Sacre Bleu! A Lesson From The French
By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on October 3, 2009 at 5:01 PM in Current Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, France, G20, Hillary Clinton, Intelligence, Iran, New York Times, Nicolas Sarkozy, Nuclear weapons, Pennsylvania, President Barack Obama, Washington Post
Wow, that Charles Krauthammer really knows how to turn a phrase. As does French President, Nicholas Sarkozy. Oh, yeah. Check out this article, Obama’s French Lesson:
“President Obama, I support the Americans’ outstretched hand. But what did the international community gain from these offers of dialogue? Nothing.”– French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Sept. 24
When France chides you for appeasement, you know you’re scraping bottom. Just how low we’ve sunk was demonstrated by the Obama administration’s satisfaction when Russia’s president said of Iran, after meeting President Obama at the United Nations, that “sanctions are seldom productive, but they are sometimes inevitable.”
You see? The Obama magic. Engagement works. Russia is on board. Except that, as The Post inconveniently pointed out, President Dmitry Medvedev said the same thing a week earlier, and the real power in Russia, Vladimir Putin, had changed not at all in his opposition to additional sanctions. And just to make things clear, when Iran then brazenly test-fired offensive missiles, Russia reacted by declaring that this newest provocation did not warrant the imposition of tougher sanctions.
I should add, I don’t have the same level of disdain for the French that some in this country have. In fact, I love France, and I love the people I have met there. I have not had the experience of French people looking down their noses at me because I’m American, even in Paris. In small villages in which I’ve traveled, even with my crappy French (I took Spanish in school), and the limited English the shop keepers had, we each worked hard to understand each other. One woman didn’t speak a word of English, but would engage in pantomime (I’m sure there’s a joke there about the French and mimes) to get her point across, AND she was funny, to boot. So, while I appreciate that some people have not had this experience, I won’t jump on the French bashing bandwagon. Honestly, I can’t wait until I get to go back there.
Back to the article,and Krauthammer’s point:
Do the tally. In return for selling out Poland and the Czech Republic by unilaterally abrogating a missile-defense security arrangement that Russia had demanded be abrogated, we get from Russia . . . what? An oblique hint, of possible support, for unspecified sanctions, grudgingly offered and of dubious authority — and, in any case, leading nowhere because the Chinese have remained resolute against any Security Council sanctions.Confusing ends and means, the Obama administration strives mightily for shows of allied unity, good feeling and pious concern about Iran’s nuclear program — whereas the real objective is stopping that program. This feel-good posturing is worse than useless, because all the time spent achieving gestures is precious time granted Iran to finish its race to acquire the bomb.
Don’t take it from me. Take it from Sarkozy, who could not conceal his astonishment at Obama’s naivete. On Sept. 24, Obama ostentatiously presided over the Security Council. With 14 heads of state (or government) at the table, with an American president at the chair for the first time ever, with every news camera in the world trained on the meeting, it would garner unprecedented worldwide attention.
Unknown to the world, Obama had in his pocket explosive revelations about an illegal uranium enrichment facility that the Iranians had been hiding near Qom. The French and the British were urging him to use this most dramatic of settings to stun the world with the revelation and to call for immediate action.
Hmmm - WWHD? You know, What Would Hillary Do? Would she reveal this nugget of explosive information? My bet is ABSO-FREAKIN’-LUTELY. How about Obama? What would he do:
Obama refused. Not only did he say nothing about it, but, reports the Wall Street Journal (citing Le Monde), Sarkozy was forced to scrap the Qom section of his speech. Obama held the news until a day later — in Pittsburgh. I’ve got nothing against Pittsburgh (site of the G-20 summit), but a stacked-with-world-leaders Security Council chamber it is not.Why forgo the opportunity? Because Obama wanted the Security Council meeting to be about his own dream of a nuclear-free world. The president, reports the New York Times citing “White House officials,” did not want to “dilute” his disarmament resolution “by diverting to Iran.”
