In light of Shrub's UN address today ("Hey, guys... Freedom Fries? We were just kidding!"), I thought it was worth mentioning the recent essay by Thomas Friedman in the New York Times (registration required, but lie all you want) that all the blogs have been talking about.
It's time we Americans came to terms with something: France is not just our annoying ally. It is not just our jealous rival. France is becoming our enemy.Whoo-hoo! Damn, time for another cold war! Perhaps Jacques Chirac can stand picturesquely in this spot, declaring "Mr. Bush, tear down this wall!"
The best rebuttal to the Friedman essay that I've found is by Greg Palast, here.
Friedman calls voting a, "loopy symbolic transfer of Iraqi sovereignty." Friedman, Rumsfeld and Saddam Hussein all have the same line: Iraqis aren't ready for democracy. Well, I suppose Tom Paine would have disagreed -- but, hell, he moved to France.
...
France's election suggestion was prompted by our Secretary of State, the pitiable Colin Powell who, on his boss Rumsfeld's orders, demanded the European Union pony up $5 billion cash to rebuild the parts of Iraq we bombed. (Dollars only, euros not accepted.) And, says the Rummy to Elderly Europe, "Send us 25,000 troops and put'em under US command." After all, didn't we graciously replace France in Vietnam after Dien Bien Phu? Apparently, Rumsfeld thought France would jump at the chance for another game of Colonial Quagmire.
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