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| The French Connection by noteworthy at 11:44 am EDT, Jun 4, 2004 | |||
While there are, today, some Americans who like to think that the French don't remember D-Day, that is far from the truth; they do remember, and they are grateful. I travel to France regularly and it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world -- one that is inhabited by some of the most intelligent and, yes, complicated people in the world. On one subject, however, the French are united: they are consumed with anxiety (and curiosity) about the decline of the French-American relationship. Despite the hostility generated by the war in Iraq, they wish for the relationship to be better. On the American side of the ocean, there is no such curiosity, much less anxiety. There is only a certain dismissiveness and this silent reproach: "They don't remember." That is both untrue and self-defeating. It is difficult to understate France's importance to Europe -- and to us. For both countries, a strong working relationship is a necessary and important asset. Mark me down for curiosity and anxiety. I have seen France at its most tragic in 1940, and I have seen it at its best in later years. Although there will still be differences about Iraq and other issues, I know that France and America need each other strategically, economically, culturally. And beyond that, there is the history buried in the cemetery of Omaha Beach. We need a relationship built on mutual respect as well as mutual interest. Perhaps it will be rekindled on Omaha Beach. | |||
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