Les Nuits Americain / American Nights

No, this is not about the Joan Jett cover of a song by the Runaways.

The “Mayor” of the 3eme arrondissement of Paris gets involved in international affairs, the way all local municipal officials should, and hosts a town hall sponsored series of Anti-American films, talks, discussions, and participatory events.
The Transatlantic Intelligencer has the dish - complete with photographs! They haven't been so greatly infantalized that they forgot how to use cameras!

Further down the page is the usual municipal pimping of industry, local color, and other primitive pleasures of the natives. If your instinct is to get angry, don’t. Have pity. Hatred like this is a sign of immaturity that has a habit of blowing itself out violently. Possibly even like 1968 all over again.

As told to me by one quite obviously happy citoyen:

Vous et votre idologie ignoble qui a fait des centaines de millions de mort!

Trente-six heurs avant les premires elections libres et democratiques dans l'Irak dbarrasse de votre ancien alli Saddam par les USA, vous organisez de grotesques sauteries anti-americaines pour tarlouses bobo-gauchiste.

Au XXIe sicle, on chasse les dictateurs et les fanatiques coups de bombe: il est fini le temps des cerises, celui ou ces fous faisaient la loi, il va falloir vous y faire. Trouvez une autre idologie gnocidaire, un autre culte morbide, d'autres pygmalions barbe ou moustache.

Ou mieux : pendez-vous, on gagnera du temps!

- One thousand thank yous and all of my camels to the

wonderful Carine, and to Herr Wei for bringing this to our attention.

Parisian idiocy early warning system alert level

Election coverage

Iraqi election-blogging without all the talking-it-down, starchy fillers, and meat by-products...

Intermittent coverage also found on C-span, whose 3 television feeds are available on cable in the United States, and on the Internet worldwide.

A healthy attitude towards blowing a woodchuck's head off.

These are not shoeless yokels from West Yuckadoo. The family tree is not a wreath. They use "teethbrushes".

They are enlightened, lucide, humanistic Swiss children. They will only grow into thugs if they can't hear the "clink" of a spent cartridge landing on the floor.

Not legit if the Sunnis sit out?

All that *not voting* can ever get you is a resounding "shut your corn hole!” for 6 straight years. It can also costruct a sector of the population which is permanently disaffected.

Did the Inkatha Freedom Party's (later dropped, but still ruinous) boycott make Nelson Mandela's Presidency "not legitimate?"

Hoping for doom? You deserve a profound dope-slap.

They don't heart Ruth

Ruth Kelly is a member of Opus Dei. Because doesn't hide her faith, and isn't an ironic kinky freak, she’s being called her an extremist, because it's not the critics' flavor of extremism. Americans got over this intolerant crap in 1960.
Old Europe is only 45 years behind in tolerance and ethics.

Unlike her critics, she's being honest and disclosing who it is you get when her government appoints her to a meaningful position. Are her detractors willing to tell us the virtues they try to live by like she tries to?

To keep it in perspective - EU: The World :: Peewee Herman : Blues Brothers

The U.N., NATO, or the EU: These are now the town criers of the civilized world who preach about "the law" and then seek asylum in their closed shops and barred stores when the nuclear Daltons or terrorist Clantons run roughshod over the town. In our own contemporary ongoing drama, China, Russia, and India watch bemused as the United States tries to hunt down the psychopathic killers while Western elites ankle-bite and hector its efforts.

-V.D. Hanson

New Model Army

Leftist wars are ones where one invents an enemy and spends a lifetime wailing on them - but only if they have the decency to not fight back.

That there are larger issues in the world doesn't seem to matter.

Media gloom and doom

To understand what sort of third rate media Europeans have to brace themselves against, the following may help.

French kids in Iraq?	Sales gosses franchouilles en Irak?
Bog blast them to bits! Last of the Famous International Playboys (accept no imitations) gives us the lowdown.	Que gogre les emporte (en pièces détachées)! Le Tombeur de Ces Dames (méfiez-vous des imitations) nous fait le topo.

La Grande Cuisine

US is the country junk-food, GMO and hormone beef, as France is the country of the terroir, the genuine taste of an ancient tradition of excellence.

'Mad cow' disease found in a goat (version francaise)

French goat has tested positive for mad cow disease - the first animal in the world other than a cow to have bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), in this case called caprine spongiform encephalopathy (CSE).

- thanky thanky to RV

Karl Marx on the humanoid

MARX THOUGHT THAT THE WORKERS WERE DONKEYS

Marx to Adolf Cluss (letter, 20.Jul.1852): "There are no bigger donkeys than these workers.... Look at our "craftsmen"; Sad that world history should be be made with such people".

- John Ray's excellent blog "Leftist Elitism"

High Achieving Manic-Depressives

How the viewer can tolerate the pain of being constantly exposed to hopelessness in the face of good news.

