OT: The French Connection

[Jones Beene]

Paris is burning... To the political cynic, even though some of this anger has obvious roots in the socio-political situation in France vis-a-vis the Arab world (plus a bit of down-home Franco-arrogance) ... hmmm.. there is still the possibility that some it has the faint "odeur nauséabonde" of what the yanks call "payback" and the French  "vengeance ". And speaking of the "lords of vengeance", I can almost see smug-grins in smoke-filled rooms, as Warbuck-Euros are being passed around... unless... and even worse, as is Kennedy claim, the payback to the Marseilles-mafia, which has long-time connections to the CIA, was in heroin seized in Afghanistan.   ... as they say in Bayonne, "where there's smoke, there's fire" or to Creole another idiom, it pays "Avoir le bras long".   Jacques Chirac and his close ally, Dominique de Villepin, have long stoked French nationalism and proclaimed France to be the strategic enemy of "American power", no? Paris has openly yearned to lead the European Union to its rightful post-Napoleonic superpower status, and in order to accomplish this - must undermine American “hegemony,” and above all, do it for the eternal grandeur of la belle France,no? . De Villepin has written many books vilifying the United States in terms you wouldn't call you dog, no?   In particular, the situation with the Iraq war betrayal and treachery was absolutely deplorable to Cheney, Rummy & Co. - even though Chirac's judgment proved to be correct (adding insult to injury) - this is certainly a buildup for a certain kind of behind-the-scenes "vengeance ".   Obviously, we did not necessarily instigate the current situation of anarchy in Paris...but when opportunity knocks ...one wonders to what extent the flames are "being fanned" by some outside influence, with 'vengeance' as 'le motivation'? Jones   Even if this is not true, don't be surprised if the French start blaming US interests for the unrest. After all, they have their "spin doctors" too.