:: Wog Blog ::

:: WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT? ::

:: Saturday 26 April 2003 ::

Don't bash the French when you are in bed with the Saudis

Wha'? That is just the same unconvincing argument as "Don't attack Saddam's regime, when there are other regimes that are bad" or that infuriating "Saddam used to be an ally of the US" argument that gets us precisely nowhere.

One bashing at a time. Bash the Saudis soon, but. For sure.

Bash the French now, though, cos they deserve it.

Their government, unlike the governments of Spain and Italy, chose, elected, worked for and achieved a persistent and incremental lifting of pressure from Saddam Hussein's regime. The pressure had been applied through Resolution 1441, including by the French. Blix began his reporting by slamming the Iraqi leadiership for its failure to grasp the seriousness of the process that had got underway. What happened then? A freakin' trainwreck, that's what. A trainwreck led by Blix who could not bring himself to keep the pressure on Saddam's regime, but instead fell into the trap of fencesitting, criticising and praising in equal measure, Saddam's Iraq, but always always sniping at American and British and Australian views. Always. Ultimately achieving a little, but that little being small enough to lift the pressure on Iraq.

And the French? 'We are not a pacifist nation but now, today, we will not resolve to use force. Under any circumstances. And any Central or Eastern European nation which begs to differ from our view will feel the cost of their foolishness in countering us.' Blah blah blah. Nothing Urgh.

No alternative. No solution. Just a bunch of maybe and telling us all what they would not do. And the threats to punish contrary views.

Get far away, I need to hear what you will not do.

I need to hear what you will do. And get totally far away at the treatment to the Vilnius group of nations. Really.

It is a curse of the intellectual, and Chirac and Villepin are intellectuals. They are clever, learned, duplicitous, slippery and vain. They took a position that stood for nothing, their population seemed to roundly support it. And for their erring vanity and the clamouring sheeplike population applauding that view, we got clean path to military force.

Thanks a lot, France.

Between Blix and the French, the Americans had no opposition. 5-4-3-2-1 force.

Opposition does not mean just opposing a view. It means putting up a credible alternative.

I do not want Chirac in my house. I am not suprised the Americans do not care for him either.

Does not mean the cheese is not good, and the roads and the architecture or the women are not yummy. Just means call 'em as you see 'em. And I see capital A Anti-Americans more than I see Capital F Frenchmen.

:: WB 6:03 pm [link+] ::