BAGHDAD -- For the women of Iraq, Sunday's election represents a landmark of sorts, with at least a quarter of the 275 seats in parliament reserved for women and campaign rules requiring one female candidate for every two men running for office.

Today, once and again, the French TV was still talking about an "Iraki quagmire", just several days before the first democratic elections this country has never know of its 8000 years old history...

[Ed.: Turn on, tune out... Or something like that...]

- Shookran, RV

GWB descendant of Barbarians?

Yet another stretch of mental gymnastics from thumbsuckers deperate to slander anyone who doesn't do their bidding - Scott Burgess hits the Guardian with a clue bat.

Humanist-capades

While unremediably cranky critics in Europe daily point out what the U.S. *hasn't* done about genocide in the Sudan, a comprehensive list of Euro-complishment in said basket-case can be found here.

Fools in Love

Letter 'H' liberated from headline

France has too much wine: vintners

The proposal, from the Confederation of French Wine Co-operatives, calls for permission to boil down 267 million bottles of wine for "crisis distillation."
Vintners boiled down almost the same amount of wine in 2002, but it was lower quality table wine. This proposal involves wines that carry the country's Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) – the highest grade for French wine.

State grabs ankles, pays court claim to assasin

Rico Suave

-

(we found his girlfriends)

STRASBOURG, Jan 27 (AFP) - The European Court of Human Rights said Thursday that France had failed to give the killer known as "Carlos the Jackal" proper legal recourse against his solitary confinement of more than eight years.

But it rejected his argument that he had been subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment, and acknowledged France's problems in dealing with one of the world's most notorious killers.
The court ordered the French authorities to pay Carlos EUR 5,000 (USD 6,500) for his legal costs, agreeing that he had not been allowed to contest his solitary confinement before French justice, violating a clause in the European Convention on Human Rights, to which France adheres.

Team France, Bed Police

Dans son dition de jeudi, le Figaro a publi une enqute sur les mains courantes informatises (MCI) dans les commissariats de laquelle il ressortirait que les policiers travailleraient seulement 27 heures par semaine en moyenne.
"Je suis fier de vous", a assur jeudi aux policiers le ministre de l'Intrieur Dominique de Villepin, qui s'en est pris une " campagne malveillante".

- grâce à rv (AKA Marianne-banger) pour le lien

Policy Position: Goûtez-l'avec du jus de pamplemousse

Nutella: no-one knows what it's really made of apart from half of it which is made from the remains of people named Ella, and it is not Peanut Butter. Which is made from Peanuts. It goes well with marmelade, which is made from marmosets.
The editorial board here at ¡No Pasaran! does not take Nutella at the breakout sessions of our exhaustingly long caucuses in our hide-away privées deluxe in Davos and Duluth... We enjoy the delicate and sophisticated pleasures of peanut butter.
This message brought to you in spite of our revulsion at the world's best known peanut farmer. You remember him, he sold his country up the river over North Korean nukes. We still however like our peanut butter.
While we appreciate the subtle pleasures of this uncomplicated legume, as do most american (who are tolerant of Nutella), it makes Europeans whince and become anxiously defensive about Nutella. Which is partially made from free range gnus, but is denser than barium.

Have a nice day.

Stupid Bromide that will never let you down

The obvious problem with the tired saw: "Americans are from Mars, Europeans are from Venus." is the attendants nuissance of being nagged and wussie pipped. Any short reading of the European press, or brief "enjoyment" of the European news media will support this.
I doubt however that this will end if Mr. America will find domestic harmony when it simply does whatever 'the little woman' says to the letter - many, many unreconcilably bizarre, contradictory, and counterproductive letters... And what a strange lady this is. Wanting us all to do things that have never worked, don't seem to benefit anyone, and befuddle even their adult children, the former Colonies.
So they want a greater say on the War on Terror than their involvement merits? By European standards then, Nancy Hopkins should have Larry Summers job as President of Harvard Univerity because she was so deeply offended by his comments. Erm...., no.

Look on the bright side - they're still married, and not just for the children.

Lefty Pinkertons Fail to Grasp Need for Liberties

Larry Elder, the "Sage of South Central" (Los Angeles) clues us in about Bush Inaugural address calling for more freedom in the world.

The U.N. Commissioned Arab scholars and analysts to publish the Arab Human Development Report. What causes the backwardness, the scholars wondered, of 22 Arab states, covering nearly 300 million people? Their conclusion? Of all world regions, the Arab countries scored the lowest in
freedom, media independence, civil liberties, political process and political rights.

The report found 65 million illiterate adults. Half of Arab women
still cannot read or write. Ten million children between 6 and 15 years of age are not in school. The report points to a "severe shortage" of new writing. In the last 1,000 years, the Arabs have translated as many books as Spain
translates in just one year. Only 1.2 percent of the population uses a computer, and only half of those access the Internet. In short, the peoples of these countries lack economic and political freedom.

