What Stretched-Out American Hands and Tokens of American "Friendship" Give Rise To…

Another world leader — now the allies and friendlies are joining the feast — seems to have understood that showing anger and resentment at America (or at the Anglo-Saxon world) and issuing threats and making demands is likely to bring more obeisance from Barack Obama's we-must-listen-to-your-whining White House (merci à RV)…

President Sarkozy yesterday threatened to wreck the London summit if France’s demands for tougher financial regulation are not met.

…If carried through, [the French threat] would ruin a summit for which Mr Brown and Mr Obama have high ambitions, believing it vital to international recovery.

Mr Sarkozy, who blames the “Anglo-Saxons” for causing the economic crisis, told his ministers last week that he would leave Mr Brown’s summit “if it does not work out”.

A deal to tighten regulation will be one of the key features of the G20 accord but France wants a global financial regulator, an idea fiercely opposed by the United States and Britain. Mr Brown has described the notion as ridiculous.