France: Vulture of the world
By Kyle Williams. Source: WND.com, March 29, 2003.
Politicians in the United States have said that President Bush has failed diplomatically and perhaps has made history in his "failure." However, I believe they are wrong. France has outdone itself in failing diplomatically. Along with other nations, America and its people have blasted the spineless, appeasing, socialist nation for their stance in the war on terror.
Still, some suggest a very overblown response to France, in terms of changing French fries to freedom fries, French toast to freedom toast, and hatred toward the nation simply because of their dissent in the war against Iraq. But, it goes so much deeper than that. Opposition toward France is not only because of their dissent, but because of their obstructionism on the world stage.
Dissent is not an issue that would cause a deep divide between these nations - we have disagreed with other countries and it hasn't led to this. France could have respectfully disagreed with the United States, taking a step out of the playing field to the sidelines. Instead, France President Jacques Chirac said, in regard to the follow-up resolution to 1441, "My position is that whatever the circumstances, France will vote no."
They stand beside a United Nations that equalizes the morality of America and Iraq. Their citizens have torched a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Bordeaux and destroyed a plaque honoring victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. They said last month that our war against Saddam Hussein is illegitimate, yet they demanded the U.S. have no role in a post-Saddam Iraq and, apparently, they wish to be the lead government in the reconstruction process.
Furthermore, as reported by Sky News, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin refused to answer the question, "Who do you want to win the war?" after a speech he gave in London.
In addition, some reports confirm a clear conflict of interest that has helped break relations between the U.S. and France involving the business of Jacques Chirac and Saddam Hussein - business relations that go back 26 years to "his sale of two nuclear reactors to Iraq with enough weapons-grade uranium to build three or four nuclear bombs," an article in the Vancouver Sun reported on Feb. 25. "Chirac also spearheaded a $1.5 billion weapons deal with Saddam which included 60 Mirage F1 fighter planes, surface-to-air missiles and advanced electronics."
Yet, there's more. According to a report on Thursday by Creators Syndicate columnist Benjamin Shapiro, French soldiers were expelled from a U.S. base in Saudi Arabia for espionage: "The French had apparently been caught hacking into the U.S. secret computer system."
I'm not simply systematically chronicling the problems of France as a reason to oppose them - these are just a few instances of the hatred toward America on the part of France. There is a long list of statements and actions by the French people and government that shows they hate our nation. France is about the most liberal, socialist nation on the planet and they make no effort to hide it in their comments and political actions.
Some say the falling-out between our two governments and our people is regrettable. I respectfully disagree. Such a morally repugnant and arrogant nation should be no friend of the United States.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard framed his words perfectly in opining on the current state of France: "When you start to compare [permanent security council members], America is the eagle, China is the tiger, Russia is the bear, and in my view France is the vulture," he said in an interview to ABC Radio. "It circles around and does nothing for itself, waiting for the opportunity to go and pick the benefits of other people's hard work."
In the past, when France had major difficulties, what nation was the first to help? America. In the future, when France has serious problems, who will be the first to help?