Diversion? It’s the most serious security issue in the world. A diversion from what? From a worthless U.N. disarmament resolution?
Yes. And from Obama’s star turn as planetary visionary: “The administration told the French,” reports the Wall Street Journal, “that it didn’t want to ’spoil the image of success’ for Mr. Obama’s debut at the U.N.”
Image? Success? Sarkozy could hardly contain himself. At the council table, with Obama at the chair, he reminded Obama that “we live in a real world, not a virtual world.”
He explained: “President Obama has even said, ‘I dream of a world without [nuclear weapons].’ Yet before our very eyes, two countries are currently doing the exact opposite.”
Sarkozy’s unspoken words? “And yet, sacré bleu, he’s sitting on Qom!”
Uh, yeah. It seems like the perfect setting for exposing this information. Evidently, Sarkozy thought so, too. Others didn’t realize what had just happened:
At the time, we had no idea what Sarkozy was fuming about. Now we do. Although he could hardly have been surprised by Obama’s fecklessness. After all, just a day earlier in addressing the General Assembly, Obama actually said, “No one nation can . . . dominate another nation.” That adolescent mindlessness was followed with the declaration that “alignments of nations rooted in the cleavages of a long-gone Cold War” in fact “make no sense in an interconnected world.” NATO, our alliances with Japan and South Korea, our umbrella over Taiwan, are senseless? What do our allies think when they hear such nonsense?Bismarck is said to have said: “There is a providence that protects idiots, drunkards, children, and the United States of America.” Bismarck never saw Obama at the U.N. Sarkozy did. (letters@charleskrauthammer.com)
Mon Dieu! Those are some pretty strong words there. Appropriate, though. Can you imagine if any other president, who had the opportunity to chair this very important committee for the FIRST time, sat on that kind of information? No doubt, it wouldn’t just be the French President who was upset about this. Thankfully, those who are less invested in the “aura” of Obama actually paid attention to this “oversight” on Obama’s part at this critical juncture.
Once again, Obama has demonstrated how woefully prepared he is for the REAL World Stage.
(And C, if you’re reading this far, I hope you appreciate the French phrases!)
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Excellent essay, RRRA–your comments are spot on.
It reminds me that our NOTUS (neophyte) also never called for a meeting nor ever chaired the subcommittee on Pakistan/Afghanistan during his tenure in the Senate. He was in way over his head then, and now, and ACORN and Ayers can’t do a thing for him.
He has, indeed. He is quite dangerous to both the world and to us as he is not only ill=prepared but he doesn’t seem to care a bit.
EXCUUUUSE Me, BUT he had a very busy campaign to run. He could not be expected to do silly things like hold meetings that he ASKED to chair to give him cred. silly silly Ferd
Isn’t that pretty much what he said, Lyn, that he didn’t have time to do any real work since he was campaigning? Funny - Clinton could, and did.
How many times can I write, “Unfu*ingbelievable,” before this loses any meaning. If I was NS, I cannot imagine containing myself! I am livid just reading this!
(BTW, R3A, I love it when you speak French.)
I’m with you, jbjd. We are all in the same quandary–there is simply a dearth of pejoratives in the English language to adequately describe That One in any way approaching objective truth. One could, presumably, make up words such as when striking a finger with a runaway hammer, but then that it is only satisfying to the one whom the hammer struck.
I hear ya, jbjd - I can totally relate.
Here’s some more from my vast French vocabulary: brie, quiche, brioche, coquilles St. Jacques (are you sensing a theme?)…
Ferd, you are ABSOLUTELY right. When I tried to tell my Obot family abt that, how Obama had been campaigning since the moment he got into the US Senate, holding not ONE Meeting of the European Affairs Subcommittee which oversees Afghanistan and NATO, they blew it off. But they had no problem jumping on the bandwagon that Hillary had done nothing but have tea parties (!) as First Lady on all of her trips abroad. ARGH.
Unfortunately, we are reaping what they have sown in voting for this guy…
Obama didn’t want to ruin a perfectly good speech with…you know…the facts. Words….just words???