Arab leaders point to America's relationship with Israel as proof of America meddling to undermine the religion of Islam. In one of his fatwas, Osama bin Laden attacked America for its support of corrupt regimes, like the House of Saud and the former Shah of Iran. But did Palestinians enjoy freedom when Egypt controlled the Gaza Strip or
when Jordan controlled the West Bank?

The European reaction to the president's "fire of freedom" inaugural address tells us a great deal about Europe's failure to grasp the stakes in this War on Terror. An editorial in the London Daily Telegraph said, "Now comes the hard part. President George W.
Bush's elegy to freedom yesterday and his vision of it flowering around the world fitted into the long tradition of inaugural speeches that blend America's optimism with smugness about the reach and benefits of its power."

France's Le Monde lamented, "We can fear that, in the eyes of Mr. Bush, the criteria for tyranny would essentially be hostility toward the United States and that he would be inclined to close his eyes to the democratic failings of regimes that show perativeness. . . . The outcome of his activism abroad makes us fear similar traumas at home."

- Larry Elder

Feed the Green Beast

The book referenced has nothing to do with Environmentalists, other than their Medievalism. Whatever they try to tell you, they're still luddites at heart.

What better way could the EU show its commitment to fighting Global Warming than by letting its economy stagnant and decline? Once the EU matches, oh say, Ghana's economic performance, then it will prove beyond all doubt how genuinely committed it is to dealing with "single most important long-term issue that the planet faces." Keep at it EU!

From the terminally brilliant Diplomad, who really should be workin' Vegas with Buddy Hackett.

I have a sneaking suspicion that W is actually the Diplomad and writes it in his spare time. I am probably wrong about this.

You only go around once. Leave the biggest crater that you can.

THE FABRICATION OF A SEXY BEAST

Just what subscribers to a Gas & Electric utility want for their money, I'm sure.

"His innocence is irrelevant because he is a comrade."

So Mumia Abu-Jamal is a “Persona non-grata”. This is not a newsflash. He’s a murderer.
He isn’t a political prisoner, although as a darling of the far left he has become one , and gives them whatever they want as long as the attention keeps coming, twisting the truth for any local outpost of the transatlantic chump network that will have him.
That there could be a huge miasma complaining about things that they no nothing about, nor question is astonishing. It also seems to be part of the unquestioning profile of their naïve, exploited supporters. Look no further for signs that reprogramming has been successful.

This is a public utility, which is supposed to be in the business of maintaining reliable power and gas service. Not only are they involved in politics instead of energy, but foolishly step into a matter which they know nothing about which doesn’t involve them in any way. They are endearing themselves to a man who panders to any extremist cause, even those which would like to see power companies cease to exist.

It’s quite obvious that there is more there than the Dr. Strangelovian reflex to blindly follow anything identified as “social justice” no matter what it harms. Abu Jamal (who speaks no Arabic in spite of his name) is their kind of American – a pitiable character, an Anti-American American who places himself in the political entanglements of others in order to avoid the universally understandable justice of paying for the crime of murder.

Cop killing is an especially difficult matter for any government to face. Those who give themselves reasons to hate society also hate reason and authority, so they support a cop-killer to prop up their ugly emotions. Now if only Abu Jamal’s French supporters first took stock of their feelings about how a cop-killing would be dealt with in France BEFORE they judge it in the U.S., they would not find the power company involved with trying to spring a murderer from across the ocean.

Do you really think an African would feel comfortable knowing an murderer from Philadelphia is trying to invoke an “African identity” to help him convince people that the murders he committed are less wrong than anyone else’s?

A bit of advice: check others’ facts and motives before you let them toy with your emotions.

If the French support the death penalty at home, why do they oppose it abroad? To demand something ELSE, like supplicating penitent explanations from America about their internal affairs?

They sound like Mumia.

Zombie cult lies down with dogs, get up with fleas. Film at 11.

Indymedia, whose graphic layout exhibits the exact same lack of presence of mind as its’ readers, is STILL atwitter about temporarily losing their many repeated / pedantic internet portals, and naturally, takes it personally.

It turns out that they were not the target of the shutdown. A jihadist Hamas website was. Concerned citizens realized that it could be paranoiac thoughts on cause, their predictable outrage, and all the attendant fun and laughs that they're known for far and wide, over formerly bucolic hill and formerly pristine dale. Throwing their lot I'm with the violent and illiberal is quite a strange turn for them, non?

Meanwhile, there are people still piercing the air with their fingers,
And saying “Property is THEFT!” This little pearl of solidarity reminiscent of the good old days of missile parades on Karl-Marx Platz.


moo.

Enfant maltraité / Parental Child Abuse

Exploiters / Trompeurs.

