| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| France versus Colorado. History revisted. |
| 2003-05-16 |
| France vs. Colorado XYZ redux? Edited Suggestion to Fred. Maybe you should add a separate file entitled "Frog-bashing". Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado didn't think he'd spark a trade war when he refused to meet with a French consular official last month. Yet the French embassy is now threatening an economic boycott of his state because of the snub, in an incident that is quickly coming to resemble France's behavior in the notorious XYZ Affair of 1798. The controversy began with a letter French consul general Jean-Luc Subiude sent to Owens in March asking to get together. Governors turn down requests like this all the time. Yet Owens didn't just say no thanks to Mr. Subiude. "I will be unable to meet with you during your visit to Colorado," he wrote. "I feel it would be inappropriate to do so at this time." Owens continued: "My feeling is that France's actions over the past few months will have serious and long-term consequences on relations between our countries. I believe your government opposed our efforts in Iraq in order to advance the government's popularity at home and to further France's ambitions abroad." He also noted that an uncle of his died in combat on French soil — on his 18th birthday, no less. I wish every state could have a Governor like Owens — especially California. Actually, Minnesota does in Pawlenty. In relaying these thoughts, Owens surely spoke for many Americans. A year ago, 79 percent of Americans had a "very favorable" or "mostly favorable" opinion of France, according to a Gallup poll. This year, right before the Iraq war, that figure dropped to 34 percent — and 64 percent of Americans had an outright "unfavorable" view. I am shocked that almost 80% of Americans had a favorable opinion prior to this year. Santyana's comment of history is so apt here. On April 15, I posted an excerpt from Owens's letter on NRO's The Corner, and the next day Owens appeared on The O'Reilly Factor to discuss it. During the interview, he expressed sympathy for Bill O'Reilly's call for Americans to quit buying French products. Two weeks later, Jean-Francois Boitton of the French embassy in Washington, D.C., retaliated. "I draw from your comments," he sniffed (haughtily, I'm sure, in a de Villepinhead manner) in a letter to Owens, "the conclusion that I should strongly discourage French firms from considering investing in a state where they are not welcome." He went on to write that the governors of Maryland and Mississippi recently "extended a warm welcome to French investors." Does anyone know if this is true? At no point did Owens say the French aren't welcome in Colorado, and he didn't even encourage the people of his state to quit eating Dannon yogurt, drinking Evian water, or buying Michelin tires. But now that its been mentioned ... He even avoided taking a cheap shot at French wine, which has seen sales in the United States slip by as much as 30 percent this spring. Owens simply declined to meet with the representative of a government that has been singularly unhelpful to the United States in recent months, and explained his reasons in plain English. The French response — and specifically its threat of economic blackmail — recalls a similar incident from the 18th century, when French officials expressed faux outrage over "insults" tendered by President John Adams and demanded bribes to meet with American diplomats who were trying to avert war between the two countries. Plus c'est change, plus c'est meme chÃŽse. Lecon du jour - Do not trust the French. The American diplomats arrived in Paris in October 1797. French Foreign Minister Talleyrand (de Villepinhead's historical role model) received them for 15 minutes before bidding them adieu. Then, after several days of no contact, Talleyrand sent three agents to deliver a secret message: The foreign minister would negotiate with the Americans if they gave him a personal douceur — a "sweetener" — of $250,000. In addition, France itself would require a loan of $10 million to make up for the "insults" of President Adams. "It is expected that you will offer the money," said one of Talleyrand's men. "What is your answer?" Charles Pinckney replied: "No! No! Not a sixpence." (A more popular version of the story has him saying "Millions for defense, but not a penny for tribute!" It appears he didn't actually speak these words, however.) And now you know the rest of the story of this site's totem. The American envoys prepared a series of coded dispatches describing the French demands. They were received the following March in Philadelphia, then the national capital. In these documents, Talleyrand's agents were identified X, Y, and Z — and the ensuing hullabaloo has gone down in history as the XYZ Affair. The dispatches were read to Congress and printed for the public. The reaction was immediate and intense. Just as the French-owned Accor hotel chain stopped flying French flags outside its U.S. Sofitel locations earlier this year, tricolor emblems that had been worn to express solidarity with the French Revolution suddenly vanished from sight. A songwriter penned the patriotic anthem "Hail Columbia!" Neither country formally declared war on the other, but they went to war nonetheless. Historians sometimes call it the Quasi War. As Abigail Adams wrote, "Why, when we have the thing, should we boggle at the name?" Perhaps Bill Owens and Jacques Chirac will sign a treaty, too — but not before France quits demanding a tribute from Colorado. |
