Surprise.....

Ah there is so much to write about, so many topics I could choose from. I have seen things, read things, heard things! Signs and portents, types and shadows, omens, clues, and just strange thoughts and feelings.....
It leaves one quite confounded when trying to decide what to discuss.

So. In a fit of whimsy and obnoxiousness, I'll do something that isn't all that common among many in America. I'll write about the French. And I'll say good things about them.

Now I have said and thought many bad things about the French over the years. And I will say more bad things in the future I am sure. But despite everything I have said, (and meant when I said it!) deep down you just have to respect the French a bit. They can be annoying, supercilious, obnoxious, pushy, ethnocentric, nationalistic, and what all(in fact, that sound a lot like US in the world too). But you know what, they're French and they know it. They are perfectly willing to tell the entire rest of the world to go bugger itself if they want or need to do something for France that everyone else thinks shouldn't be done.
They have a LONG history of unilateral military interventions around the world that has annoyed and pissed off everyone from the UN on down but do they care? NO. Why not? They're French. Other countries in Europe cave in to Green pressure and have decided to drop nuclear power despite the massive energy crunch that is constant in Europe. France has 58 nuclear power plants that generate almost 80% of the electricity used in the country. And they are improving them and building more. Why? Because they are French and France needs power. It may not be a great thing but back when France was actively testing nuclear weapons in the South Pacific, Green Peace protested them sailed their ship into the test zones, caused all sorts of disruptions and grief. IN the US when that happened we screened them off with other ships, sprayed them with water cannons, negociated. France sank the Green Peace boat. Sent a commando team in and sank it one night. Boom, no more issues. (briefly) Why? Because they are French and France needed to test nuclear weapons. There are a whole long litany of examples I could cite where no matter how annoying they may be because they aren't doing what WE want them to, you really have to admire them. They do what they think France needs.
Now one more example that I just heard of this past weekend while driving home. I was listening to NPR and they were discussing the causes of the riots in France and what the effects may be. One of the things the NPR commentators were bemoaning was the fact that in France, they do not keep racial records. It is illegal in France for the government to collect or store information about what race a person is. They operate under they theory that no matter where you come from, what you look like, what your religion is, now, YOU ARE FRENCH. Just French. NO hyphens. Pure equality under the law. (Does thins work? No. Racism is alive and well in France but it is a nice thought.) I wish we did that in the US. More just plain Americans and less "something-american." Less worry about how poor blacks or poor hispanics or poor whoevers are doing and instead just worry about how the POOR are doing. A theoretically race blind system.
So, despite all that I have said and thought about the French in the past and will do in the future, Here's to you boys! At least you are willing to stick up for yourselves.



Note: the French may do what they think is in the best interest of France. I often think they are insane. Some of the things they choose to do are just demented (reoccupy South East Asia for example) I am also vastly ammused by the people whobitch and moan because the US unilaterally went into Iraq and then cite us ignoring our Ally France when we did so. Despite the fact that France does more unilateral military action around the world than most people in the US can imagine. It is just usually a smaller operation than we pull out.

Oh yeah, speaking of Riots in France. Serena, STAY SAFE!