraq, particularly the United States - which is not unlike saying that you'd like your carpenter friend to come redo your house for free while you give instructions.
Le Figaro tells us that The Europeans Are Closing Ranks. They mean, of course, that the EU managed to pass the text mentioned above.
But the Honesty in Headlines award tonight goes to Libération:
The Fifteen Pick up the Pieces on Iraq
The sub-headline notes that they lean toward inspections but acknowledge that recourse to force may be necessary. Let's rewrite that: The Fifteen say war isn't inevitable, but it cannot be ruled out.
Makes me proud to be an American when I read stuff like this.
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posted by gbarto at 12:32 AM:
Evil:N. Korea Threatens U.S.
Nation warns it may abandon 1953 armistice that ended Korean War
Also evil:
S. Korea Subway Attack Kills 35
Firebomb suspect being questioned; 87 still missing, 135 injured
Just plain idiotic:
Nightclub Had Been Ordered to Close
Dance hall where 21 people were killed in stampede violated court order
Hate to say it, but if Osama wants to do a lot of us in, he could do a lot more damage by infiltrating the ranks of the crowd control people - from bouncers to mall cops to highway patrols - than with a lot of his current approaches.
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posted by gbarto at 12:18 AM:
Does Annan want a credible UN?
Europe Warns Iraq to Disarm
Nice AP article at Fox News. And the final graf hits a point WaPo seems to be missing.
First, we'll give you a little dose of French arrogance (also quoted at WaPo). Then we'll explain the TurkeyBlog's headline. Ready? Here's little Jackie Chirac, doing his imitation of a world leader:
Some EU candidates, including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, have backed the United States. In an extraordinary outburst Monday, Chirac publicly lambasted eastern European nations for their support for Washington over the Iraq crisis.Tough talk from a guy widely suspected of running for his second term primarily for the immunity from prosecution it provided. Meanwhile, here's Blair, on the ridiculousness of dovish Europe's reasoning:
"It is not really responsible behavior, it is not well brought-up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet," he told reporters.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair appeared frustrated by the French stance, saying he did not understand how EU states could agree Iraq was not cooperating fully, but Baghdad had not been declared in material breach, or violation, of U.N. resolutions - grounds for military action.But here's the biggie we mentioned. Are you ready? Heeeeeeeeere's - well, hearsay about, anyway - Kofi!
``If Iraq is not cooperating fully and everyone accepts they are not cooperating, why is Iraq not then in material breach? I still don't know the answer to that question,'' he told reporters.
European parliamentary leaders, who met with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan before he entered the summit, said Annan stressed, however, that he did not want the weapons inspections to go on too long, suggesting the threat of action had to be real to preserve the body's credibility.That Annan has started to worry about this drawing on too long suggests that maybe other serious people will slowly start to come on board. Does this mean a change of heart for Chirac? Come on... I said, "serious people." Also, the story reports that Blair is looking for ways to drop the push for a second resolution, apparently feeling that it's either a) a useless effort, b) idiotic to waste time working with such idiots or - our favorite choice, c) both of the above.
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Monday, February 17, 2003
posted by gbarto at 11:26 PM:
Cute column by Jon Carrol in - of all places, the San Francisco Chronicle. Carrol offers a nice picture of what so many of remember from history class as we celebrate... is it Washington? Lincoln? all the presidents? other than Nixon? Who knows?* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:50 AM:
Welch has Havel moments. If you have one, he'd love for you to tell him about it. For the record, I don't have any personal Havel moments. The closest I come is memories of a collection of plays in honor of Havel that featured a play by Beckett. And all I remember about the play is wondering whether it didn't sound more like Ionesco in a deep funk.* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:06 AM:
It's a few days old, but Common Sense and Wonder has found a handy-dandy summary of France's history with Iraq. Have a look, and remember it when the French partisans start sounding a little too impassioned.* * *
posted by gbarto at 1:54 AM:
Here's the WaPo round-up on the Sunday shows, and particularly on Dr. Rice's remarks about the Iraq situation. Hint: The UN Security Council was accused of appeasement, and reminded how that turned out in the '30s. It doesn't sound like the US is backing down.* * *
posted by gbarto at 12:46 AM:
We're calling this update, "chastened," for reasons which will become apparent. Sorry for the word choice, but I've been thinking of Hugo's Chatiments as I ponder French arrogance of late. So here we go: Here come your French news headlines:Le Monde: NATO Finds Agreement on Turkey. The accord was reached in a committee to which France doesn't belong, and conditioned support on NATO support for Iraq being approached through the UN. And Chirac tells Time that he thinks Saddam should go into exile. So does the TurkeyBlog, but it doesn't look likely. Which leaves acting to physically remove him.
