It is a great big multipolar world.

The idea here is that nations huddle up and use their collective strength to impose their collective will. France is a big multipolar player. So far France counts in her multipolar huddle Belgium, ah, Spain, just a minute, hhmmm, Zimbabwe... The truth is France has no attractions as an organizing pole: she is not powerful enough, not rich enough, she is not reliable, not decisive, and not trustworthy. And though France may tag along with other big powers on this and that issue, she is a third wheel.

So imagine our surprise to see a unilateral call to arms from Jacques Myard, Député de la 5ème circonscription des Yvelines. M. Myard is not a fringe politician but a rank-and-file member of Jack's L'UMPs.

GUERRE AU LIBAN – ISRAËL A-T-IL PERDU LA RAISON ?
[WAR IN LEBANON - HAS ISRAEL LOST ITS MIND?]

July 18, 2006 - Multiple direct testimonials from Lebanon are coming from French people residing in South Lebanon, and particularly Tyr, according to which the Israeli army is shooting on sight everything that moves, and notably on civilians.

These French saw a helicopter kill a whole family, including the children, by shooting at their minivan on sight and from a few meters afar, as they were fleeing the conflict zone. The church at Rachaya is said to have been destroyed while it was packed with refugees.

According to the same testimonials, the Israeli army is using fragmentation bombs, and "vacuum packed" bombs that destroy by implosion, the bodies looking like totally dislocated puppets, like rag dolls.

It is inadmissible that we allow Israel act in such way. The French government must take every measure, including militarily [NB], in accordance with international laws that allow it [NB], to protect her nationals and put an end to these outrageous attacks against civilians [NB].

At the same time, only an international intervention force that would disarm all militias according to resolution 1559 [Passed in 2004.] of the Security Council could stabilize the region.

France must act [NB]. She can't simply make do with convincing her allies whose faint-heartedness [!] with respect to this conflict is well known.

[Hat tip, story and translation: The Dissident Frogman]

Where to begin? Suffice it to say, up until his recent martial communiqué we could not find M. Myard being particularly hopped up about UNSCR 1559 unenforcement. Nor could we find his outrage over the killing of Israeli civilians by over-the-border terrorist rocket attacks, some 800 this year.

Of course calling France to arms is, well, a ludicrous proposition. Especially against the war-hardened IDF. And if push came to shove, America -- and with it, NATO -- would not be in France's corner, leaving France with...Belgium. Belgium who kits out its choclate box army with toy guns.

But M. Myard makes his threat confident that France is so out of the game, so incapable of affecting events, no one would ever call his bluff.

PFFT (What is this?): Something we'd like to see 4 | Rayonnement français 0

who is this guy ?

i can also take a random congress man that no one cares about and pick up some stupid thing he says and make a great article against USA (really easy to pee on you though).

you suck so much it's almost funny

cheers with your "behind TV war"

we at least care about the people of lebanon and where the first to send supplyes and power generator to prevent childrend from dying under your "good friend" israel's bombing.

luckyly for you we're not stupid as you are and will not boycott your products just because you are ass holes.

hope corea will carry out their threats on you and shave USA from the face of the earth (too bad there will be 10% intelligent american people dead.. but well .. colateral damage)

Cheers with iraq

Ah, the French mind on display.

M. LOL asks us to admire the righteous French commisseration for the Lebanese as victims of war, and then gleefully wishes the ravages of war on America. Yes, well, cheap principles cheaply applied.

Please note that M. LOL is not such an asshole as to forgo American products, but he is asshole enough to wish "corea" success in "shaving USA from the face of the earth".

And just where does M. LOL think he will get shiny American products after his proposed shave?

What a donkey.

DGB

you didn't answer my main point wich was that i could take a random congress man and pick up a random "i want to exist" sentence from him.

as for the shaving from N Korea i guess you didn't pick the irony (wich seems to be your favorite game ;) ) that you bomb iraq because they might hide weapons of mass destruction, and do nothing to a country whom dictator said he will destroy you, and have actually nuclear weapons.

cheers with your friends all around the world

M. LOL, what's to answer? You say you can, but you didn't. Do what you claim and we may comment. Just to refresh your evaporated memory, you will be making a random selection of an American congressman who unilaterally calls the nation to war in defense of terrorists.

Your "shave" remark to all appearances expresses your sincere "hope", as such it is not ironic. The trick to irony is to make it clear that something other is intended. What "other" could your statement possibly intend?

Perhaps if you gave your posts some thought initially you'd spare us both the tedium of explaining what you meant.

DGB