Sarkozy Victory Speech - Wow!
By streetwise Posted in Archived — Comments (19) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Sarko pulls it off!
If French President-elect Sarkozy's victory speech is any indication of how he will run his government, we are in for one of the most pleasant surprises in our relationship with France in a very long time.
The opening of the speech was conventional. He thanked his supporters and reached out to his opponents. But then he gave a ringing defense of French national identity, and said that the time for cultural guilt is over, as it is an expression of self-hatred. (Now that's getting to the point fast on one of the key weaknesses of liberal thinking!)
He affirmed his commitment to the European project and willingness to work with France's partners (interpretation: no more Chirac wrecking operations). He outlined his interest in developing French ties with the Mediterranean countries in the pursuit of peace, and working with Africa on that continent's problems.
A big round of applause broke out when he spoke about his desire for friendly relations with the United States. He said that great countries can respect differences of opinion, and urged the US to change its position on global warming. Not a word about Iraq. If global warming is the only thing dividing France and the US now, that is a huge step forward.
It all came together in his closing remarks. Sarkozy noted that liberty was one of the most important French values, and pledged French support to all victims of tyranny, including women condemned to the burka and other forms of injustice. The crowd went wild. (The rhetorical contrast with the Chirac approach to the Mideast is stunning; under Chirac French foreign policy was most accommodating to both tyranny and corruption, a sort of international Tammany Hall with great pastry.) After the speech the crowd broke out singing the Marseillaise!
It just seems too good to be true! If I were GWB, I would send Secretary Rice to Paris pronto. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.
The BBC has posted exerpts from the speech here.
Election coverage in English is available on France 24.
The old word "canaille" has been replaced by the new "racaille," both referring to canine character defects---especially gaulling [excuse bad pun] to the Arab uninvited guests in the banlieux[es]. Sarkozy himself says he is part lion/part fox.
The Guardian laughably describes Royal as "moderate-centrist" and Sarkozy "right wing." From their infra-red [euro-style political color spectrum]perspective, that is probably what they perceive---but the sane part [non-Guardian/Independent] part of the highbrow Brit press sees Sarkozy as more of a Thatcher than Royal would have been perceived as a Blair.
Sarkozy has a mandate, after 86% of the French electorate has spoken. And if they are "racaille," that makes them chien-lits [avec des puces sans aucun doute]---pardon l'esprit maudit.
Sarkozy as Jack Bauer?????
____
Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
What he said:
"I want to issue an appeal to our American friends, to tell them that they can count on our friendship, which has been forged in the tragedies of history which we have faced together.
I want to tell them that France will always be by their side when they need it, but I also want to tell them that friendship means accepting that your friends may think differently and that a great nation such as the United States has a duty not to put obstacles in the way of the fight against global warming, but on the contrary to take the lead in this fight, because what is at stake is the fate of humanity as a whole. France will make this battle its primary battle."
"The Democrats want to raise taxes. They only want to target the rich, they say. A word of advice to anyone in the middle class -- don't stand anywhere near that target."
-Fred Thompson
As I understand it, some 80% of France's electricity comes from nuclear power. No wonder they're excited about the Kyoto protocols.
If they want to ship us nuclear reactors to help us cut our emissions, then more power (excuse the pun) to 'em.
If we used nuclear power in the same proportion that France does, we'd be 15 percent under Kyoto right now.
Between Three Mile Island (where nobody died) and Jane Fonda's movie "The China Syndrome" also in 1979, the majority of Americans developed an irrational fear of nuclear power. As a result we are far more dependent on foreign oil and far more polluting that we could have been.
But then, I got to listen to the departing Secretary of Energy (departed?) on my local talk radio (yeah, probably retired as of a couple years ago) and got to learn a few things. If someone has the skills and time and (most importantly) patience to do so, you should be able to find the info on their website.
Anyway, we produce 40% of our own oil. Canada (our biggest supplier) and Mexico (our 2nd biggest) supply 30% and another 15% comes from South America. And over 75% of that oil is used for industrial energy production. So, you see, we're not exactly quite so dependent on "foreign oil" as most think and certainly not so much on foreign oil from hostile nations.
"It's a book about a man who doesn't know he's about to die, and then dies...