Le Figaro: Bush constrained to diplomacy. But what's this?
Baghdad, yesterday resigned, today, euphoricThe story says they're grateful for the human shields, delighted with the efforts Blix made to push for more inspections, thrilled with the French Foreign Minister's statements at the UN. But some are warning that Iraq is "euphoric" and liable to overplay its hand, with some boasting they've "stopped the American bull." We presume the French are proud, though you can sense in the Figaro article that at least a few are prudent enough to worry that they'll be shown to have been played for fools again. In which case, Iraq will be flat and France's credibility will be nil.
Libé leads with Ten Million Rise Against War. But below, we see France walking a tightrope. How come? Because, as Mr. Schroder found out, this regime will cut your ties to the most powerful nation on earth if you push it too far. But why is France so concerned with maintaining a relationship with our warmongering, backward backwater country? Here's a partial translation of the article:
With the impressive antiwar demonstrations Saturday, France registered a fine boost in esteem. But she also finds herself in a paradoxical situation. Pushed into the role of flag-bearer for the peace camp against the warrior strategy of the US, Paris defends itself from charges of being pacifist or anti-American, careful to keep other options in case the peace-camp's paths go nowhere and recourse to force is shown to be inevitable.This article demonstrates the heart of the problem for Europe on all this mess. They want to stand equal to the US... but they don't. They have neither the arms nor the personnel to deploy to enforce their wonderful plans - nor even the means to raise such an army and equip it. They taunt the US, but without the US, they're just a few more countries with opinions. France is beginning to realize that it could be left hanging. And that it's damn lucky it's the US and not France being counted upon here. If Bush were really angry, he could pull our troops and tell France to figure out Iraq on their own then. Fortunately, Bush is a better man than to do that. A lot of UN personnel could find themselves dead otherwise. And France find itself a nation not only greatly chastened, but horribly weakened. At the moment, the US looks weakened and France strengthened. But, as we noted last night only half tongue in cheek,
Lucid. After a time in January when Paris seemed to align itself with Berlin in its unconditional hostility to war, France has rediscovered the position it had in the fall. Lucid on the noxiousness of Saddam's regime, but persuaded that war is not, at the moment, justified, Paris wants to give every chance to peaceful disarmament. For this, the inspections, which have permitted advances, must be pursued until disarmament is assured or the inspectors throw in the towel, considering themselves no longer able to do their work. That's when other options, including war, will have to be envisaged at the UN...
[France's line has the upper hand for the moment.] But its advantage is fragile. The US, whose determination hardly seems weakened, disposes of powerful means for pressuring recalcitrant countries. Also, the French position has its own weaknesses, in particular the lack of a set term for inspections, making some fear that Paris is giving Saddam respite, or worse a triflingly simplistic assurance that inspections alone will be enough to allow for the disarming of Baghdad.
In an interview published yesterday... in Time, the French president payed hommage - insistent but late-coming hommage, often absent from his official speeches - to the dissuading role of the American armada in the Gulf: "If we are to succeed in disarming Iraq, there is no doubt that it will be due in large part to the presence of American forces on the ground. If those soldiers weren't there, it is not evident that Saddam would have played along." Chirac also recalls that he loves the US and its junk food and is saddened to hear himself described as anti-American...
Risks. Bolstered by the size of the demonstrations, France runs risks for its bet. Besides tensions with Washington, Europe is being torn apart over the Iraq crisis. There's also the crisis at the heart of NATO and the risk of the implosion of the Security Council. If the Americans insist absolutely upon presenting a resolution that authorizes recourse to force, Paris, which fosters mystery over its willingness to use its veto will have to reveal itself on the matter. And in the logic of the moment, it could only stand opposed to its veto.
the Second Rule of French Warfare: "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."applies here. Anti-war crowds the world over marched against the US today. Many of the people at those demonstrations may naively think it would be their greatest triumph if America limped home, tail between its legs, chastened by world opinion. Jacques Chirac knows better, and is no doubt losing sleep over the possibility he will lose this game by winning it, for if France is too successful in knocking down the US and or its credibility, the Western world will have only its talking points to face off against an adversary for whom words are the only thing cheaper than human lives.
