From the French:
The French minister in charge of humanitarian relief called on the UN to "clarify" the American role amid claims the military build up was hampering aid efforts.
Alain Joyandet admitted he had been involved in a scuffle with a US commander in the airport's control tower over the flight plan for a French evacuation flight.
"This is about helping Haiti, not about occupying Haiti," Mr Joyandet said.
From Venezuela:
Speaking on his weekly television show, Chavez opined that the U.S. mission in Haiti was a ruse to initiate military occupation.
“I read that 3,000 soldiers are arriving, Marines armed as if they were going to war,” Chavez said. “They are occupying Haiti undercover.”
To which I feel compelled to reply:
Dear France and Venezuela,
We appreciate your concern here, we really do. Please feel free to make a contribution at any time and then we can leave in a prompt manner. You see ladies and gentlemen, there really isn't much to covet in Haiti right now.
If you want to get the aid to people that are still living in massive piles of rubble, have at it. If along the way you see an oil well worth protecting or some other commodity resource that would make an occupation something that would be to our interest, please help yourself. Because unless you have a secret formula to convert concrete to energy, food, or precious metals or minerals, there would be no diabolical reason to occupy such a poverty stricken geological mess.
He who holds it will need to realize that he will be expected to clean it up. I don't suppose either of you thought of that one either. Did you?
Please let us know as soon as possible and I am sure we can work out a change of command and that you can do better without us there. Maybe China would like to pitch in for some recovery and reconstruction. They must have done a bang up job after the Szechuan quake. Maybe by now they have cleaning up a huge rock pile, down to an art and/or science.
Believe me when I tell you: If it were within my power to yield it, I would sign the papers right now.
Best of luck to you.
Your Friend,
LA Sunsett
25 comments:
Hi LAS ! 1/2
Actually Alain Joyandet is the 'Secrétaire d'État chargé de la Coopération et de la Francophonie', and has little to do with humanitarian relief.
He was disavowed almost with the hour (in record speed, never seen it in 40 years here) by the Quai d'Orsay (French State Department), which denied that France had protested or even said anything.
His boss French Foreign Minister Kouchner (Nobel Prize - Doctors Without Borders) said there were a few coordination problems but that the USA was doing a magnificent job.
President Sarkozy went onto TV with fulsome praise and effusive thanks for the USA's intervention, which has enabled the world to reach into Haiti.
Well, Joyandet is a political hack from the east of France and ... Sarko hasn't yet sent Carla along to help (grin).
What has been happening is that the media here have been trying stir up the usual oceans of bad blood by calling the Americans an 'invasion force' and asserting that some humanitarian aircraft have been prevented from landing. The USA is 'occupying' Haiti for its own interests.
It has also emphasized the NGOs - even the puniest dog and pony shows - as well as the 'awesome organization of the United Nations' and that paragon of political organization, the EU, while denigrating, not so say ridiculing, US efforts.
½ .../...
Hi LAS ! 2/2
Two nights ago in a TV debate the reporters started after the USA, big time, and the reporter on the spot (on a usually antiAmerican station, actually) essentially said "You people in Paris are nuts. All the alleged problems you've raised in you so-called debate in Paris are imaginary: here everyone is cooperating feverishly to help people is this benighted country ....the USA is doing a great job". Another reporter on a different station took the same tack last night.
On the shows, two of the usual talking heads/poster children about the USA have come out very firmly and repeatedly pro-USA.
According to the surveys that have been appearing, the French people approve the USA's actions overwhelmingly (something like 59% 'for' to 41% 'against', which is enormous here in France).
The French people are not idiots. (grin) This huge gap might also be a clear manifestation of the Internet phenomenon, in that people go far more on line to look for facts and form their own opinions rather than swallow the garbage purveyed by the French mass media (kinda like the US media ...).
The media have been focusing on Obumbles for the past 24 hours, while ridiculing Senator Brown (bravo ) because he once posed for a beefcake photo. Not a word about his being a National Guard officer or a lawyer. (sigh)
Best,
L'Amerloque
Hey Rocket, what have you seen/heard ?
while ridiculing Senator Brown (bravo ) because he once posed for a beefcake photo.
