--- Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > I began a response to Teemu mentioning that I agreed > with his note except > for a few minor quibbles, but then deleted those > quibbles as possibly > detracting from his note; which I didn't want to do, > and then you bring up > one of them. Yes -- it happens... > Well, sure, it's a shame the SC doesn't work any > more. You mean it won't do what you want? The UN is difficult because it's an inclusive organization, as it should be; that leads to problems like the appointment of the Head of State of DR Congo to, er, whatever... When it was begun it > consisted of the victorious allies plus Taiwan? Also, > France decided under De > Gaul that Europe with France at its head should > counter the U.S. > economically and militarily. They were declaring > the U.S. their de facto > enemy. I was never a fan of De Gaulle -- France under him was a police state: see the relevant chapter in Jack Hayward's _One and Indivisible French Republic_ -- but I think you exaggerate. (But perhaps not: De Gaulle certainly bore a grudge against the US and UK.) While the U.S. didn't take this too > seriously, the French opposition > to a war the U.S. deemed part of a campaign vital to > its defense was deemed > intolerable. and the US has every right to deem something "intolerable", however stupid their view may be and however foolishly they show it ("freedom fries" indeed!); however, it behoves the most powerful nation on earth to show its displeasure less unpleasantly. > The Russians too were not above thwarting the wishes > of its old enemy. dear me > Complicating a quick conclusion is the fact that > France and Russia were > benefiting from the Oil for Food program in major > ways - not all of them > public. I thought Australia was the largest single benefactor Judy Evans, Cardiff ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Photos ? NEW, now offering a quality print service from just 8p a photo http://uk.photos.yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html