Confusing the fireman with the fire is not only unfair, it is dishonest

Letters to the editor in the IHT include the following:

Dishonest about Iraq

Bob Herbert (Dancing and dying, Views, Jan. 22) joins the chorus of those putting the blame for the murderous mayhem in Iraq exclusively at the feet of President George W. Bush instead of at the bands of insurgents and disgruntled Baathists. Without their very murderous attacks, American troops might have been preparing to leave right after the elections. Without these attacks the number of casualties would have been minimal. Indeed, very few wars, if any, were ever fought with so few military or civilian casualties.

America has made mistakes in this war, some very big ones, such as the failure to get full and indisputable backing from the United Nations, not anticipating the looting and lawlessness, the disbanding of the Iraqi Army and many more. However, the war's basic purpose was and remains noble: the removal of a dangerous tyrant and the attempt to foster a democratic government by and for all Iraqis.

You don't have to like Bush, indeed from a non-American vantage point he and his team are very easy to dislike, but confusing the fireman with the fire is not only unfair, it is dishonest.

John Dunkelgrün, The Hague

Bush's inauguration

What a contrast. The president of the United States gives a speech promising to spread freedom around the world; President Jacques Chirac's supporters try to make him a senator for life so that he can retain his own freedom (Saving President Chirac, Editorial, Jan. 22).

David Morgan, Sydney

Fragile museum knick knacks	Fragiles bibelots de musée
Zek's back. Somebody tell that paternalistic spittle shooting clown-faced shithead.	Zek est de retour. Faudrait le dire au connard de bouseu paternaliste qui postillonne avec sa bouille à bozo.

Europe: keeping up with the Chens?

Rapprochement with Europeans is a one way street. Make a place at the table for them or else.

About cultural conflicts (in business)

For new Chinese businessmen modern financing means and business modes can perhaps ease much of the pressure. But more of the cultural challenges are unavoidable for them. It is said that TCL's Li Dongsheng once went to France for a meeting at a weekend after he had acquired the color TV business from Thompson. He was annoyed and puzzled by the finding that none of the senior French officials came. He seemed failed to understand how important weekends are for Europeans.

The shoes-burning incident in Spain appeared to be due to dissatisfactions of the Spanish rivals. But what hided behind the appearance was the cultural conflict. In Europe weekends are for rest. Nobody works on weekends. But the corporate culture of Chinese businessmen is that business does not recognize holidays, which inevitably met with the discrimination of the Spanish. By the time they went into disadvantaged position in the competition and sustained loss their anger could not but erupt.

-from The China Daily

As for anti-globalization protestors helping them, the unions should be wary of who they hook up with.

More Treachery from America and the Anglo-Saxons

What is it this time?

…the risk of America's overwhelming domination … The fight is too unequal … There is no choice but for officials of the Union to react without delay…

What is it this time?

France's former state secretary of communications and head of the country's national library (supported by, among others, social science professor Olivier Ertzscheid) is warning his countrymen about the latest evil to raise its ugly head from America.

What is it this time?

Under the title When Google Defies Europe, Jean-Noël Jeanneney tells the dark underside of the fact that Google is working closely with five new content partners on a massive scanning project that will bring millions of volumes of printed books into the Google Print database.

Google is working with libraries at the University of Michigan, Harvard University, Stanford University, Oxford University and the New York Public Library to digitize books in their collections and make them accessible via Google Print.

Meanwhile, the title of the French Yahoo news service rendering of this story was an aggressive-sounding Google Unleashes an Attack on the Treasures of Oxford and Harvard.

A good thing we have Frenchmen like Jeanneney to warn of the insidious dangers of such horrid developments…

Jihadist Werewolves in London

The beeb is giving them the "red victim" treatment as we speaks. It's revolting. They are trying to emphasise 'torture' alluding to unproven reports of bruises, 'indignities', and such, which i'm sure these 4 guys and their lawyers are busy putting together right now.

The british have used their own, even more severe, right to detention of ANYONE since forever with the IRA. They are not ones to talk, even though the environment is ripe with kooky comparisons. These clowns are (apart from some flimsy paperwork) stateless thugs picked up engaging in combat. Moreover, the Beeb made a point of NOT mentioning many previous releases, especially those where the prisoners *themselves* were thankful for decent treatment, better medical care than they ever had in their lives, and people actually listening to them and paying attention to their needs as individuals.

The British left will surely exploit them politically for all they are worth, while the US will not, under any circumstances do anything of the sort. Even the ones who actually had GOOD things to say about the U.S.

When the turds in the Euro-lefty-press, LTD have nothing left but this, it's quite obvious that they're desperate to fill a void with their political agenda instead of news.