Wait...don't the French usually accuse Americans of being too prudish? Maybe if it was a woman posing nude they would have been happier...well, unless the woman was Nancy Pelosi. That would be gross.
;-) Hi Amerloque!
Amerloque, thank you for that helpful clarification. Sucks that 41% think we're doing a terrible job, but the media does influence people, and this is France we are talking about, where about 41% will disapprove of America finding a cure for cancer.... :)
Hi Amerloque
Hey Rocket, what have you seen/heard ?
Rabid reaction from the news channels up to about two days ago when Sarkozy and Kouchner more or less implied that the media cool their jets. In fact the news media shot their kneejerk wad practically before US planes got off the ground and the landing rights incident (albeit "petit" but involving a French plane "mon dieu!") didn't help to calm their ire.(media and this jerk Joyandet who just wanted to pick a fight and used the tried and true devil Yankee as the whipping boy)
Especially rabid initially against the American effort was I télé. (this is a news station for those of you not fortunate enough to live in France!! and relegated to eating burgers while watching a game with an oval ball where grown men with horseshoes stuck on a type of plastic helmet run into others with different markings such as Indian heads between commericals for beer.)
Now there is some praise.
Later when the normal first French reaction of panic or envy had passed I think I even read a news headline in the paper that said the "USA to the rescue".
Amerloque said
"According to the surveys that have been appearing, the French people approve the USA's actions overwhelmingly (something like 59% 'for' to 41% 'against', which is enormous here in France)."
Greg - 41% negative opinion of the US in this kind of situation is a major victory for us. No one has mentioned any of this to me but I must admit that most of my contacts in France are now with Nihonjin and beer
I would like to add that the french media blogs (comments) I saw about 60% are running in favor of the US action with a good dose of reality as per French oraganization and logistic limits.
As for Venezuela. No need to even comment. Just hope his oil runs out soon.
PS - Check this out.
http://tinyurl.com/yh6cnnc
rocket: (this is a news station for those of you not fortunate enough to live in France!! and relegated to eating burgers while watching a game with an oval ball where grown men with horseshoes stuck on a type of plastic helmet run into others with different markings such as Indian heads between commericals for beer.)
Homesick?
41% negative opinion of the US in this kind of situation is a major victory for us.
According to the world's foremost expert on 'French bashing', French bashing is dead in America since king Obama rode in on his white horse and cleansed us all of hate. but France is still 'bashing back'? What gives?? ;)
Hugo has finally pulled the HAARP card, accusing Obama of causing the earthquake with some kind of super weapon. Wonder how he thinks Obama got the keys to the machine away from Rove?
Greg-
According to the world's foremost expert on 'French bashing', French bashing is dead in America since king Obama rode in on his white horse and cleansed us all of hate. but France is still 'bashing back'? What gives?? ;)
I just had a French troll (Albert) come over to my blog to call me a racist today...you know, the usual garbage about not being able to accept a "black man" as President. I'm pretty sure I've run into Albert at SF's blog before. Enjoyable little twit...it was fun messing with his arrogant head. ;-)
Thanks for the support, LA. ;-)
(I didn't erase your comment, it was too good. :-) )
Amerloque,
Once again, thanks for the information that we do not always get.... in this case the all-important follow-up.
It's too late to change the salutation to Dear Al. Half of France may ver well be seeing this post, via the forces that still lurk here waiting for me to say something about France. Especially after the comment I left at Mary Ellen's a little while ago. ;)
ME,
//Wait...don't the French usually accuse Americans of being too prudish?//
Among other things. You have to admit, it's pretty hard to write comedy that good.
Greg,
//this is France we are talking about, where about 41% will disapprove of America finding a cure for cancer.//
See ME? This, too, is funny stuff.
ME,
//Thanks for the support, LA.//
Mary Ellen, I don't like it when someone accuses someone of something that isn't true. The guy's been here before. He waits to pounce on things he thinks is anti-French sentiment. Nothing new.