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posted by gbarto at 12:13 AM:
European Union Faces Big HurdleSpecifically, that it isn't one. We know that NATO finally came to a compromise on Turkey. It did so by shutting out the French - they weren't invited to the talks. Meanwhile, the EU has been trying in vain to come to an Iraq policy compromise that looks more meaningful than nine for France, six for the US, but wait until next year. But in order to get France comfortable with the discussion, they had to lock out several Eastern European countries that will join the EU in the next two years. Bottom line, France and Germany are trying to assert themselves at the levels of NATO, the EU and the UN because if they can't take charge of the functioning of those bodies with their intransigeance now, they'll be rendered unimportant in them later. In the EU in particular, the Franco-German reasoning carries the day with the current 15 members. But when there are 25, they'll be outvoted unless they can either woo an Eastern Europe away from the US - an Eastern Europe that remembers France cozying up to the Soviets even as the US fought to free them - or make it seem that France and Germany being in charge is just the way things work. And they're scared. Forget sweetheart oil deals, forget everything. Two nations that held center-stage - for good or ill - during most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are on the verge of becoming just two other countries. And they don't like it. The question is how many lives will be jeopardized - even lost - before the two recognize that unless they create something new in the workings of the world and among nations, their time will be up as leaders. There is talk of American hubris, but American hubris has a massive army, a massive economy and the second largest free population in the world behind it. The Hexagon acts as though these are all unnecessary, as though being French should be enough. That's hubris.
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Sunday, February 16, 2003
posted by gbarto at 11:52 PM:
ElBaradei Warns Iraq Not to Misread Security CouncilBold talk from a man who a few days ago was scrambling to make sure that those members who lacked resolve would have cover. He's just like the French - thinks the Americans and their army should keep up the pressure - even as they spit on us - so that their efforts might work, since they have neither the will nor the means to do sh-- in the world on their own.
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posted by gbarto at 11:48 PM:
NATO OK's Turkey Defense PlanningBreaking a monthlong impasse, the move reaffirms alliance solidarity while supporting U.N. efforts for a peaceful Iraq solution
And it only took a couple weeks to agree to come to the aid of an alliance member potentially in danger. Stalin's spinning in his grave with worry that he might have been able to but failed to challenge the alliance in his own day. Krushchev, however, remains calm. France was gone for most of his tenure.
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posted by gbarto at 11:14 PM:
Is blogger posting yet? Yes it is! (just confirmed) Back soon.* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:28 AM:
Den Beste has some excellent suggestions. One of which is leaving Germany, and every other nation that thrives on kicking us in the balls while counting on us for protection and income, in the lurch. The US army is to leave Germany and takes its hungry mouths and supply needs to Italy. And there's talk the US military in particular and government in general will stop buying from the Germans. Good idea. They've had plenty of fun making us work for the privilege of protecting them. They're not worth the trouble in a post-Cold War environment. So auf Wiedersehen and Buongiorno.* * *
posted by gbarto at 1:53 AM:
If you go down a few posts, we have some approving comments on a French film just released in the US. Not to worry, it's followed by a lovely cut on the French. In the meantime, here's our French headline update:Le Monde leads with "Millions of Anti-War Protestors March Around the World."
Le Monde's lead editorial is "Position of Principle." The article is generally snooty with respect to the US, takes a shot at our simplistic tendencies, et cetera. It goes so far as to assert that Jacques Chirac has principles, something no one asserted before his reelection. But it also notes:
Le sérieux veut qu'on ajoute autre chose. L'objectif français de désarmement par les inspections ne serait pas crédible sans le déploiement armé américain. Bagdad n'a concédé des gestes de souplesse que sous la pression militaire des Etats-Unis. Complémentarité ? / Serious people would like to add one other thing. The French objective of disarmament through inspections would not be credible without the deployment of the American army. Baghdad only conceded to gestures of flexibility under military threat from the United States. Complementarity?Not bad, except for the last word, which implies that Americans are supposed to risk blood and treasure to more effectively implement French policy. Ordinarily, the TurkeyBlog would be highly insulted. But right now he's smiling. Because if you read further down, you'll see this simplistic American perception about France:
Second Rule of French Warfare: "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."And Le Monde said it!
Libé: "The Entire World Marches Against War in Iraq."
Nothing new from Le Figaro.
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posted by gbarto at 1:40 AM:
Looking at all the protest stories, I can't help but think of an old joke:One time, the President of the United States and the Chairman of the Soviet Politburo were talking. The President said, "You know, America is a better and stronger society that the Soviet Union. My intelligence briefings tell me you shoot dissenters and protesters or send them to work camps. It's different here in America. If somebody wants to stand in front of the White House and yell, 'The President of the United States is a liar, a thief and a scoundrel,' we let him.Seeing this headline -
The Chairman listened a minute, then said, "Is not so different here. If man in Moscow should want to stand in front of Kremlin and shout, 'The President of the United States is a liar, thief and scoundrel,' we too would let him.
