Although I have a long standing record of disliking France and the French people, I find I'm beginning soften in my old age.
In January, 2006 I spent several days in Paris and found the people there polite, helpful and not smelly at all. Now, a little less than two years later, I find out they're pretty darn smart too: Today, His Excellency, Nicolas Sarkosy, President of the Republic of France, has taken steps that further elevates France to the No. 2 position on my list of favorite countries. If I hadn't heard these words being translated for myself, I never would have believed them. This man sounds more American than most of those in Washington.
Fry me up some French fries and remind me to send Sarkosy a thank-you card for the Statue of Liberty.
A few of his quotes from his speech today before a joint session of the U.S. Congress:
On Franco-American relations:
"We may disagree on things, we may even have arguments as in any family, but in times of difficulty, in times of hardship, one stands true to one's friends, one stands shoulder to shoulder with them, one supports them and one helps them."
"Our duty is to remain true to the blood spilled by our children on both sides of the Atlantic."
On the American Dream:
"The American Dream was from the very outset a matter of putting into practice what the Old World and had dreamt of without every being able to accomplish it. The American Dreams means proving to all men and women throughout the world that freedom and justice, human rights and democracy were not a Utopia, but were the most realistic policy there is and the most likely to improve the lot and fate of each one."
On American work ethic:
"To the millions of men and women who came from every country of the world and with their own hands, their intelligence and hearts built the greatest nation in the world, America did not say come and everything will be given to you, she said 'Come, and the only limits of what you will be able to achieve will be the those of your own courage, boldness and talents.' In America, failure is never the last word. Here, in your country on this soil, both the most humble and most illustrious citizen know nothing is owed to them and that everything has to be earned. That is what constitutes the moral value of America."
On America as a beacon of freedom:
"America did not teach man the idea of freedom, she taught him how to practice freedom. And America fought for this freedom whenever she felt it to be threatened or jeopardy. It was by watching America grow that men and women understood that freedom and liberty were possible and it that that gives you a special responsibility. What made America great was her ability to transform her own dream, the American Dream, into a source of hope for all mankind."
On the U.S. involvement in WWI and WWII:
"The people of my generation heard their grandparents talk about how, in 1917, America saved France. At a time when my country had reached the limits of its strength, at a time when France had exhausted its strength in the most absurd and bloodiest of wars, France was able to count upon the courage of American soldiers, and I have come to say to you that on behalf of the French people, never, never will we forget that. The men and women of my generation heard their parents talk about how American returned in 1944 to free us of the horrifying tyranny that threatened to enslave us. Fathers in my country took their sons to see the vast cemeteries where under white crosses, thousands of American soldiers lay; who had fallen not to defend their own freedom but the freedom of all others; who died far from their homes not to defend their families or homeland, but to defend humanity as a whole. That is why we love America. And the fathers took their sons to the beaches, the beaches where the young men of America had so heroically landed. And the fathers read to their sons, the admirable letters of farewell that those soldiers, those 20-year-old soldiers had written to the their families before battle to say to them, 'We don't consider ourselves to be heroes, we want this war to be over. But however much dread we may feel, you can count on us.' Before they landed, Eisenhower told them, and we not forgotten in Europe these words, 'The eyes of the world are upon you, young men of America. The hopes and prayers of all liberty loving people march with you.' The children of my generation, as they listened to their fathers and as they watched movies, as they read history books and the letters of your soldiers as they died on our beaches of Normandy or Provence, as they visited the cemeteries where the Star Spangled banner flies, the children of my generation have understood that these young, 20-year men were true heroes, to whom we owed the fact that we were free people, not slave. America liberated us, and this is an eternal debt we owe America. As president of the French Republic, my duty is to say to the people of America, that you represent, in its vast diversity, that the people of France will never forget the sacrifice of your children. And to the families of those who did not come back, to those children who cries for the loss of their fathers, who they had no time to know, the gratitude of France, is forever. On behalf on my generation that did not suffer under the war, on behalf of those children who will always remember and to all your veterans, I want to express the deep, sincere gratitude of the French people."
"The people of my generation heard their grandparents talk about how, in 1917, America saved France. At a time when my country had reached the limits of its strength, at a time when France had exhausted its strength in the most absurd and bloodiest of wars, France was able to count upon the courage of American soldiers, and I have come to say to you that on behalf of the French people, never, never will we forget that. The men and women of my generation heard their parents talk about how American returned in 1944 to free us of the horrifying tyranny that threatened to enslave us. Fathers in my country took their sons to see the vast cemeteries where under white crosses, thousands of American soldiers lay; who had fallen not to defend their own freedom but the freedom of all others; who died far from their homes not to defend their families or homeland, but to defend humanity as a whole. That is why we love America. And the fathers took their sons to the beaches, the beaches where the young men of America had so heroically landed. And the fathers read to their sons, the admirable letters of farewell that those soldiers, those 20-year-old soldiers had written to the their families before battle to say to them, 'We don't consider ourselves to be heroes, we want this war to be over. But however much dread we may feel, you can count on us.' Before they landed, Eisenhower told them, and we not forgotten in Europe these words, 'The eyes of the world are upon you, young men of America. The hopes and prayers of all liberty loving people march with you.' The children of my generation, as they listened to their fathers and as they watched movies, as they read history books and the letters of your soldiers as they died on our beaches of Normandy or Provence, as they visited the cemeteries where the Star Spangled banner flies, the children of my generation have understood that these young, 20-year men were true heroes, to whom we owed the fact that we were free people, not slave. America liberated us, and this is an eternal debt we owe America. As president of the French Republic, my duty is to say to the people of America, that you represent, in its vast diversity, that the people of France will never forget the sacrifice of your children. And to the families of those who did not come back, to those children who cries for the loss of their fathers, who they had no time to know, the gratitude of France, is forever. On behalf on my generation that did not suffer under the war, on behalf of those children who will always remember and to all your veterans, I want to express the deep, sincere gratitude of the French people."
On modern fraternité:
"[America's and France's historical relationship] is more important than disagreements that we have, may have had, or any disagreement we may yet have. That sacrifice is the bedrock of America and France."
"On one of our major daily newspapers, the headline read on Sept. 11, 2001, 'Today We are All Americans.'"
"Every time an American solider falls somewhere in the world, I think of what the American Army did for France. I think of them and I am sad, as one is saddened to lose a member of one's family."
On the American Spirit:
"What is most extraordinary to me is that it seems that America emerges ever greater and stronger from the adversity and the challenges it faces. Instead of causing America to engage in self-doubt, these difficulties only strengthened her belief in her values. What makes America strong, the strength of this ideal that is shared by all Americans, and by all those who love her because they love freedom. America's strength is not only a material strength, it is first and foremost a moral strength, a spiritual strength."
"On [Sept. 11, 2001], when you were mourning so many dead, never had America appeared to me so great, so dignified, so strong. The terrorists thought they had weakened you, but they made you greater, and the people of America were admired world-wide for their courage. That is the truth."
On fighting against terror:
"Today as in the past, it is together that we must fight to defend and promote the values and ideals of democracy, that men such as Washington and Lafayette coined together. Together, United, we must fight against terror."
"Failure is not an option. Terrorism will not prevail, because democracies are not entitled to be weak and because we, the free world, are not afraid of this new barbarism. because of that, America can count on France in its battle on terror."
Hmm. I'm beginning to think Sarkosy would make a good running mate for Fred in '08...
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