Lucid, Nuanced, and Visionary French Élites

In his editorial for the last issue of Courrier International before the summer recess, Philippe Thureau-Dangin shows that all the nuance and the rationality of the French élites are all about Bush, and nothing else.

• La fin du mandat de George Bush risque d’être dur.

• Et, si jamais l’Iran passe du statut d’observateur occasionnel [au sein de l’Organisation de coopération de Shanghai] au statut de membre associé, cela aussi serait pénible pour George Bush…

• Tout cela ne serait vraiment pas de bonnes nouvelles pour George.

The British ally in Iraq, the Iranian foe in the Shanghai group, the WTO's negotiations in the Doha cycle, you name it, all international news revert to how it affects the Texan troublemaker, served with a spoonful of scornful schadenfreude that the news are hardly positive.

Forget about, ignore, the dangers posed by Tehran, Beijing, or international trade, real or otherwise. It's all about Bush being subject to bad news, Bush having a difficult time in the final months of his presidency, Bush not having a good summer this year…

Bon été à lui tout de même et à tous nos lecteurs.