Worldwide Anti-War Protests
Protesters gather near the U.N. in New York. Demonstrators fill 20-plus blocks in New York City to speak out against possible war against Iraq.
- and this one -
Iraqis March in Support of Hussein After Weapons Ban
- reminded me of that old Cold War staple. To hear their rhetoric, the anti-war protestors live in the most oppressive of regimes in the world under Bush, a petty tyrant intent on ruining the Iraqi people. Funny, then, that they keep going to marches and going home safely at the end - other than, maybe, the threat of mugging. Why aren't they more afraid of the government rounding them up? Why aren't they afraid of being sent for re-education? Because they live in a Western civilization, which is to say, a civilization. So the next time you run into a protester, pat him or her on the head, assure him that yes, yes, you too are concerned. And then ask, "If the US is so oppressive and tyrannical and it's so imperative that we save the Iraqi people from our oppressive, tyrannical ways, how come you're standing here talking to me, but nobody knows what happened to the guy in the red circle and how is our inaction going to prevent others from disappearing like he did?" (Then pull out this photo, lest they think you're crazy:)
If they don't wince and offer at least four "ums," you can rest assured that they're too feeble of mind to be a threat. Or worth discussing the issue with.
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posted by gbarto at 1:01 AM:
We've been slapping France around a fair amount lately, but we'll give 'em one thing: Audrey Tatou. The actress, made famous by Jeunnet's Amélie is in a new film, He loves me, he loves me not, which has just made its way over here. In it, Tatou plays a young woman who is not quite in touch with reality - and whose confusion has devastating consequences. I don't want to say too much, because there are some deliciously surprising things wrapped up in how the story unfolds, so I'll talk a little about the title. In English, we say "He [or she] loves me, loves me not..." while plucking flower petals. In French, it's more like, "Il m'aime un peu, il m'aime beaucoup, m'aime à folie, m'aime pas du tout" (if I have it right; probably not quite). That translates, roughly, "He loves me a little / He loves me alot / He loves me like mad / He loves me not." The French title, "A folie, pas du tout" expresses the extremes offered in the French - madly or not at all. The story turns on which it is.Go see it if it shows up in your area. It's extremely well done, Tatou's innate sweetness and quirkiness undergo surprising transformations and the result is - forgive me for putting it this way - a sharper, richer and more complex exploration of the dark side of Amélie. (Incidentally, we still prefer Amélie, having nothing against the simple and the sweet, and actually preferring them, but this film is worth seeing.)
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posted by gbarto at 12:46 AM:
From the e-mail bag:
Subject: The Complete Military History of France:
Gallic Wars - Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.
Hundred Years War - Mostly lost, saved at last by female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French warfare: "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchman."
Italian Wars - Lost. France becomes the first and only country to ever lose two wars when fighting Italians.
Wars of Religion - France goes 0-5-4 against the Huguenots.
Thirty Years War - France is technically not a participant, but manages to get invaded anyway. Claims a tie on the basis that eventually the other participants started ignoring her.
War of Devolution - Tied. Frenchmen take to wearing red flowerpots as chapeaux.
The Dutch War - Tied
War of the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War - Lost, but claimed as a tie. Three ties in a row induces deluded Frogophiles the world over to label the period as the height of French military power.
War of the Spanish Succession - Lost. The War also gave the French their first taste of a Marlborough, which they have loved every since.
American Revolution - In a move that will become quite familiar to future Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists did almost all the fighting. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads to the Second Rule of French Warfare: "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."
French Revolution - Won, primarily due to the fact that the opponent was also French.
The Napoleonic Wars - Lost. Temporary victories (remember the First Rule!) due to leadership of a Corsican, who ended up being no match for a British footwear designer.
The Franco-Prussian War - Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunken frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.
World War I - Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like to not only sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline.
World War II - Lost. Conquered French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish learning the Horst Wessel Song.
War in Indochina - Lost. French forces plead sickness, take to bed with the Dien Bien Flu.
Algerian Rebellion - Lost. Loss marks the first defeat of a western army by a Non-Turkic Muslim force since the Crusades, and produces the First Rule of Muslim Warfare: "We can always beat the French." This rule is identical to the First Rules of the Italians, Russians, Germans, English, Dutch, Spanish, Vietnamese and Esquimaux.
War on Terrorism - France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to Germans and Muslims just to be safe. Attempts to surrender to Vietnamese ambassador fail after he takes refuge in a McDonald's.
The question for any country silly enough to count on the French should not be "Can we count on the French?", but rather "How long until France collapses again?"
Maybe not all nice, not all accurate, not all fair. But close enough and the message conveyed is pretty much on target.
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