Liberte, Fraternite and Egalite - Updated (Bombs over Baghdad)

Member Name: doyoureally

Product:	Bombs over Baghdad
Date:	01/03/03 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: History teaches

Disadvantages: lessons repeat until learned

Apparently these 3 words mean nothing to France when French oil contracts are at stake.

France against war - find out why?

I just read some fscinating articles on the current crisis. One thing that I had been struggling with was why the French who have not been shy of an unjust war or blowing up an innocent Greenpeace Boat have suddenly got all tetchy.

Now it could be they are completely and genuinely trying to stop a conflict they believe can be avoided. But consider this:-

When Iraq was a pariah state, France's Elf Aquitane OIL company signed contracts to the tune of $50M that would come into force at the end of UN sanctions. Now if there is a war - it seems likely to me that such contracts would be declared null and void by the new regime (particularly as the reputedly favour the French heavily).

Hard to know what the new contract would be - but seem unlikely the French will be top of any newly elected Iraqi governments shortlist. I am not sure the other nations are any less cynically self-interested but that was one angle on the French I had not heard till today.


Oh and here are a few hostory lessons I remember...

At school, my history teacher always used to say that the reason for studying the past was so that you could help shape a better future.

There seems no doubt that Saddam has WOMD and intends to decieve the world about that.
I assume most people in the world do not want unstable regimes or groups to possess weapons of mass destruction.

The challenge is how to go about achieving that. Let's examine history:-

Dictators with strong military power use it - Hitler, Saddam, and almost every one.

Belgiums neutrality did little to protect it or anyone else in WW1 or WW2.

With WOMD - you cannot rely on a modern equivalent of the French Maginot line.

Politiicans who sanction unrighteous wars never
prosper - but Chamberlain&
#39;s don't do so well either.

What's left ? Maybe we've just got to face unpleasant facts and deal with it before it deals w
ith us.

Summary: