martes, junio 29, 2004

NO OS PERDÁIS este artículo devastador de Becky Tinsley sobre el cinismo de la clase política francesa a la hora de atender sus intereses geoestratégicos (resalto en negrita una frase que me ha hecho gracia y que demuestra por qué el periodismo anglosajón sigue a años luz del nuestro):
When it comes to foreign policy, opinion polls as well as a sampling of Hollywood blockbusters show that Americans see themselves as the good sheriff, selflessly sorting out a strange and unpredictable world. But as they chew over the congressional report on 9/11, they are clearly struggling to come to terms with the reality of their latest foreign adventure.

In contrast, the French foreign ministry is unambiguous about its role: France is the birthplace of human rights and the cradle of the Enlightenment. Thanks to giants such as Voltaire, France inspired others - for example, in the United States - to liberate themselves from oppressive, corrupt aristocratic elites.

So much for self-image: in practice, the French are running the cash registers in a Wild West whorehouse. Not only do the French, like Edith Piaf, regret nothing: their determination to keep their arms exports booming pushes them to sidestep their own laws, not to mention the international conventions they have signed. While all countries tend to pursue a foreign policy based on self-interest, the French have a network of arms salesmen and military advisers working in concert within their perceived spheres of influence to supply mass murderers.
Vale la pena leerlo entero; entre otras cosas, al tratar de la creciente amistad franco-china hay un detalle escalofriante:
Maybe the French believe that human rights in China are improving. They would do well to consider the British manufacturer who supplies supermarkets with salads, and who sourced walnuts from China. He received customer complaints from people who had found human teeth in their food. Further investigation revealed that the walnuts were being cracked open by Chinese political prisoners using their teeth.
Y para Amnesia Internacional los EEUU son el mayor transgresor de los derechos humanos en los últimos 50 años. Yo no lo sabía, pero es que éstas vienen con cáscara.