“Nothing is so common-place as to wish to be remarkable.” Shakespeare (again)
To hell with his U.N. debut!
Someone needs to remind the Administration that BO is playing on the WORLD STAGE - NOT BROADWAY.
No lights, no curtains, no applause and, most importantly, NO ENCORES. In plain English: Yes, the world is watching, but you don’t get a do-over when you screw up.
I don’t like Obama’s policies, but I am not going to listen to Crap-hammer’s drivel either, a neo-con-chicken-hawk with ZERO credibility, the biggest cheerleader for attacking Iraq, WRONG on everything he ever said or predicted about Iraq, and now sahmelessly advocating for war with Iran.
How many times do these ‘pundits’ (Krauthammer, Kristol, Brooks, et-al) have to be wrong before they are laughed out of stage?
Very short and selective memory.
I believe Krauthammer’s underlying point is that you play the hand you’re dealt. I was never a neocon and can’t stand them–but they do make a point which That One should be cognizant of. The only credibility at stake here is that of the U.S. Many actions taken during the 8 years prior to That One were truly blunders. That being said, there is nothing that can be done about that now. Our “President” (who desperately wanted the job, by the way) must actually step up and do more than vote “present”–or blame everything on his predecessor, which is, indeed, the neocon’s way out of any hint of accountability, e.g., it was all Clinton’s fault.
Well said, Ferd. I don’t agree with everything Krauthammer says by a long shot myself, but I am willing to acknowledge when he is right, and what he points out here is very telling indeed. (And Ferd, I wanted to jump in and completely forgot my manners - thanks!)
Typewriterstreaming, thank you, and EXCELLENT point. I love the “Obinokinobee” name!
And yes, he was caught with no clothes. Embarrassing, to say the least…
Excellent post Rev. Amy. The Big OZero seems completely driven by the love of himself and the sound of his own voice. He didn’t want to upstage himself, unfreakin astonishing. Not only that, Obinokinobee was caught wearing no clothes in front of the world!!! If any leader previously had a doubt as to how to rope the O-dope, he gave them a brilliant lesson - just show him his own reflection.
Thanks Amy!
With regard to the missile shield, I did wonder if the thought of a permanent prescense of the U.S. and monetary benefits to those countries were more important than security. After all, those missiles have not been reliable.
But then I turned on the news one morning, and there, in living color, was that facility in Iran. Yeah, that just blew in on a sandstorm! Very disconcerting!
Obama is… how you say? Ah. Stinky fromage.
Signed,
The French
ROTFLMAO…
Or a Baudruche… Look it up
C’est dans les vieilles marmites qu’on fait les meilleures soupes.
C’est le ton qui fait la chanson.
Ce que femme veut, Dieu le veut.
Comme on fait son lit on se couche.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/French_proverbs
Translation:
C’est dans les vieilles marmites… I like them young said Polanski.
C’est le ton qui fait la chanson….Tea Parties goers are right-wing racists.
Ce que femme…. Happy wife, happy life
Comme on fait son lit… Elections do have consequences
Thanks, Jackarooty - who knew there were so many French Proverbs?!? The ones you picked are great!
I still cannot get over Obama holding critical information in his vest pocket…Wow.
Frenchnail, very informative - thank you! And funny, too - well done!
Seriously, very interesting abt the use of French in diplomatic situations. I really do know only a little - Spanish, Greek, and Latin were the languages I studied years ago. But I do love the language - so beautiful. I can easily see why it would have been the language of choice for diplomacy with all of its nuances…
RRRA, if there is something the French are dammed good at it is Diplomacy. In fact, when you choose a career in the Foreign Service, they call it entering The Career (entrer dans la Carriere), as in entering the Most prestigious profession.
The built-in nuances and intricacies of the French Language do help a lot at it. Up until the 20th centuries all international negotiations were conducted in French. You could not be a diplomat from anywhere without being absolutely fluent in French. Nowadays, even if it not the rule anymore, the native practice of the French language forms one’s mind in ways inaccessible to other nationals.