| Posted by:ColoradoConservative |
| #15 I've been pissed and distrustfull of France since the bombing of PanAm103.When Regan ask France for overflight permision in order to bomb Quadafi France denide permision.I new then France was no friend of the U.S. |
| Posted by: w_r_manues@yahoo.com 2003-05-17 07:22:39 |
| #14 Mustang, Nissan is building a Truck Plant in Canton, Mississippi. Spending about $1.5 billion to assemble the new full sized Titan pickup. Nissan's largest shareholder is....Renault. There is your French Connection. I imagine your governor is pretty happy with the investment. |
| Posted by: john 2003-05-16 21:11:45 |
| #13 Aspen, Telluride in the winter maybe? |
| Posted by: Raj 2003-05-16 18:24:41 |
| #12 the French embassy is now threatening an economic boycott of his state because of the snub I'm curious. What products of Colorado does France normally buy that it could boycott? |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2003-05-16 17:18:04 |
| #11 That's my boy. Actually, my sources say Billy was afraid of getting cooties. |
| Posted by: Scott 2003-05-16 16:50:06 |
| #10 whuh?? I was honestly curious - NPR did a very interesting (yes, really) piece on Greeley (geez, sorry about the spelling) sounded like a fine place, it was really intereting that Ibn Qutb was there - hes a very important figure to the Salafists you know - thought we might actually discuss something related to the WOT. Dour person who finds fault with any situation - weird, my wife thinks im an optimist with rose-colored glasses. (And i suggest that anyone who has followed my posts here re: iraqi infrastructure can imagine why she says that) And in any case what does my personal moodiness have to do with the Democrats - Im a human being, not just a member of a political party. I daresay every political party and every ideological group in the US and in most countries includes people of a wide range of temperments. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-05-16 15:09:13 |
| #9 Living in God's Country - Colorado - I can only agree 100%! Owens is making the tough decisions to require our state to live within its budget, even with a serious drop in revenue. CyberSarge - I'll join you. I may be USAF(Ret), but I grew up on Louisiana, and learned to use a firearm before I was 12. There are a couple of thousand retirees in the Springs, and they ALL hate Chirac! Once we finish with the French scheizegrenadiers, we can liberate California. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-05-16 15:07:18 |
| #8 Hmmm ... that seems to be a bit of a non sequitur. Actually, I have been to Greeley (misspelling on your part), named for Horace Greeley - one of the founders of the Republican party, many a time. Homebase for Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave - staunch social conservative and scourge of liberals. LH you seem to be the type of dour person who goes out of his way to find a fault with anything and any situation. No wonder the Democrats are so bereft of ideas and a moral compass. |
| Posted by: ColoradoConservative 2003-05-16 14:41:40 |
| #7 so CC, ever get to Greely, CO? The US town that had the honor (?) of having played host to Ibn Qutb and which he discussed in one of his books. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-05-16 14:24:45 |
| #6 Dear God I love our Govenor, watch him over the next 10 years, I am thinking presidential material, and a note to MarkVI, leave California, its your only hope! |
| Posted by: Wills 2003-05-16 14:24:18 |
| #5 I am from Mississippi and I have read nothing of any action by our State to welcome France's business!!! We drink whiskey in Mississippi, not whine. |
| Posted by: Mustang 2003-05-16 13:55:06 |
| #4 There's one particular product of Colorado that it would be nice to share with France. The graduates of the United States Air Force Academy, getting no closer to France than, say, 10,000 feet. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-05-16 12:58:20 |
| #3 I wish every state could have a Governor like Owens - especially California. Speaking for California, we'd be better off with Chirac himself as governor, than the current joker. Berkeley shared his stance on the war, and I'm sure they'll hold a strike to make him feel at home. We don't defend our borders here, either. And we have already taken sufficient measures from preventing any sane company from investing further in Kalifornia SSR. |
| Posted by: Mark IV 2003-05-16 12:48:19 |
| #2 I'll take Colorado to beat the spread. |
| Posted by: Mike 2003-05-16 12:46:20 |
| #1 Hey if they (French) want a war I am coming out of retirement! NON to france, NON to snails, NON NON NON NON! Embrose mon Dierier, Monsewer Chirac! |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2003-05-16 12:18:47 |