May 29, 2005
Random observation
Is it just me or is it particularly ironic that this smashing, crushing defeat and repudiation of Jacques Chirac happened on the same day that Lebanon went to the polls free of a Syrian military presence in their country in thirty years? A vote that wouldn't have happened without the pressure on Arab autocrats created by Dubya?
And, I wonder what departing prize the lovely Carol Merrill will have for M. Chirac for playing our game? The life time supply of Rice-a-roni, the San Francisco Treat?
I'm hoping for one of those giant size tubes of Preparation H myself.
Oh and for those playing along with the home game, the score is "Freedom simplesme" 1, "Gaullic sophistication" 0.
Posted by Steve at May 29, 2005 09:47 PMThe main reason the French voted no (at least acccording to street interviews with voters) was the fear (justified in my opinion) that the constitution would undermine social programs and their democratic voice. Sounds like freedom of choice and democracy to me. Seems like Chirac was just too far to the right for the common man...
Posted by: LB buddy at May 30, 2005 09:55 AMExactly. The 'red' provinces wanted MORE socialism, not less
Posted by: beautifulatrocities at May 30, 2005 06:42 PMI actually agree with you on this one Shawn---the EU constitutional process sucked precisely because it was anti-democratic and anti-sovereignty. If French voters want more socialism, that's absolutely fine with me (crazy for their future, but hey, wtf, it's not like they are going to demand for us to come over and clean up their disastrous messes. Oh yeah, forgot about that).
What I was savoring was the smackdown being delivered to Chirac, following closely on the heels of the smackdown to Schroeder in Germany.
Posted by: Steve the LLamabutcher at May 31, 2005 10:06 AMWow, a rare moment of political concordance between myself and STLB. Maybe Armageddon really is going to happen.
Posted by: LB buddy at May 31, 2005 11:15 AM