And if there is another thing the French are really good at is travelling and geography. So they understand perfectly well that unlike the Americans they are not protected by the natural barrier of an ocean from an Iranian nation on the war path. And they know quite well too, that Russia is waiting on the fist occasion possible to reoccupy its previous satellite nations. And that Russia is merely a day drive from Paris and even closer by missiles.
Imagine leaving in New York and looking at Illinois with fear (Ok not such a great exemple :)).
Hence the expression “mon traducteur, mon traitre” (from the Italian “traduttore, traditore”).
In a perfect world, there really should be a uniform language for international negotiations, but the true art of diplomacy - both language and etiquette - belongs to a time before we were introduced to such terms as superpower, WMD’s and suicide bombers.
Having grown up overseas, I could not agree with you more about your understanding of geography. I’ve never been to Iraq, but, in 1991, I was literally at the receiving end of an Iraqi scud missile, which landed less than 30 meters from my home. I’ve tried to explain this to my American friends in terms they can understand, but as you point out, it doesn’t really work.
RRRA, if there is something the French are dammed good at it is Diplomacy. In fact, when you choose a career in the Foreign Service, they call it entering The Career (entrer dans la Carriere), as in entering the Most prestigious profession
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Interesting. I did not know that. I assume that is where they get the term “lingua franca” to describe a universal language. Its subtlety is well suited to the art of diplomacy.
Par le vous français monsieur bambi?
[...] more here: Sacre Bleu! A Lesson From The French : NO QUARTER addthis_url = [...]
No mention of Esperanto here
Your readers may be interested in the following video at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_YHALnLV9XU Professor Piron was a translator with the United Nations in Geneva.
A glimpse of Esperanto can be seen at http://www.lernu.net
Watched Michael Moore’s ‘Sicko’ last night, and a point made by an American in Paris struck me, so I looked for the precise quote on the internet this morning:
Some of the most interesting points are made while in France, where the citizens enjoy free higher education, free health care, 35-hour work weeks, and government issued nannies (2 four-hour sessions per week of home help for mothers of newborns). One of the Americans living now in France points out, “the people in France get all this because here the government is afraid of the people, while in the States the people are afraid of the government.”
FRench is a well seasoned diplomatic language because it has been given the time to mature. Come to think of it one of the old diplomatic intercourse fgoes way back to…was it 496 AD when the first french king managed to get admitted as king by the Roman Empire or what was left of it at the time. So one would think that 1513 years of experience would matter. After all to my jumble knowledge, it was Villepin who showed Bush that diplomacy does matter, specially if you want to torpedo an iraqi adventure.
Sarkozy and Obama have in common an absent father. Sarkozy maternal grandfather is a greek christian-converted jew, likely knowing what was the fate of greek jews during WW2 he cant but have some missing relatives. His father is/was a hungarian impoverished aristocrat. The time to bet 3 sons, and he left his wife to deal with the kids. Sarkozy did not travel as much as Obama, but if O. had it hard being of mixed ethnicity, being not rich and looked down as half jewish by the true-born french aristocrats must not have been fun at all. In the US we have no idea of what it means , but for any european whose country still hosts aristocraty and gentry not being full blown aristocrat, being the son of divorced parents, being well not plump in the pocket…you get the picture. Those people make you feel IT that you are not one of them…mind you they are decent enough for those of us who are simply bourgeois that is until we discuss casts but again this is something you would not know
sarkozy has had an unpleasant chilhood thanks to people holding up their nose like villepin and chirac wife, humiliations he knows and he is a survivor. he has ambitions and he has been in politics climbing up since he was a teenager, yes as early as that. No easy marriage life, not easy climb, and a tendency to say what he really thi ks or a way to express his real opinion showing, he has gt a few enemies, but standing nonsense and fiddling he will not stand; obama is bound to discover little Nicolas is not a man to play with soon enough