...In a sign of White House determination (click here) to build relations with France, Mr Obama made a rare trip to Andrews Air Force base to personally welcome Mr Hollande before taking him on a trip to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, the third US president and renowned Francophile.
The visit to Monticello served to showcase a relationship that stretches back to the founding of the United States in the late 18th century, an alliance still strong despite spats over US eavesdropping and trade talks with the European Union.
The leaders toured the unique home, including its distinctive crowning portico and the Cabinet room Jefferson used for writing, architectural drafting and scientific observation. They saw the basement kitchen equipped with utensils he brought back from Paris after serving as US ambassador to France.
"Thomas Jefferson represents what's best in America, but as we see as we travel through his home, what he also represents is the incredible bond and the incredible gifts that France gave to the United States, because he was a Francophile through and through," Mr Obama told reporters....
The American people heard about stupid politics of the left and right during the French President's visit when there were incredible things happening within our country we all should be proud of.
France wants a relationship with the USA, but, that is not new. France also practices a strong defense strategy, but, it always has since being one of the five permanent nuclear nations. France wants the USA engaged in the Mideast and doesn't want to see it's ally leave anytime soon. In some ways, the defense strategies of France and Obama's USA are similar. They match the expression, "Walk softly but carry a big stick." France assesses problems and acts to deter them. They do this while the problem is small enough to deter. So, in many ways France is the best of allies. Willing to defend itself, but, never foolish enough to engage in a war so enormous it could cost the country it's standing in sovereignty.
...JUST AFTER the appearance (click here) of the White Paper confirming the principle of French deterrence, at a time when we can detect signs of a second Cold War in the Caucasus, when Iran has regional pretensions and China is significantly improving the performance of its ballistic missile submarines, the above question might seem incongruous, if not unwelcome. Nevertheless, when France chose to equip itself with nuclear weapons, it did so while proclaiming their temporary nature, endorsing the aim of general disarmament....
...Between the impatient, sometimes aggressive, attitude of the United States, a more flexible Europe favouring negotiation, and the ambiguous postures of China and Russia, the non-proliferation message is often inaudible. The countries incriminated (India, Pakistan, North Korea and Iran) not slow to exploit this lack of coherence and consistency....
There in lies the problem. The five nuclear nations simply don't act to end other weapons programs. No one country talks about it. No one country acts to end the proliferation and in many ways that is why the world's politicians are enjoying the ambitions of Iran as a tool for elections.
Nuclear weapons beget nuclear weapons, but, so long as the USA continues to have bozos like Bush elected to office willing to proliferate nuclear capacity of nations, the dialogue will never begin again. There was a time when France was a leader in bringing the understanding of the dangers of living with nuclear capacity; if it wants to be our best ally and truest friend France needs to begin that dialogue again with vigor, at the UN General Assembly and in assemblies of economic aspirations such as the G8 and all it's offspring.
If France is our best ally the dialogue for non-proliferation has to be loud and continuous until such political tools are viewed as barbaric and the global community once again is on the path to sincere non-proliferation.
France wants a relationship with the USA, but, that is not new. France also practices a strong defense strategy, but, it always has since being one of the five permanent nuclear nations. France wants the USA engaged in the Mideast and doesn't want to see it's ally leave anytime soon. In some ways, the defense strategies of France and Obama's USA are similar. They match the expression, "Walk softly but carry a big stick." France assesses problems and acts to deter them. They do this while the problem is small enough to deter. So, in many ways France is the best of allies. Willing to defend itself, but, never foolish enough to engage in a war so enormous it could cost the country it's standing in sovereignty.
...JUST AFTER the appearance (click here) of the White Paper confirming the principle of French deterrence, at a time when we can detect signs of a second Cold War in the Caucasus, when Iran has regional pretensions and China is significantly improving the performance of its ballistic missile submarines, the above question might seem incongruous, if not unwelcome. Nevertheless, when France chose to equip itself with nuclear weapons, it did so while proclaiming their temporary nature, endorsing the aim of general disarmament....
...Between the impatient, sometimes aggressive, attitude of the United States, a more flexible Europe favouring negotiation, and the ambiguous postures of China and Russia, the non-proliferation message is often inaudible. The countries incriminated (India, Pakistan, North Korea and Iran) not slow to exploit this lack of coherence and consistency....
There in lies the problem. The five nuclear nations simply don't act to end other weapons programs. No one country talks about it. No one country acts to end the proliferation and in many ways that is why the world's politicians are enjoying the ambitions of Iran as a tool for elections.
Nuclear weapons beget nuclear weapons, but, so long as the USA continues to have bozos like Bush elected to office willing to proliferate nuclear capacity of nations, the dialogue will never begin again. There was a time when France was a leader in bringing the understanding of the dangers of living with nuclear capacity; if it wants to be our best ally and truest friend France needs to begin that dialogue again with vigor, at the UN General Assembly and in assemblies of economic aspirations such as the G8 and all it's offspring.
If France is our best ally the dialogue for non-proliferation has to be loud and continuous until such political tools are viewed as barbaric and the global community once again is on the path to sincere non-proliferation.
