You can tell they're angry and want to hurt the Biden administration, because their official public statement is that this reminds them of the sort of thing that Trump would have done. In truth, though, Trump never did anything that caused a major ally to recall its ambassador.
One Step Away from War... with France?
The French recalled their ambassador to the United States today. Traditionally, this was the step immediately preceding the commencement of hostilities to include acts of war such as blockades. I don't imagine the French intend to attack us, and are merely expressing their anger in the strongest peaceful terms; but it is an amazing place to find ourselves.
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The French also canceled a dinner commemorating the 240th anniversary of the Battle of the Capes, a French-English fight of some minor use to us in our Revolutionary War.
Keep in mind that France never has been a real friend. Their real involvement in our Revolutionary War came late and only because our win, which seemed likely only late, would harm Great Britain to French advantage. Benefit to us was a tool not an end.
Keep in mind, too, their arrogance toward both us, and toward Great Britain (another signatory to the AUKUS), in their insistence that they should lead the march through Paris late in WWII, instead of either of the two armies that had actually liberated France leading that celebratory stroll.
Too, they bolted from the military arm of NATO and demanded our total departure from France, relenting only slightly and only when LBJ asked if we should withdraw all of our dead in French cemeteries, too.
France still holds a grudge against us over that last because we wouldn't help them maintain their SEA-based colonial empire. (We stepped on the Brits, too, over the Suez Canal a short time later, but we both got over that.)
And they've always been full of anti-American rhetoric of greater or lesser seriousness.
It's certainly true, and stupidly arrogantly so, that Biden should have coordinated better with France over the sub deal (into which we entered late and after France and Australia were approaching the signing step) and over the AUKUS deal. But that did real damage only slightly, given France has nothing to contribute to the Pacific region, and has had nothing since the Vietnamese ran them out of SEA.
France's dismay with us today has no meaning except as it's symptomatic of Biden's incompetence.
Eric Hines
Well, we still have an advantage in size and firepower, but we're crippled by leadership failures, so maybe this is France's chance to take us on.
I wonder how woke the Foreign Legion is?
Sort of an aside, but the US would (in my opinion) benefit from a Foreign Legion or even a Foreign "Peace Corps" sort of institution. A structure for non-citizens, ex-criminals, embarrassed politicians, or whatever. Let those who would take the risk change their names, go do dirty dangerous poorly paid work in some sh^th*le nation somewhere far away, then after a decade come back to the US as fully rehabilitated citizens. Even structure the pay such that the "active duty" members receive mere pocket change during service, but a significant cash payout at end of service. That payout is forfeited if the contract is not fulfilled over a decade; a double-indemnity bonus is paid to designated beneficiaries should the Legionnaire be killed in line of duty; various annuities or pensions or deferred payments might be offered by third parties in exchange for rights to the lump sum payout.
While the regular military retains and improves the special talents of going places, breaking things, and killing people the Foreign Legion should take over any "nation building" that Congress might authorize.
I’d have liked that proposal more a decade ago; at this point I think we should do no more nation building.
Can't nation build in a few years, anyway; that's a multi-generational effort. Democracies, even republican democracies, have too little patience for the task.
Eric Hines
God won't let any nations exist after this. No France. no USA>
It is basically a done deal at this point.
What is Australia doing, going full totalitarian conspiracy?
It is like aliens havei nvaded except humans still think they elected their leaders.
Noteworthy: France would have delivered its submarines in 2027 (?) while the US nukers won't be delivered until 2040.
Tell me Red China isn't happy about THAT!
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