The g-ddamned French surrender again
posted at 12:51 pm on August 9, 2006 by Allahpundit
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Kid from Brooklyn sent me this last night but I didn’t blog it because, I confess, it was a Fox scoop and I thought their anti-French sentiments might perhaps have colored their report.
It now appears my doubts were unfounded.
Three days ago: France agrees with the U.S. on a resolution that would call for a “full cessation of hostilities” to be followed by the deployment in southern Lebanon of an international peacekeeping force. To be followed in turn by an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
72 hours of Arab seething and whining later: France demands an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon to be followed by the deployment in the south of 15,000 troops of the Lebanese army. A force which Time described three days ago as “weak not just by neglect, but also by design.”
It’s almost as though they’re doing Hezbollah’s bidding. Which, by doing Lebanon’s bidding, they are. And if you don’t believe Walid Phares, read the Lebanese prime minister’s op-ed today in WaPo and see if you can distinguish it from Hezbollah propaganda. If you can, then you’re one up on Captain Ed.
Steyn likes to refer to the UN as a vehicle for third-world nations to punch above their weight class internationally by voting in blocs. The sidecar on that vehicle, though, is the use of proxies, and whether out of fear of their own Arab underclass or their ambition to be a power broker in the Middle East (which would be an example of a minor power punching above its weight class), France is acting as a Security Council proxy of a proxy right now. And since Hezbollah is itself a proxy of Iran, well, I’m not anxious to see how the French use their undeserved influence when the Iranian nuclear matter finally comes to a head.
Bryan complained in this space last week about the United Nations placing subnational entities like Hezbollah on an equal footing with nation-states like Israel. A good point, but maybe not that important when you’ve got nations fronting for subnations anyway.
Now that France has caved, Israel’s widening the offensive to do as much damage to Hezbollah as they can before the UN restores things to the status quo ante. They appeased, and now they’ve ended up with a bigger war. As usual.
Update: Nasrallah gave a speech a few hours ago. Guess what it was about.
Update: And in a shocking twist, he thinks the French-backed Lebanese proposal to deploy native troops instead of international peacekeepers is just dandy.
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Well, it’s basically the same point writ a little larger now. You now have the unquestionably legit French government (by democratic standards) fronting for the Iranian mullahcracy (an unelected clan of dictators) who are in turn using Hezbollah to destroy Israel and drive us from the region by causing trouble in Iraq. And because of the UN’s pro-terror tilt, France and Iran will get away with it all while Israel, the US and the free world bears the brunt.
Bryan on August 9, 2006 at 1:00 PM
Is anyone really surprised that the French wimped out? When it came down to the reality that French troops may actually have to be placed in harms way the French cowered into their little rat hole like they always have in the past.
The Last Time the French had a formidable fighting force was back in the days of Napoleon.
Scorched_Earth on August 9, 2006 at 1:09 PM
Do yall know why the Frech planted trees along the Champs Elysées?
It’s so their invading enemies will have a place to rest in the shade.
BirdEye on August 9, 2006 at 1:12 PM
Hey there Scorched- although Napoleon was a formidable fighting force remember the french lost in that one too. if memory serves me right I think you would have to go back to King Charlamange for a french victory…..oh wait I think he was a Gaul…..
robo on August 9, 2006 at 1:17 PM
The French - they make Cindy Sheehan look like Michael Savage.
Rick on August 9, 2006 at 1:20 PM
The French oppose US policy by design, not due to internal weakness as this post suggests. By weakening US influence in Europe, they hope to increases French influence.
The French stand for one thing, the French. They do not intend to solve any world problems. If they perceive cozying up to despots increases their influences and power then they cozy up to despots.
It doesn’t just stop with the French government either. Anyone who has had to deal with French companies knows they operate in the same manor. (My experience is with Total).
By now, one would think, our diplomats should understand this.
Rustyw on August 9, 2006 at 1:31 PM
So where are the 15,000 troops now? Afraid to get in Hezbollah’s way would be my guess. Or possibly, playing the part of Hezbollah until they’re needed as soldiers again.
High Desert Wanderer on August 9, 2006 at 1:36 PM
BirdEye I thought they were planted to have some place to hang themselves!
Dread Pirate Roberts VI on August 9, 2006 at 1:48 PM
Click Me
rightside on August 9, 2006 at 1:53 PM
France, and specifically Chirac, are pandering to their large muslim population. They don’t want a repeat of the rampaging muslim youths like last summer. Fraility thy name is Western Civilization.
Andy in Agoura Hills on August 9, 2006 at 1:59 PM
This is probably good for Israel in the end. Can you imagine ANY “international” force that would be willing to shoot at Hezbos in a school or a mosque (which is where they would launch missles from)? What does Israel do then, having withdrawn and given Hezbos the cover of a ineffectual international force?
Clark1 on August 9, 2006 at 2:04 PM
they hope to increases French influence.
