France and the Middle East

Today in the 'New York Times' the bitter Maureen Dowd cocked her snoot at the French. Elitist, self-absorbed, and the usual spate of stereotypes that middlebrow Americans like to tout about the French. However, smug Americans, especially in Herr Bush's circles might do well to take a leaf out of the pages of France's diplomacy in the Middle East. [18Brumaire knows that this will raise hackles among the Israeli lobby!] An envoy from the Quai d'Orsay has met with Syria's president Bashar Al Assad to sort out differences on Lebanon and restore a more normal dialogue with Damascus. Something which is sorely lacking from Herr Bush's night blindness when it comes to Syria and the Middle East. Little is known about today's meeting, but what is certain is that the door is not as in the US case, slammed shut in Syria's face.
Herr Bush has done what a Chinese proverb warns anyone against. Not to pick up too big a rock to throw at anyone lest as it often happens that very rock will land and crush your own toes. And that is without question or doubt that has happend to Herr Bush. The whole region is waiting for Herr Bush to get out of office before any thing which looks like a meeting of minds can occur. And that short wait owing to the monumental problems that Herr Bush leaves the US in, will take some time, and time alas is not on the US' side. Herr Bush's ineptitude has done much to dilute US power and to weaken it internally as a country.