Eastern Europe to France: Drop Dead, Chirac

[Bereta_Eder]

Well you don't look like you honour that debt either

[Arrian]

What are you on about?

-Arrian

[LDiCesare]

Just to point out that Chirac and his prime minister are both short-tempered and heavy-footed fellows who tend no tot like much opposition. That means they are not very good diplomats.
Now, that France would be trying to impose its yoke on Europe through the EU, well, every other country in the union does, too. However, the point is to be stronger as an economic union than as separate states. Political union is very very unlikely anyway.

[Lancer]

paiktis, France didn't want to help us, they wanted to hurt the Brits, so they got what they wanted out of the American revolutution too. Besides, any debt we owed them we payed back in spades in WW1, where more Americans lost their lives than the French ever committed in our revolution...and that was just WW1.

[PLATO]

Originally posted by The Vagabond
The East Europeans should have shown more tact towards their prospective donors within the EU. So Chirac is right in this: they missed a great opportunity to shut up. Once again they have shown themselves as petty lackeys: no principles, just blind asskissing to the master.

So I take it your problem is that they picked the wrong master

This seems to be the typical French viewpoint. How distressing for the EU. It really could have been a good idea if only France were on another continent.

[Lancer]

What if the rest of europe ditched the EU and made a new union without France? I have to think the Germans are going to wake up one day in a cold sweat and start acting rational again...but then again, who wants the Germans either?

The problem with any union of nations in europe is that it must, by necesity, be formed from european nations...

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Lancer
What if the rest of europe ditched the EU and made a new union without France? I have to think the Germans are going to wake up one day in a cold sweat and start acting rational again...but then again, who wants the Germans either?

The problem with any union of nations in europe is that it must, by necesity, be formed from european nations...

Agree completely!!

[Lancer]

[Kramerman]

Give me the option, id prefer to join a union with Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand and get out of the EU.

Now that would be cool

[Propaganda]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
Wouldn't it be ironic if Eastern Europe — in a pique over Chirac's comments — began to gravitate towards, say, Moscow?

Gatekeeper

The Perestroika Deception.

[Gatekeeper]

What I find amusing about Chirac's comments is that it comes across as, "If you want to be a part of the European Union, shut your mouths. And if you're a part of the EU now, shut your mouths anyway and follow our lead."

I don't think that's particularly good for even "just" an economic union, let alone a possible political and military one down the road.

BTW, I'm waiting for Dubya to smack Vincente Fox around a little bit in the near future ...

Gatekeeper

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
And if you're a part of the EU now, shut your mouths anyway and follow our lead."

That's strange I must have missed that.

Better talk to the Brits about that, they seem to have the same illusions

[Gatekeeper]

Well, you'd think that everything was hunky-dory w/i the EU, they wouldn't have had such an *unbecoming* public spat (I prefer fistfight, just for "color" purposes ... ah, the written word) in regards to U.S. and British policies towards Iraq.

But I understand that there are some internal issues driving this as well.

Gatekeeper

[The Vagabond]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
What I find amusing about Chirac's comments is that it comes across as, "If you want to be a part of the European Union, shut your mouths. And if you're a part of the EU now, shut your mouths anyway and follow our lead."

Oh, come on! East Europeans issued their statement without even informing France beforehand as a courtesy. Do you really think this should be a normal practice within the EU? Chirac had all the reasons to be frustrated.

[Dinner]

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Future European Union (news - web sites) members endorsed a hard-won EU declaration Tuesday warning Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) he has one last chance to disarm, grasping for unity despite signs of a new continental rift.

In other words, his last last chance really wasn't his last chance and now we are going to give him a last last last chance and we really want him to comply because we're not going to give him a last last last last chance.

Why should Saddam believe it when you say "this is the last chance" since you've all been saying that for 12 years now? If he didn't comply when the U.N. gave him his "last chance" seven months ago then why would he comply when EU gives him a new last chance ("For real! We mean it this time... well, we think we do but we're not sure...")?