They’ve been hoping that for several hundred years now. Britain has always let them know that it holds all the cards. A question I haven’t seen enough of an answer to is WTF is wrong with the legit Lebanese government? Just letting Hezbollah do their dirty work? Too weak to stop Hez? Both?
Anwyn on August 9, 2006 at 2:21 PM
Thing is, unlike the Hezzies, the Germans actually marched on the Champs Elysees before the inevitable Frenchie roll-over.
Kid from Brooklyn on August 9, 2006 at 2:27 PM
Well, call the cooks, it’s back to Freedom Fries!
Brian on August 9, 2006 at 2:37 PM
Anwyn,
Hezbollah has put a hit out on any Lebanese government official that publicly opposes them. I forget which site posted this. Sorry for the non reference.
Rustyw on August 9, 2006 at 3:08 PM
France continues to undermine the U.S. as it always has - that’s their goal in life.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/09/05/wuran05.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/09/05/ixworld.html
Rick on August 9, 2006 at 3:51 PM
“France has neither winter nor summer nor morals. Apart from these
Drawbacks it is a fine country. France has usually been governed by prostitutes.”
–Mark Twain
“I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French
One behind me.”
–General George S. Patton
“Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your
Accordion.”
–Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
“We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it.”
–Marge Simpson
“As far as I’m concerned, war always means failure.”
–Jacques Chirac, President of France
“As far as France is concerned, you’re right.”
–Rush Limbaugh
NTWR on August 9, 2006 at 4:45 PM
I suspect that part of the reason the Lebanese government is so ineffectual at dealing with Hezbollah is because Hezbollah is both part of the actual Lebanese government (like the Democrats in the U.S.) and, more importantly, Hezbollah has it’s owm army that is loyal only to Hezbollah. Imagine if Michael Moore had an army of followers who were as crazy as MoveOn.org, and as large and as well armed as the blue states National Guard. Something like that would be very dangerous and almost impossible to take on.
And in addition, imagine that this Michael Moore faction was instead of spending all of his time attacking Bush, instead was attacking one of our neighbors. (Satanicstan, let us say)
Well, as bad as it is having Satanicstan launching limited attacks against Michael Moore and his jihadis, it could get even worse if we sent our U.S. army against his forces, as it could lead to all out civil war, like the one we had in 1861 to 1865. As Michael Moore and his ilk would then turn their weapons on us.
Which is what I think is happening right now in Lebanon. As a whole, the Lebanese dislike the Jewish nation of Israel. More so than they dislike Hezbollah. So they don’t want to fight the Lebanese Hezbollah just because the more hated Jews say they should. And they really don’t want a return to the all out civil war they had in the 1980s. So as far as the Lebanese are concerned, this is the best of a bad situation.
Or something like that. It’s probably even more twisted and machavellian than that.
Just my two cents.
EFG on August 9, 2006 at 4:48 PM
Nothing in the above post should be construed as support for the French or Lebanese or Hezbollah position. It was just a reply to Anwyn who was wondering about the weak response of the Lebanese government.
EFG on August 9, 2006 at 4:51 PM
EFG, your Lebanon two cents are right on. The Hezboz are the lesser of two evils, according to the Lebanese.
The French are just scared of the Muslim underclass they’ve imported. A situation we could mirror if we continue to import illegal socialist squalor here.
One more quote, (sorry), go ahead and delete them if they violate the posting rules, AP. No hard feelings…
“What do you expect from a culture and a nation that exerted more of
Its national will fighting against Disney World and Big Macs than the Nazis?”
–Dennis Miller
NTWR on August 9, 2006 at 4:56 PM
La grande nation est une petite belette - the grand nation is a little weasel - but we all knew this!
Wussitude! They’re only ‘grande’ in their heads. In the process they march directly toward dhimmitude.
Entelechy on August 9, 2006 at 5:14 PM
Reckon it’s pretty hard to build up an army capable of taking them out completely when civilians in the country think the same way as Hez.
But do they?
Anyway, it might be a nice analogy if it were remotely plausible that there’s any government on this earth that Michael Moore etc. hate more than our own. Better off suggesting that when we get an appeaser in the White House who’s busy handing us over, lock stock and barrel, to universal health care, global warming, and the global march of jihad, a Michael Moore shadow army will be taking potshots at …. Canada, assuming they’re less socialist than we will be at that point …. and Appeaser in the WH just lets them go at it because at least it keeps the light off him.
Dumb. And cowardly. And “totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.”
Anwyn on August 9, 2006 at 5:33 PM
I stongly recommend the book I used to keep on my coffee table in Paris. It is by Kevin Brimmer and entitled “Let’s Make Fun of the French”.
Some humor in the face of this all TOO expected turn of events:Q: Where can you find 60,100,000 French jokes?
A: In France.
Q: Why do zee French have zee onion and zee Arabs has zee oil?
