SamSaid!

THE FRENCH

     France and its leaders are already taking a pounding from much of the US media and also the internet. Something tells me that the internet traffic has just begun, and the treatment of the French will not be very complimentary. Quite the opposite. And we are just seeing the beginning  –  at least judging from some of the Emails coming my way.

    But considering the behavior of the French leaders in the current Iraqi affair, maybe the appropriate question should be “Should we expect anything else?” While I prefer California wines and eating popcorn instead of snails, I wouldn't want my personal biases to ignore history.

    In the last millenium, France hit its high water mark with Napoleon about 200 years ago. The came the retreat from Moscow, Waterloo, the exile of Napoleon, The Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and Mr. Bismarck,  WWI and the failure of the Maginot line, WWII and the “Pitiful 14 days” that led to Vichy France and the collaboration of Pierre Laval,  Vietnam and Dien Bien Phu, Algeria, and now the French $$$ Connection to Saddam. With that kind of legacy, is the behavior of Mr. Chirac and his aides so surprising? As I said, “What should we expect”? 

     None of us can be sure of what will come of the Iraqi incursion. It will not be pleasant. But there are enough Americans with long memories who will caustically label the French as long as they live. Betrayal is a good word here. It fits.

THE AZORES

     With the advent of TV, a favorite “catch-phrase” of the broadcasters has been “eye witness to history”. It has a nice sound to it. Nowadays, with 24 hour on-scene TV coverage, we all can be eye witnesses to history while dozing in our own family rooms. Who knows?  Maybe the Azore Summit will command a lot of attention from historians. I think it should.

     When you think about it, an awful lot of effort was put into a 1 1/2 hour meeting called at the last minute. Consider the distances, the entourages, the media people from all over the world, the security, the preparations and communications, etc etc. Bigtime logistical effort. For an hour and a half. The important feature of the Azores Summit wasn't what was said or done  — or who was there. The really important matter was who was NOT there. None of the old Euros or the UN. George, Tony and their Iberian buddies took center stage. Viewed from either a diplomatic or tactical standpoint, I think it was a master stroke. Kudos to whoever came up with the idea. The message to the UN Security Council and Saddam is unmistakeable.

     If I were in charge of the SAC base in Jefferson City, MO., I think I would be telling the B-52 pilots to start their engines.