It's more to less like the Guardian's "most depressing day of the year" crapola which Scott Burgess expounds on eloquently. It’s quite obvious that the likes of the writers at the Guardian are just trying to make interesting the tedious monkey-work of living as a European. They are dubbed lovingly as the Guantanamo Four, not unlike the Chicago eight. Naturally the abuse and misuse of children continue, but not only in the bomb-belt fashion centre of the world. Total confusion over right and wrong, even in the genocide of the past, continues.

I say march 'em all to the fence and let Castro have them. They're irrational hateful revolutionaries. They have a lot in common, including a love of macrame bomb caddies.

Meanwhile. back in the near east, actions repeat themselves for 30 years neither results nor progress. They may of may not need the attention of the U.S. , but they certainly need the europeans to stop meddling and let them get on with their lives.

Little London boys	Petits pédaloïdes de Londres
The Guardian (newspaper of choice for Leftist Humanist Poets the world over) is crying about the Guantanamo Four. Little vaseline pretty boyz.	Le Guardian (journal de référence pour les poètes humanistes de gôche du monde entier) nous pond un article larmoyant au sujet des Quatre de Guantanamo. Jolis minets gominés au lubrifiant.
You best believe I'm from New York city. You're telling me 'shut your mouth' If I wasn't kissing, you wouldn't be around You talk about faggots, little mama's boy You sit at home, you got a chaperone! You need an escort to take a piss He holds your hand and he shakes your dick You're so pretty, suburban kitty You think you're gonna change, rearrange your city? Little London boys You're little London boys You're little London boys You think you're gonna fool me? Ha ha ha ha Little rich kid, what do you know? You had everything, don't you think it don't show? I've been a climbing, just a face to the wall Too much too soon, do you recall? Have a holiday in the city, Feelings in the air, vaseline pretty You don't need no junk, just LSD You won't get shot, shot by me! You're little London boys Little London boys Little London boys And I'm talking about the whole lot of you! Too bad you boys don't know And the girls they don't go Everybody just shows You're little, little London boys You're little London Boys Little London boys Little London boys You're little London Boys You poor little puppet!

Bové gets dunked	Bové boit la tasse
A Greenpeace clown was strung up ass over head on the side of the boat during a botched attempt to board a boat hauling GMOs. The operation was a co-production with José Bové©®™. Greenpeace media spin doctors are keeping the film of this little exploit to themselves. Rest assured that Paris' numerous yuppy wannabe ship captains were safely snug behind their iMacs or stuffing their faces at Maxim's. In any case, Europe has lost the battle over GMOs.	Opération Glouglou. Un connard de Greenpeace s'est fait embobiner cul par dessus tête sur le flanc d'un bateau qui transportait des OGM lors d'une tentative ratée d'arraisonnement. L'opération était montée conjointement avec with José Bové©®™. Les media-meistres de Greenpeace compte cacher le reportage de ce fiasco dans un tiroir quelque part. Rassurez-vous, les autres bobos parisiens et capitaines bonhommes de pacotille, sont restés calfeutrés derrière leurs iMac s'ils n'étaient pas plutôt en train de s'empiffrer chez Maxim. De toute façon, l'Europe a perdu la guerre des OGM.

He'll always have Paris Cannes	Il aura toujours Paris Cannes
Moore strikes out.	Moore prend un rateau.

Pali Psycho Death Cult©®™ and willing henchman	Le Culte Psychotique de la Mort palestinien©®™ et ses tristes sbires
56 Pali Psycho Death Cult©®™ terrorists equal 6 million Jews for the Zeropean press. The brat wasn't shot, and there was no massacre in Jenin.	Pour la presse zéropéenne, 56 terroristes du Culte Psychotique de la Mort palestinien©®™ font égalité avec 6 millions de juifs. On n'a pas tiré sur le sale gosse, et il n'y a pas eu de massacre à Jénine.

Dirty bomb headed for Boston?	Bombe sale en route pour Boston?
Why, is Béatrice Dalle going there?	Pourquoi, Béatrice Dalle est partie là-bas?

A new tourism draw.

Jihadist will feel right at home.




Lo, this mimicry could only bring yet more bad juju.

Unleashing Operation "French Taxpayers' Treasure Hunt"

The objective of Cri du Contribuable magazine: find the French taxpayer money that has disappeared into the black hole of the French electricity pension fund, if necessary through the services of its secret weapon, the BAF commando…

Lire la suite (en français)…

Selling like hotcakes

Cal Thomas on exporting freedom.


It sells like hotcakes, and with high rate of return. If the U.S. does enough of it, old Europe should try to cut in on their business. Meanwhile, the French are remembered for another universal humanistic virtue: gourmandisme. The American and European left should stop trying to talk it down when it works. Alan Nathan has the details.

Charity Kidnapped by States

Carlos Alberto Montaner on

an inflexible law of social physiology: Governments have no heart; they have only rules and laws. The politicians and bureaucrats who manage them have only interests, clients and voters. The huge drama provoked by the tsunami was a matter of the heart, of deeply affected people who wanted to help fellow humans who had been battered by nature. It was the moment for compassion, and emotions do not fit within the cold institutional structure of states.