You and I have had our disagreements before. But one thing I always admired about you is your sincerity in what you believe as a philosophy and ideology.
I have no problem with him or anyone else calling me (or others I know) a knucklehead (but not without knowing what the hell they are talking about). That's what I had the problem with.
This guy didn't have a clue and should feel silly right about now..
//As for Venezuela. No need to even comment. Just hope his oil runs out soon.//
Wonder if he would consider invading other South American nations for their resources, if his oil ran out?
(Never mind....that was just me thinking out loud again.)
;)
//Hugo has finally pulled the HAARP card, accusing Obama of causing the earthquake with some kind of super weapon. Wonder how he thinks Obama got the keys to the machine away from Rove?//
I see mixed features and objective criteria from both Narcissistic and Histrionic Personality Disorders. I wonder if he can have an Axis II diagnosis of Mixed Personality Disorder?
(Never mind, just thinking out loud again.)
Oh and AC, that also is funny stuff. You just can't make it up, it falls right in our laps everyday.
;)
Yep, but I wish some of it wasn't so funny. For instance, the head of national security saying 'duh' and slapping his head when admitting egregious failure doesn't hit the funny bone. Unless you like tragic comedies.
HI
The best thing to do with people like Albert is to ignore them. I am pretty sure I know who this person is. (not Flocon) He is not worth answering as this is his operating mode on several blogs. He'll probably be here to try to fame me as this is the way he operates.
Anyway I still can't understand how you can let a Frenchman get under your skin. As we seen, there are a great deal of them who just like to bitch for bitchings sake.
//Yep, but I wish some of it wasn't so funny.//
Very true.
//Anyway I still can't understand how you can let a Frenchman get under your skin.//
He's not under my skin. I just toy with him when I feel like it. If you knew me personally and dealt with me on a daily basis, you'd would know that I am not a man that is given over to anger very easily.
I actually feel sorry for Albert. He must not have had much attention growing up.
M-E: I just had a French troll (Albert) come over to my blog to call me a racist today...you know, the usual garbage about not being able to accept a "black man" as President.
"Albert", huh, M-E? Either that's the same French guy who calls me a racist, or it's some kind of French trend...
Hello Rocket !
/// I télé. (this is a news station for those of you not fortunate enough to live in France!! ///
This is exactly the station that Amerloque was referring to. It's certainly the most rabidly anti-American one in the French media landscape. Almost every time America is mentioned, it's in the negative. So, the other evening, here was this female reporter in Haiti telling the talking heads in Paris that they were full of it ! Amerloque really couldn't believe his eyes or his ears. Goes to show that some French reporters still think independently. Now, of course, what remains to be seen is whether this reporter will still be with i-télé in future. (grin)
As Amerloque writes these words, the lunchtime news on TF1 (largest private channel, pro Sarkozy) is has gone anti-American, showing American troops delivering rice from trucks "with no order or plan or method", and "hence allowing the strongest to take everything from the weakest".
What bee ess.
Best,
L'Amerloque
PS: Does Rocket have Fox News ? Amerloque is unable to have it on Numericable ... and so must go onto the internet site ...
PPSS: Hi ME ! Long time no read !: (grin)
PS: Does Rocket have Fox News ? Amerloque is unable to have it on Numericable ... and so must go onto the internet site ...
I've got numericable also. (only cable operator in France to offer espn america). I don't think it is offered in France and definitely not on numericable. I watch Sky News from time to time. For Fox, I'm like you, I go on the Internet.
But please don't tell anyone in France. I don't want to lose my visa!
I watch the Situation Room at midnight with Wolf and what seems like constant guest host Donna Brazile telling us how wonderful life is under Obama.
Dear America
The last time you helped Haiti... you stayed 19 years.
Venezuela
Dear Venezuela,
We can understand your concerns, as we have the same concerns, But as Mr. Sunsett said before, take your ass over there and do some heavy lifting instead of flapping your mouths.
If you have the ability in between nationalizing your own industries and running them into the ground, by all means be our guests.
America
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