The French and France are excepted from above ...
Good. Check these out:
WSJ LETTERS
online.wsj.com
Ah, France, Ma Cherie . . . C'est Fini
French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier wrote "A Letter to America" on your Nov. 8 editorial page; in it he sounds sincerely perplexed by American reluctance to take France seriously. He suggested that America and the EU "have so much to do together to promote democracy, security and development." It's hard to imagine a more disingenuous statement -- no nation has done more than France to discredit, subvert and attack American foreign policy at every turn over the past two years, in the media, in the U.N. and at virtually every multilateral summit.
Americans are waking up to the true nature of this "faux ally": The current anti-Semitism in Europe is at its most virulent in France, even as a Palestinian celebrity terrorist on his death bed in a French hospital received tearful accolades from the French elite, and visits by the French president and other officials.
In such a context, can anyone take French protestations of concern over the Atlantic Alliance seriously?
Stephen Carter
Taichung, Taiwan
France, my love, though I have missed you, I have not missed you much. Your language once lightened my spirit, but now, laden with vitriol, it is burdensome and saps my joie de vivre. Your behavior, once coquettish in its charms, now seems only venal, self-serving and, well, provincial. The occasion of a rendezvous, or as you suggested, a "high level" meeting, would have one day aroused my anticipation, but now, after so many false promises and such unfaithfulness, enlists only ennui in doing that which we have done so dispassionately so many times before. Though it is true we must remain together for the sake of those who rely upon us, I feel I must be honest and confess that you have, to me, grown old, and that I no longer find you attractive.
You can expect, of course, that I will remain discreet in my (d)alliances.
John Wight
Pleasant Grove, Utah
In his letter, Michel Barnier poses a series of challenges to both the United States and France, urging that several "deadlocks" be broken to establish a more promising future for Franco-American relations. While his eloquence in stressing broad common goals and recalling past days of glory and amity is most welcome, he conveniently glosses over the very real issues that have created the wedge and the animosity in the relationship: France's failure to stand tall, to "be there" with an ally who has sacrificed much on behalf of the inheritors of Lafayette. As for bashing France, about which Mr. Barnier complains and demands that it stop, how should the average American assess recent French behavior?
France's interests are defined by President Chirac, whom I have known for more than a quarter-century, and implemented by members of his cabinet, such as Mr. Barnier. So long as Mr. Chirac believes that a strong America, assertive in the war on terror and determined to prosecute the war on global terror, is a presence inimical to the interests of France, one that needs to be restrained, there will be no effective dialogue.
Instead of sending indirect messages to newly re-elected President Bush, Mr. Chirac might profitably extend a hand, while interpreting French interests within the prism of shared interests. And Mr. Barnier might better advise his president to seize the opportunity to improve relations promptly, while the window of opportunity remains open.
Richard V. Allen
Washington and Denver
(Mr. Allen was national security adviser to President Reagan and is currently a member of the Defense Policy Board).
Mr. Barnier finally got to the heart of the matter in his last paragraph with the statement, "America needs a capable, responsible Europe." Absolutely correct! When Europe becomes capable and responsible, please feel free to call. We had been waiting impatiently. And in case you might not have noticed during your prolonged fits of contemplating your navels and placating terrorists, we have decided to move on.
R. Douglas Hume, Ph.D.
Kalamazoo, Mich.
Three cheers for Mr. Barnier's encouraging and supportive Letter. Given the post-election timing of its publication, one wonders if Mr. Barnier perhaps wrote two letters? One for an America with President-elect Kerry and the one published in the Journal. Notably, Mr. Barnier's message was equally as valid on Nov. 1 as it was on Nov. 9. However, his expression of support and cooperation for the U.S., while welcome, would have been more symbolically meaningful and politically powerful had he made it when the outcome of the U.S. presidential election was still undetermined.
Chris Scibelli
Los Angeles
|