…Unfortunately, charity and compassion have been kidnapped by governments. The relation between those who need aid and those who want to give it is handled best within the fabric of civilian society. The supremely kind giants, such as Albert Schweitzer or Mother Teresa of Calcutta, never emerge from public bureaucratic structures. The missionary spirit always is an intense personal zeal that must be aided without placing limits or obstacles to stifle it.

You mean there are Dhimmicraptic politicians who are religous?	Quoi? Y a des politicards dhimmicrottes et croyants?
Never know it from the press in Ripoublika Franska. Don't expect to see anything about Hillary and religion in the French press Pravda.	Pas à en croire la presse en Ripoublika Franska. N'attendez-vous pas à voir quoi que ce soit au sujet de Hillary Clinton et la religion dans la presse Pravda franchouille.

Cup o' Joe	Fais péter le kawa
Fair trade coffee (like that piss-mix from Max Avelaar) is for shriveled dick panty-wastes. Get some Contra coffee.	Le café équitable (style jus de tuyau Max Avelaar) est vraiment pour les pédaloïdes aux zobs rabougris. Buvez le café des Contras.

Groove armada
Military nanotech.	Nano-technologie militaire.

Knowing Who Your Friends and Enemies Are

When Foreign Minister Michel Barnier of France cut the tricolor ribbon on a new building for the French high school [in Moscow] last week, much was made of the historical and cultural ties between Russia and France

writes Katrin Bennhold in the International Herald Tribune.

Moscow, he said in an interview Friday, is one of his foreign-policy priorities. "Look at the size of this country, which stretches from the heart of Europe to Asia, which has considerable natural resources and which plays an important role in regional and international affairs," he said. "It's no longer the Soviet Union, but it is still a global power."

What!? No raving and ranting at, no scorn and anger directed at, powers and hyperpowers, on a global, on a continental, or on a regional scale?

(Oh, that's right, that kind of talk is reserved for Uncle Sam…)

Consciousness of Russia's importance played a large part in the French — indeed, the European and American — reaction to the recent crisis in Ukraine, which ended Sunday with the inauguration of Viktor Yushchenko as president. Barnier will visit Yushchenko later this week, after the Ukrainian leader makes his first foreign trip — to Moscow, on Monday.

"We want to tell the Ukrainians what I already told Poland last week: You have to respect Russia," he said. "We can't have tensions between Ukraine and Russia, because we need Russia."

What?! No asking that the other player respect (and listen to) its neighbors, and "us French allies", and the rest of the world?

And for the neighbors, no "You are not very polite people" who "would have done better to keep quiet"?

(Oh, that's right, that kind of talk is reserved for situations involving Uncle Sam…)

In fact, Barnier has gone out of his way not to irritate Russia…

But France's interest in Russia is emblematic of the French vision of the world. In this view — not popular in Washington — Russia is one of several poles in global economics and politics, along with the United States, China, India and the European Union. France, conscious of its status as continental Europe's only nuclear power and permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, alongside Russia, paints itself as Russia's key strategic partner in Europe — a bridge to Moscow, Barnier said, as Britain is a bridge between the EU and Washington. "We have been a mediator for a long time" the minister said. "Our analysis of a lot of problems in the world is often similar."

What!? No high-falutin' comments on "Friends having to be allowed to disagree", "we are allies, not serfs", etc…

(Oh, that's right, that kind of talk is reserved for Uncle Sam…)

But some analysts caution that the exchange often lacks substance. "They've created a lot of infrastructure to talk, but they don't have that much to talk about," said Thomas Gomart, a Russia specialist at the Paris-based French Institute for International Relations. "It's a much less tangible relationship than that between Germany and Russia."

Nyet, do not say it is simply more talk of the type seen at the United Nations debating society…

Barnier's aides admit that President Jacques Chirac of France has no [warm friendship] with [President Vladimir] Putin. But Russia, home to the world's largest natural gas reserves and a rapidly growing investment needs, is near the top of the list of 25 countries in which France wants to increase its economic presence. "We have big companies in industries that interest the Russians," Barnier said.

How many democracies among the 25?

UNObeing, to the rescue

Europe’s knight in shining all natural hemp fibers, UNObeing, to the rescue.
Late, natch. Nearly a MONTH late.

Breathe. See date above. Continue reading

Meanwhile, the U.N. constructs the following morsel of consent: 21/1/2005 UN Conference On Disaster Reduction Concludes. (conludes WHAT, is never all that clear)

Were I was Indian, I would be rather cheesed off (if they like cheese, that is) at this little bit of “jumping someone else’s train”: UN Launches Plans For Global Early Warning System On Natural Disasters

In other words, they are going to claim acclaim for what the US has been doing for 30 years in the Pacific, and what India announced it would implement in the Indian ocean.