...But if the man does know he's going to die and dies anyway. Dies, dies willing, knowing he can stop it, then...
Well, isn't that the type of man you want to keep alive?"
Karen Eiffel, Stranger Than Fiction
You are technically correct. We produce a lot of domestic oil. But last time I checked Canada and Mexico were foreign countries. And in the end the simple fact is that OPEC and the hostile petroleum nations can and do greatly impact the price of oil - domestic, Canadian, Mexican and every other type. So the simple fact is that unless we can satisfy our oil needs entirely with domestic oil, we will always be affected by foreign powers. And even then, we will still be effected as domestic oil prices will still be effected by foreign machinations.
The problem is not just "foreign oil" it is oil of any sort.
the fact that Segolene conceded THE SAME DAY that the votes were counted.
No silly recount demands. No accusations of fraud. (None that she cared to dignify, at least.)
Just a dignified "let's unify around the winner" and a thank-you to her supporters.
No whining.
No shrieking about the lack of fairness in the election process.
No calls to amend the constitution.
No appeals to the courts.
No attempts to disqualify the winner through legal chicanery.
The French can now say that they do one thing better than Americans: concede defeat.
The French can now say that they do one thing better than Americans: concede defeat.
Ummm, I think they spent most of the 20th century proving that...
It is the lesson in class that the dhimmies need.
No one beats the French except in the area of defeating the French.
Except Royal basically contributed to inciting of the rioting w/ her heated warnings of violence if Sarkozy wins. When I read her desparate comments she was basically being a poor loser, taking her soccer ball and going home, but not without encouraging riots before she left.
If you always find yourself arguing the exceptions rather than the rule you just might be rapidly sliding down your own slippery slope to irrelevance. -CommonCents
when they lose another election. A Sarko win now scratches France off the list - I guess Uncle Hugo will always take them in. But Caracas has really gotten slumy - hard to even get a good steak there anymore..
====
"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
To many people seem to think that Sarkozy is going to be the answer to their collective prayers, as if one man can overturn fifty years of French culture, politics, and history.
I'm as much for idealism as the next man, but we must be honest. Sarkozy is still has to contend with a very hostile minority base, and a public who isn't going to surrender those welfare benefits without a fight.
When others see Merkel and Sarkozy as the standard bearers for a new Western European-American alliance. I see simply the same old standard politicians, who've learned to sound tougher.
Germany is still giving billions to Iran in economic aid, and the French have called on the international community to end the blockade against the Hamas lead government.
The GOP's continued dependence upon NATO as a framework for security is merely a collective human desire to stick with what we know.
Western Europe's failures in Afghanistan is all the evidence we need, there incompetence in Kosovo should have been a clear indicator.
The United States must continue to shift our alliances to meet the 21st century threats, clinging to a model designed to fight a long dead enemy is useless, you can't fix something which has served it's purpose.
"My country; and my country is the great American Republic. My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right."
Sarkozy seems like a good guy. Hopefully we'll see relations improve.
One thing though. I don't really care for the burka comment. Most women who wear it probably chose to. It reminds me of when the French passed that law a couple years ago banning girls in school from wearing veils (and banning Christians from wearing visible crosses in school). That would never and should never happen in America.
We as a country must look at suspicion with those who feel the need to decry those they think are ungodly, but also those who scream at the sight of god.
I'm agnostic, which not trying to be a purist is different then an atheist. I don't loose my marbles when I see god in the public square.
Europe is eventually going to have to come to terms with it's own demons, to few people decry what they percive as European cowardice.
An error of judgement.
Europe produced Napolen, Churchill, and Hitler. There is an undercurrent of violence on that contientet, evident by the French riots.
Not simply those of dark skinned minorties, angry white nationalists who react violently to what they see as the ending of their glorious civlization.
I can honestly envision a future when American soldiers are marching through Old Europe again an attempt to end the reign of a tyrant, either a reactionary white who used perceived assaults on his "race" to stir up an angry nationalistic regime, or a violent Jihadist waging Jihad on the non-believers.
"You must, therefore know that there are two means of fighting: one according to the laws, the other with force; the first way is proper to man, the second to beasts; but because the first, in many cases, is not sufficient, it becomes necessary to have
has already been invited to Washington :)
(and lol @ "a sort of international Tammany Hall with great pastry")