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Toujours L'Dunce
Friday April 18, 2003
From New York City
French President Jacques Chirac called President Bush the other day, joining the "Rodney-King-Can-We- All-Get-Along" school of international relations.
This transcontinental-telephonic-noogie is not likely to sway President Bush or make him forget the horrible things Chirac has been saying to and about America and Americans to anyone who will sit still long enough to listen to him or his foreign minister while pretending they care.
By the way, Mr. King the other night, drove his SUV in to a house. Yes. Into a house.
According to Reuters, King was "driving at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of traffic. Before the officer had a chance to pursue, he struck a tree, took out a section of a power pole, went through a chain link fence and crashed into a house."
Yes. Into a house.
This neo-Franco charm offensive is ... offensive.
Matt Porio, writing in the NY newspaper, Newsday:
French Ambassador to the United States Jean-David Levitte [Wednesday] called the conversation [between Chirac and Bush] "key to reopening the door to friendship" between the two nations. "You Americans saved us twice in the last century, and we will never forget it," said Levitte, speaking at a small luncheon for scholars and dignitaries.
To misquote myself: Don't let the "door to friendship" hit you in the derri�re on the way out.
In Athens, Greece the existing members of the European Union met with the ten members of the EU pledge class while trying to figure out why they should be taken seriously in any post-war Iraq process.
According to the Washington Post's Robert McCartney, the EU has been trying out various formulations for the role of the United Nations. They have issued stern memos calling first for a "central" role, and now either an "essential" or "important" role.
However, McCartney writes, "It wasn't clear what that would mean in practical terms."
For his part, President Bush tossed the "are you serious or not" ball back into the UN's court when, at a speech in St. Louis Wednesday according to a piece in the Sydney, Australia Morning Herald, he: "urged the United Nations to lift the economic sanctions against Iraq that have been in place since the first Gulf War.
Meanwhile your friend and mine, former President Bill Clinton-Rodham also enrolled in the Rodney King school of foreign policy saying in New York this week, according to an article in the Toronto Globe & Mail:
"[C]hief weapons inspector Hans Blix 'was begging for more time,' and other countries wanted him to have it, yet the Bush administration would not bend. "We determined, 'We are going to do it now, and if you don't like it, we'll get even with you when it's over,'" Mr. Clinton said."
Mr. Clinton said that with more time, there is a chance Iraq would have disarmed, or that more countries would have supported the U.S. campaign. In one of those Inspector Louis Renault moments, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien (please don't e-mail me with the obvious pun on his name), got even this week with President Bush for canceling a trip to Canada. Cretien was talking to reporters prior to leaving for a trip to the Caribbean. Upon being told that former President Clinton-Rodham would be in Canada at the same time, "a smiling Chretien said he'd like to play golf with his "old friend.'"
This week starts 10 days of holidays on both the Jewish and Christian calendars. Passover, the celebration of the escape of the Jews from Egypt, started Wednesday evening and continues for eight days; Easter will be celebrated this Sunday for many Christians, with the Orthodox Church celebrating Easter according to its calendar a week later.
This, then, is a good time to pause and reflect on the two messages: Being released from bondage and celebrating the Resurrection. Much of the world will be praying and giving thanks this month.
On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: An explanation of the Rodney King reference, MANY links to the articles referred to above. An explanation of the title (which is a pun on Wednesday's Mullings), and a pretty neat Mullfoto.
--END --
Copyright © 2003 Richard A. Galen
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