France

Bashing the French at Volokh (hat tip Insta).

Perhaps this is unfair, but what head of state, talking to two other heads of state & with a reporter present, expects privacy?

They represent countries Congress fears Bolton would offend?

By the way, my brother-in-law was invited by Russians to discuss no-till at a huge conference last year. I don’t know much about experimental agriculture nor what the English do, but I would bet (and bet heavily) on the Anglosphere on that one. Our grapes grafted to their grapes forever–that hearty American stock may taint but it survives. A note on current French problems.

Thanks to Kerfuffles’ “Three Stooges Do Europe.” Via Reasoned Audacity, who is covering the G8 & linked by Instapundit. Kerfuffles links to Telegraph.

(My husband, no Francophile, contends I’m losing my sense of humor. He may have a point. Before 9/11 this would have seemed funny; maybe I need to lighten up. Still complaints of Bush’s anglospheric unilateralism get old.)

I just read a surprisingly candid and well balanced news item from Reuters. The article discusses a recent survey which showed that trust between France and the US is at a record low.

The level of distrust is higher in France than in the US. 70% of the French respondents claimed that America wasn’t a “loyal ally”, while 56% of people questioned in the US said that France wasn’t a “reliable partner”.

I’m not conversant in French myself, so I can’t be sure if this is a reliable translation of the questions that were actually used. If they are then I see a distinct difference in attitudes between the 2 countries just through the words ally and partner.

The author goes on to point out that the rejection of the European Union constitution by French voters was mainly driven by the French political Left, who are suspicious of American free market capitalism. This section of French society is also the most hostile to America. Considering the historical track record of the Socialist systems that they seem to favor, they’re only going to get more angry as their economy gets dragged further into the toilet by the welfare state they’ve created.

But putting all of that aside, I think it’s telling that many more French citizens are suspicious of the US than Americans are of the French. This indicates to me that France is going to be more unreasonable and resistant to any efforts to repair the rift.

I’m rather glad that the two countries are having problems right now. Conflict destroys false impressions and lets everyone know where they stand. We now find ourselves in the midst of a war, a global struggle against religious fanatics bent on our destruction. It’s always best to know who your friends are before you’re forced to rely on them.

It’s no secret that I’d like to see a more vibrant and dynamic Europe. That probably won’t happen in my lifetime, though. The path that most European countries have chosen leads to gradual insignificance rather than any revitalized role on the world stage.

I was idly reading this news item, which details the debate in France over the coming vote to ratify the EU Constitution, when I was struck dumb by a few paragraphs which outline the position of those opposed to ratification.

Like Chirac, “no” campaigners on the left have been using the United States as a foil, saying the treaty will open the door to American-style free-market capitalism rather than defend against it. They say jobs will be sucked eastward where labor is cheaper; public services will be privatized; France will be forced by EU competition laws to stop funding public firms and workers’ social protections will be trampled. They say a “no” vote will rescue rather than doom Europe.

So that’s what the French are afraid of, basically free market reforms that will increase competition. Nothing new there, but what was so shocking to me was that this is the stance taken by Le Pen, a French politician that is characterized as being “far right” by the press.

If this is the state of French political thought then I doubt they’ll be able to turn things around no matter how the ratification vote goes.

Has anyone read this? Here’s the money shot.

During a state visit to China, French Premier Raffarin threw support behind a law allowing China to attack Taiwan and continued to push for a lift of the EU arms embargo.

(emphasis added)

You know, I’m seriously thinking about how we should support a Taiwanese invasion of France.

(Hat tip to The Therapy Sessions.)