Tfeh!

Update: Your correspondent's humble apologies. I think I've found UNObeing's intestinal equal, or at least the artful product of UNObeing's sage advise Mr. Methane (pr. mee-thayn)

An object lesson for Europe. From San Francisco...

Hey! You in the back! Stop laughing!

Are San Francisco conservatives a bellwether for Europe?

Nothing turns people to the far right than being surrounded by the far left. On the other hand, it also makes a larger number of people in the middle join the reasonable right.





Remerci to the man's man, Bernard Chapin

The press turning victory into defeat

"There are still people in the mainstream media who profess bewilderment that they are accused of being biased. But you need to look no further than reporting on the war in Iraq to see the bias staring you in the face, day after day, on the front page of the New York Times and in much of the rest of the media.

"You might think that these were like the underground fighters in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II.

"The most obvious difference is that the underground in Europe did not go around targeting innocent civilians. As for the Nazis, they tried to deny the atrocities they committed. But today the "insurgents" in Iraq are proud of their barbarism, videotape it, and publicize it -- often with the help of the Western media. "

Go dig a hole / Allez-vous

Meanwhile, a Euro makes himself useful, finds meaning in life:

Austrian artist Muhammad Mueller started a project in November, as political commentary, in which two people at a time dig a tunnel from the city of Graz to Gradec, Slovenia, 42 miles away, using only
shovels; he estimated the venture would take 5,600 years.

- Associated Press

[Ed. Sounds like pathbreaking work.]

Poverty and How to Reduce It

Poverty is on the rise in France, and has been so since 2002, although the main article manages to compare this favorably with the state of poverty in the United States.

Meanwhile, Jim Klauder reports that ignorance shrouds capitalism's profound impact on reducing poverty (merci à RV).

Amazingly, the World Bank report [noting that growth in 2004 reflected "an expansion without precedent over the past 30 years" and that "the rapid growth of developing economies ... has produced a spectacular, if not historic, fall in poverty"] did not get much coverage in our mainstream media. It seems the press was more interested in covering the evils of globalization than in taking notice of how world trade — which grew by an astounding 10.2 percent this year — is driving economic growth.

…One big reason people in more advanced societies are able to enjoy a more comfortable existence is that they are able to purchase items by going into debt. Americans take that for granted. Any person living in absolute poverty would love to trade positions with any one of us and walk in our shoes — to have a job and be able to borrow money for a car or a home.

(In other economic news, the Washington Times' Andrew Borowiec reports that Europe's 'locomotive' is losing steam; Le Monde's Alain Beuve-Méry and Catherine Rollot explain how, with only an employment rate of only 63.2% (compared with 75.1% for Denmark), France is eyeing its EU partners with envy; and Gerontologist Françoise Forette speaks to BusinessWeek's Gail Edmondson about how older workers can stay productive and how France is falling behind in that regard.)

In any case, David R Henderson explains (the text below is slightly transformed from his Joy of Freedom) that the basic ways of calculating the poverty index lead to bogus conclusions;

a number of economists have said the percentages are misleading because, first of all, they come from comparisons — if a portion of the population beomes richer (because the overall economy has improved), the poverty percentage will increase, but that doesn't mean the "poor" are poorer or worse off — the individual families or the individuals don't have less wealth in real terms. They either have not moved at all or their lot has improved, but because it has improved at a slower rate than that of the rich, the percentage (and the poverty index) will seem to have worsened.

Speaking of real terms leads us to the second conclusion,which is that in any case, those who fit into the category of "poor" [in the United States] are far richer, and far better off, than the poor in Turkey or Greece — even though the percentages (i.e., the comparisons) are more "just" or "equal" [ah, l'égalité!] in those countries. The state of the poor in countries like France and Denmark will also be better than that of Turkey and Greece, although the lot of the poor in America may, in turn, be better than that of their Western European brethren.

So what, fundamentally, is the basic difference between America and France (along with Europe)?

The difference is that Americans are egoistical, treacherous, and hard-hearted, and the slightest event that can be twisted to be seemingly provide evidence of their deepest sins and sinfulness must be exploited to its fullest.

Meanwhile, the French are generous, wise, tolerant, visionary, solidaires, lucides, and any example to the contrary is simply an exception to the rule of general benevolence. Better yet: the very fact that they are willing to speak of their own weaknesses is tribute to their all-encompassing kindheartedness and humanity, to be contrasted with the blindness of people living in a capitalist system like America…

See, everything rests on the person's (I should say the people's) character, intent, and inherent goodness or lack thereof.

