MORE FRENCH NONSENSE

FROM IHT
(http://www.iht.com/bin/print.php?file=540813.html )

"Asked about his view of the American presidential election, Chirac's former foreign minister, Hubert Védrine, who first described U.S. unilateralism as a central global problem during the eight "hyperpower" years of the Clinton administration, said it was a shame the rest of the planet could not vote.

It was "sad" to see, Vedrine said, how these Americans, this "nice people" ("peuple attachant" in French), were drowned in propaganda and "cut off from the rest of the world." The term is used in French travel literature, with seeming condescension, to describe interesting savages or exotic but childlike ethnic groups. "

AU CONTRAIRE Monsiuer Vedrine....

FACT: The USA is the most diverse and open society – and the least insulated culture – in the world. The least "cut off from the world." American culture evolves however the people down below (mongrels and savages like me) make it evolve as we exercise our freedom of choice; our culture is not the exclusive province of the academy who deem from on high what is good and proper.

This consumer driven culture – and the competition this culture engenders - makes EVERYTHING we produce better than anything produced in a closed society; everything. Everything we design and/or manufacture: our cars; our movies; our music; our media; and yes - even our politics.

Politicians here in the USA come from diverse parts of society and are schooled in diverse parts of culture, and they must appeal to a diverse electorate (or find some way to cut through the clutter and carve out a majority from an extremely diverse whole); not an easy chore.

In France, nearly all the politicians went to the same school (ENA), the political parties are crooked shams, and their national elections are two-stage farces.

Rather than look at us with snarky self-satisfied disdain, Vedrine - and his comrades in the French elite, and his countrymen - should look toward the USA with admiring eyes, and emulate us as much as they can.