FRENCH troops in Afghanistan suffered one of their worst military defeats since the Algerian war of independence, leaving President Nicolas Sarkozy facing one of the biggest crises of his political career as he came under attack for supporting Nato against the Taliban.
Amid an unprecedented display of national doubt and soul-searching, parliamentary hearings on the French role in Afghanistan were being scheduled to address growing public concern about young men being used as “cannon fodder” in a war against a seemingly invincible enemy.
Hmmm…Doesn’t history prove that all enemies of France are seemingly invincible?
Read the rest at The Gathering Storm.
PASTORIUS COMMENT: First, I hope WC doesn't mind me cutting in here, but I just have to say it:
" ... an unprecedented display of national doubt and soul-searching ..."
That ought to be a line in the French National Anthem.
LOL
3 comments:
I love this part from the article:
"... an unprecedented display of national doubt and soul-searching ..."
That cracks me up.
That line ought to be in the French National Anthem.
Funny, I thought Afghanistan was 'the good war' on which 'everyone' agreed.
p.s. Hard to believe that 'unprecedented' could be accurate in this context. Isn't it very, very precedented?
Pastorius: "That line ought to be in the French National Anthem."
You're right so I took the liberty of updating it just in case someone there gets an internet connection and opportunity to read it.
La Marseillaise
French National Anthem
Let's go children of the fatherland,
The day of glory has arrived!
Against us tyranny's
Bloody flag is raised! (repeat)
In the countryside, do you hear
The roaring of these fierce soldiers?
They come right to our arms
To slit the throats of our sons, our friends!
Chorus
The time has come oh citizens
To appease these vile shenanigans!
Let us march! Let us march!
An unprecedented display
Of national doubt and soul-searching
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
This horde of slaves, traitors, plotting kings,
What do they want?
For whom these vile shackles,
These long-prepared irons? (repeat)
Frenchmen, for us, oh! what an insult!
What emotions that must excite!
It is us that they dare to consider
Returning to ancient slavery!
What! These foreign troops
Would make laws in our home!
What! These mercenary phalanxes
Would bring down our proud warriors! Good Lord! By chained hands
Our brows would bend beneath the yoke!
Vile despots would become
The masters of our fate!
Tremble, tyrants! and you, traitors,
The disgrace of all groups,
Tremble! Your parricidal plans
Will finally pay the price!
Everyone is a soldier to fight you,
If they fall, our young heros,
France will make more,
Ready to battle you!
Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors,
Bear or hold back your blows!
Spare these sad victims,
Regretfully arming against us.
But not these bloodthirsty despots,
But not these accomplices of Bouillé,
All of these animals who, without pity,
Tear their mother's breast to pieces!
Sacred love of France,
Lead, support our avenging arms!
Liberty, beloved Liberty,
Fight with your defenders!
Under our flags, let victory
Hasten to your manly tones!
May your dying enemies
See your triumph and our glory!
The time has come oh citizens
To appease these vile shenanigans!
Let us march! Let us march!
An unprecedented display
Of national doubt and soul-searching
We will enter the pit
When our elders are no longer there;
There, we will find their dust
And the traces of their virtues.
Much less eager to outlive them
Than to share their casket,
We will have the sublime pride
Of avenging them or following them!
The time has come oh citizens
To appease these vile shenanigans!
Let us march! Let us march!
An unprecedented display
Of national doubt and soul-searching
----------------------
original beta chorus
Grab your weapons, citizens!
Form your batallions!
Let us march! Let us march!
May impure blood
Water our fields!
----------------------
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