And evidence to the contrary will be quickly marginalized…

The Iraq Documentary that Will Never Make the Nightly News

…or win a palme d'or at the Cannes film festival…

(Thanks to Joe Nerio)

Iraq: Pride and Glory

While the mainstream media throughout Europe has been going on about the chaos and insecurity in Iraq and Hamid Karzai tells its people about how it will be acquiring Pride and Glory…

(Danke zu Franz Hoffmann)

While the mainstream media throughout Europe has been going on about the illegal war in Iraq, as well as the supposed benefits of soft power and multilateralism, Richard Perle provides the citizens of Germany with some basic truths…

The United States is a racist society

Misé 40 ans / Gone 40 years

Statesman, writer on history, maker of history, and artist.

We need him now more than ever.

Nous avons besoin de lui maintenant plus que jamais.

Another Photo Shows the Chaos and the Lack of Safety in Iraq

Another horrendous photo showing how unsafe, and how chaotic, Iraq has become
(Thanks to Gregoire)

Here are more reasons to castigate Uncle Sam for intervening in Iraq, unnecessarily and treacherously…

Meanwhile, Franz Hoffmann informs us that Karl Vick's report explaining how 80 Percent of Iraqis Say They Are Likely to Vote appears only on… page 13 of the Washington Post!…

And take that "Roland" parasite from Doonesbury wit' ya...

BD canadien superbe:

On the Aircraft Carrier in the Indian Ocean: "a mob of civilians sitting around like they owned the place"

A U.S. Navy officer currently serving with the USS Abraham Lincoln witnesses the UN relief operation up close, along with the attendant NGOs and the accompanying reporters…

(Thanks to Diplomad)

Six Planeloads of European Aid and Kindhearted Solidarity for Tsunami-Devastated Thailand

Let's make this quite clear, take notes this time, I will not be saying this again:

America is the rogue nation, acting unilaterally, egoistically, and treacherously at every turn of the road.

If only those oafish Americans could understand how dialogue. understanding, and multilateralism work, and how we must all share to live together in this world of ours, they could let themselves be inspired by what in government-driven societies makes the Europeans so naturally generous, so naturally wise, and so naturally solidaires…

(Kop Khun, RV)

Pire q'une état garde d'enfants / The screwy nanny state

What kind of amateurs dwell on the obvious?

Worry about the big stuff.
Ils croient que les citoyens sont stupides.

Bonjour, les Infidels! / Good morning, Infidels!

Linky, linky... Lien, lien...

Home of the 5th Republic Repoublika Column	Chez la 5ème République Repoublika Colonne
"We were not in Kabul. We were standing outside their French public high school - a short ride from the Eiffel Tower."	"Ce n'est pas à Kaboul. Nous somme en face d'un lycée publique français - à quelques minutes de la Tour Eiffel.

Norwegians afraid of demonic McChimp Bushitler!	Bush aux norvégiens: vous êtes cocus!
Stupid fucking squareheads. He's saying hello by making a Viking horn sign.	Ces connards de norvégiens. Bush leur dit bonjour en faisant un signe en forme de cornes de Viking.

Thanks for the Relativism

This just in from our Washington correspondent -

Anarchist having a anti-anti-abortion rally outside the Holocaust memorial, of all places. Tacky, tacky, tacky. Very stripes and plaid, non?

Okay, let me see if their message can be understood: link abortion to mass murder, then state clearly that you're for abortion. Let's fill in the blanks: they're telling us that they're for mass murder...

Chipmunks communicate more clearly by grooming one another.

Wrong week for it spanky. Read up. I doubt you'll meet chicks that way, anyway.

These fun-loving guys and gals are a monument to public education. Mom and the sanitation crew must be so proud.

Poor, oafish, confused adolescents... Where are the evil adults who exploited them, hanging out on the moldy sofa back at black flag HQ...
If being involved in a fundamentalist church is a fascist activity, why are they promoting anarchy (which says it's liberterian and into freedom of speech and religion) as authoritarian? Henh? Nazis, Communists, Maoists, and their ilk hated God and religion because God represented the competition, and religion and philosophical reflection gives people a way to grow into individuals. So what kind of mumbo-jumbo gets these zombies' rocks off?

To quote a REAL fascist:

We are socialists. We are enemies of today's capitalistic
system for the exploitation of the economically weak, with its' unfair salaries,
with its' unseemly evaluation of a human building according to wealth and
property instead of responsibility and performance. We are determined to destroy
this system under all circumstances"

-Adolf Hitler,
1927

Sounds like it came out of the mouth of an anti-globalisation protestor. So, in a way the Anarchy-puppies are consistent in their link between authoritarian liberalism (not liberterianism) and fascism, but don't know it. They like the idea of people not being judged by their success, but their political usefullness. By that standard, these punks should be down on their knees and babbling in tongues.

merci à RV de la citation.

In memoriam

Johnny Carson
1925 - 2005

The goodguy.

Someone once calculated that 40 million babies were

conceived while he was on in the background.