Is Bush's stance on N. Korea a "flip flop"?

[Daliman]

Ok, I think it's known I'm not a Bush supporter, but please tell me the difference here...

Bush has, on numerous occaisions, said something to the effect of "We don't need to ask France's permission to handle/invade Iraq"

Yet, he says that we MUST have China's involvement in negotiations with N. Korea, and if we DO ALSO talk to them one-on-one, we will ruin the multinational coalition.

So, our longtime ally, France, gets less consideration in International Diplomacy than our longtime rival, China?

Sounds like he's playing both sides, here.

[Zim]

He just has a little better smear campaign.

Bush : "The war on terrorism can`t be won"
Bush : "The war on terrorism can be won."

Lol

[Felix_Nietsche]

China is unique in that they have some leverage over North Korea. I believe China still delivers fuel oil to North Korea... Also China has had lots of problems with illegal immigration from NK and any conflict w/ NK could affect them.

France has not been exactly a very good ally. They lied to Collin Powell before the last big UN vote and then made a surprise announcement that they would veto the last UN vote before the war. That left the Collin Powell faction with egg on their face and the Rumsfeld/Cheney faction got the war the lobbied for.

[IrishHand]

Yeah...France has that nasty tendency of believing that diplomacy, negotiation and working with the world community should be the primary means of dispute resolution. Why bother with that nonsense when you have the world's best military close at hand and a heathen nation to exploit?

[Jimbo]

Funny that France had no problem with a little American help when they were about to learn to speak German.



Jimbo

[IrishHand]

A common misconception. France never asked for US help in WWII. France fought Germany honorably and lost. The US was brought into the war by Germany when Hitler made the brilliant decision to declare war on the US in Dec. 41 right after Pearl Harbor.

The liberation of France was a nice by-product of finishing off Hitler's Germany. One would imagine we'd be proud of our honorable assistance in this matter, not seek to insult a nation which suffered tremendously during one of history's most devastating periods. There are large segments of the French population which would like nothing more than to hold the US in the highest esteem - but the current foreign policy has rendered that impossible for any foreigner with a brain or a conscience.

[Jimbo]

[ QUOTE ]
A common misconception.

[/ QUOTE ] I should have known better than to respond to one of your posts. You still share that common problem with many liberals, reading comprehension. I wrote "France had no problem with a little American help" not that they asked for assistance. Sometimes with France, just like Liberals and little children, the adults must take over when matters get out of hand.

Jimbo

[Daliman]

Good response. Makes some sense, but I STILLL think it's more than a bit of a flip flop, or at the least duplicitous thinking.

[Felix_Nietsche]

Actually, I think the French politicians believe more in their kickbacks from the "Oil for Palaces" program than diplomacy.

Those damn Yankees screwed everything up. It is said Chirac has has to let go two of his mistresses...:(
Kofi Annan has had to put buying his Rolls Royce on hold.

By the way, the US should have gone to war with Iraq back in 1991 when Sadaam tried to assasinate Bush41 (the father) when he went to Kuwait. Clinton lobbed a few cruise missles at Iraq and the news media has not mention this since...

[Zim]

"Sometimes with France, just like Liberals and little children, the adults must take over when matters get out of hand."

I assume that also includes kicking an incompetent president out of the White House.

Kerry is strong, Bush is weak.

[Abednego]

The problem with N. Korea is a Chinese problem as much as it is a US problem. China is a nuclear power and if China does nothing to restrain N. Korea it puts China at great risk. The regional balance of power is what needs to be considered. If N. Korea has them then S. Korea, Taiwan, Japan? ..... should China be happy with that?

The French on the other hand are hardly what I would consider an ally ..... somebody who does needs to explain it to me. They were involved in illegal trade activity with Iraq when sanctions were in place ..... oil and weapons deals. With allies like that ....

[elscorcho768]

China and N. Korea are in the same region. France and Iraq are not. The US consulted with Arab allies before invading Iraq, and whether you like it or not, the US and China must talk and try to work out some compromises regarding N. Korea

[The once and future king]

This is from the horses mouth.

Americas geopolitical strategy in WW2 = Let Europe deystroy itself and then come in later on the side of those it wants to win, thereby allowing the USA to emerge as the new superpower after the European powers have mauled each other to point of near collapse.

[MMMMMM]

"Yeah...France has that nasty tendency of believing that diplomacy, negotiation and working with the world community should be the primary means of dispute resolution."

Actually, France seems to have that nasty tendency of believing that diplomacy, negotiation and working with the world community should be the only means of dispute resolution. Iraq's violation of 17+ U.N. Resolutions, and countless firings upon U.S. aircraft patrolling the no-fly zones, aren't enough? Give Iraq more chances to deny, deceive, delay the weapons inspectors? Over a decade of instransigence on inspections isn't too much? Give Iraq more chances to fire on U.S. aircraft just doing their job? Gotta draw the line somewhere...but better late than never, at least.


"Why bother with that nonsense when you have the world's best military close at hand and a heathen nation to exploit?"

Helping Iraq increase its oil production capacity, so Iraq can eventually sell more oil and get more money, is not "exploition". Nor is it "exploitation" to remove for Iraqi people a despot who stole countless billions from the Iraqi people and Iraq's economy for his own personal aggrandizement.

[elwoodblues]

No flip-flop. It just means that he's willing to take a different approach depending on the totality of the circumstances. That's a good thing. I don't necessarily think he's chosen the best approach, but a willingness to realize that different situations require different approaches is good.

[elwoodblues]

How is that different than saying America had France's help in WWII?