I don't want your Freedom Fries, I don't want to play around
File Under: Rantin' and Ravin'
Apparently, these days its cool to hate the French.
I mean, it's more or less been cool to hate the French during my entire lifetime, it's just never been US policy before.
This puts me in the somewhat awkward position of suddenly having to appreciate the French a little more, because they are actually serving as a quite effective speed bump to a frivolous war. I feel the need to express my gratitude to the French (and the Germans and Belgians) for their recent actions in the UN and NATO. Odds are that they won't be able to completely stop the belligerent madness we seem hell-bent on, but they have asked the right questions, and they have been loud about it. Gallic attitude is, as far as I'm concerned, focused in exactly the right direction these days.
To those of you who might feel the need, as I do, to counter the "Freedom Fries" movement and all its subsequent doofosity, I suggest the following course of action.
Support your local Frenchman.
If you've got a decent French restaurant near you, for heck's sake, have dinner there some night. Tell the maitre d' that you think France is on the right track, and that you are glad of their actions. If he starts to get on his high French horse and deliver a condescending speech, humor him and remember the principles at stake here. Have yourself some snails, some rich sauces and some fine wine. For once, these guys deserve it.
(If this seems like too great a sacrifice, it is perfectly acceptable to support your local German instead. Belgian restaurants are somewhat trickier to come by.)
