thank you france, germany, russia, china, etc

[Spiffor]

Oh, and if you are interested, here is an article from Le Monde on the issue. I'm too lazy to translate it, but I'll give you the main points.

Colin Powell has visited France in preparation of the G8 summit in Evian. While the tone wasn't friendly, it appears the main opposition is over. Powell explains the YES from France in the UN is a step in the right direction, and French diplomats explain the US couldn't have done more concessions without humiliating themselves.

Powell calls for a redefinition of the policies between France and the US, in the light of former disagreements, but in a civil manner, rather than expressing the will of punishing France. According to Le Monde, there are still deep disagreements over the war in Iraq and the role of the UN, but there is a real will to make concessions on the surface.

Chirac has called Bush for 10 minutes, and the discussion has been deemed "productive" by the White House. white House's spokesman Ari Fleisher says Bush is "looking forward" to go to France.

The boycott of French products is said to be without impact by the Elysée, and the business syndicate is happy to see the 2 countries agreeing again.

There is a paragraph about the antiterrorist cooperation, and the fact that the CIA would hate to lose the precious cooperation from the French intelligence.

The only punishment so far, according to the article, is that some US troops haven't trained with French troops within the frame of NATO. Powell says it is a decision from the Pentagon, and it doesn't reflect the administration's stance as a whole.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Henry Kissenger came up with the idea of the G7 as a way for the industrialized countries to coordinate their responses to the Arab oil embargo and it served that purpose well. Unfortunately, for the last 20 years the G7 (now G8) has degenerated into little more then flowery statements which get little or no follow through from its members.

I know many conservatives are beginning to wonder if the whole exccersize isn't a waste of time. It's to bad they can't actually get everyone to do what they say they intend to do.

The G8 still is far from useless

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Cruddy


That's because the political will was there - this consensus did not exist in 1941 until the Fascists made the first move.

That's because Germany was attacking American shipping.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Agathon
"geostrategic" is a species of the genus "strategic" the former referring explicitly to the largest scale strategic issues. It's simply a more accurate term to use. The genus/species relation is not tautological.

It is not more accurate; strategy is by definition at the highest possible scale. Operational is used to refer to a specific theatre. The "geo" adds nothing, but it does make you look like an uneducated idiot (like many are so fond of calling Bush... I imagine you would have made fun if him had he used this word...). You MAY have been trying to say "geopolitics", as that is how you seem to be defining your new term, but you should have realized that.

You need to take a logic class.

No, you do (see above).