A: Because zee French had zee first pick.
A cannibal went into the butcher shop to buy some brains for dinner. She saw that American and British brains were $4.95 per lb and French brains were $450.00 per lb. She gasped and asked the butcher if the price of the French brains were a misprint.
“No ma’m,” answered the butcher. “That is the correct price.” “Well, why are the French brains so expensive?” exclaimed the cannibal. “Do you know how many French it takes to get a pound of brains?” replied the butcher.
Q: How many generations does it take to learn ingratitude?
A: Trois
Q: Why do the French call their fighter the “Mirage”?
A: Because it’s never seen
Q: Why do French naval ships have glass bottoms?
A: To see all their other ships.
in a combat zone.
Q: What do you call a man who only needs body armor on his back?
A: Jacques Chirac
And one of my personal faves:
A Frenchwoman with a parrot on her shoulder walks into a bar. The barman says “That’s an real ugly bird you’ve there. Where did u get it?”
The parrot says “I got it in France … There’s millions of ‘em there”
labwrs on August 9, 2006 at 5:44 PM
What I find difficult to comprehend is the “shock” and “chagrin” that reporters profess when announcing that the French have double-crossed us. How many hundreds of times has it been? A bird flies into a mirror once. Even an amoeba quickly learn to avoid noxious stimuli. But not reporters or, it appears, government officials. Is it because both are stupider than birds or amoebae?
MaiDee on August 9, 2006 at 5:45 PM
Bag instead of brain would make this one funnier.
Kid from Brooklyn on August 9, 2006 at 6:23 PM
Besides, I can think of at leastone good thing to come out of France.
Kid from Brooklyn on August 9, 2006 at 6:28 PM
Kid, you keep posting things like that and I’m gonna start getting all…enthusiastic…for certain aspects of French culture. Well, French women and their sexy voices.
Dang, she sounded sexy.
Definitely giving me the same funny feeling in my pants as Kirsten Powers does to Allah.
EFG on August 9, 2006 at 7:24 PM
Is there any off-topic mention of Kirsten “Shut Up, Michelle” Powers that is not absolutely shameless for you people???
Anwyn on August 9, 2006 at 7:28 PM
Shameless…..
Well, I supose it all depends what the definitions of shameless is.
EFG on August 9, 2006 at 7:39 PM
My work here is almost done, however, Allah is yet to be turned out. One caveat, though. She IS, after all, a French journo. So who knows what flies out of that gorgeous piehole. I’d rate her a 97 out of 10 on the KPHF scale.
Hell, no.
Kid from Brooklyn on August 9, 2006 at 7:47 PM
Men…geeez..should have known
labwrs on August 9, 2006 at 8:15 PM
Well labwrs, if we weren’t men, we’d be, well…French.
There. I said it.
EFG on August 9, 2006 at 9:09 PM
EFG - don’t ever say that again.
Rick on August 9, 2006 at 10:06 PM
How do you spell ingratitude? “F R A N C E !”
Like somone said above, ‘why all the shock?” We know France always stabs America and everyone else for that matter, in the back! It would be a real shock if they every kept their word or ever stood with America on any issue!
Umnumzana on August 9, 2006 at 10:07 PM
“Are we not men? NO we are DEVO..not French” *LOL*
And I agree with Umnumzana..like Inspector whatshisname in Casablanca..how can we be SHOCKED..SHOCKED at French duplicity? Duplicity is the French raison d’etre!
Trust me on this, American men are the BEST in the World. Period. In every sense of the word best..the very very very very BEST. (Am biased, married one!)
labwrs on August 9, 2006 at 10:34 PM
OK…I cant resist:
The only seat available on the train was directly adjacent to a well dressed middle aged French woman and the seat was being used by her dog.
The weary traveler asked, “Ma’am, please move your dog. I need that seat.” The French woman looked down her nose at the American, sniffed and said, You Americans. Your are such a rude class of people. Can’t you see my little FiFi is using that seat?”
The American walked away, determined to find a place to rest, but after another trip down to the end of the train, found himself again facing the woman with the dog. Again he asked, “Please, lady. May I sit there?”. I’m very tired.”
The French woman wrinkled her nose and snorted “You Americans! Not only are you rude, you are also arrogant….Imagine!”
The American didn’t say anything else but leaned over, picked up the dog, tossed it out the window of the train and sat down in the empty seat. The woman shrieked, railed, and demanded that someone defend her honor and chastise the American.
An English man sitting across the aisle spoke up indignantly “You know,sir, you Americans do seem to have a penchant for doing the wrong thing. You eat holding the fork in the wrong hand. You drive your autos on the wrong side of the road. And now, Sir, you’ve thrown the wrong bitch out the window.”
——————————————————————————–
labwrs on August 9, 2006 at 11:28 PM
:-D
RD on August 10, 2006 at 3:06 PM