August 01, 2006
The Perfidy Of A Frog
From Ha'retz comes this:
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, whose country is a main backer of Hezbollah, met his French counterpart in Beirut on Monday for talks on resolving the crisis in Lebanon.
and this quote:
Iran is a significant, respected player in the Middle East which is playing a stabilizing role, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Monday, during a visit to Lebanon.Kermit says "It isn't easy being green," and I would add that it isn't any easier being stupid, but French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy seems to have mastered it."It was clear that we could never accept a destabilization of Lebanon, which could lead to a destabilization of the region," Douste-Blazy said in Beirut.
"In the region there is of course a country such as Iran--a great country, a great people and a great civilization which is respected and which plays a stabilizing role in the region," he told a news conference." [emphasis added]
A tip 'O The GM Derby 
to James Taranto
it's a sad day when a country (Lebanon) with a government within a government (Hizbollah) that wields its own, more powerful military that controls the southern portion of the country is consider "stable"...
Posted by ric ottaiano at August 1, 2006 06:34 AM
I would say that it is, indeed, rather easy to be stupid, especially in this case. The French just need to read and report exactly what Iran tells them to without questioning anything that's said.
Posted by Ogre at August 1, 2006 06:41 AM
And he says it not once, but twice, as if he's trying to convince himself.
Mind if I ask the obvious question here? How is a country (Iran) who finances a terror organization (Hizballah) which, controls an area of another country (Lebanon) viewed as playing a "stablizing role"?
Again, we go back to some people's definition of "stable".
Posted by Oyster at August 1, 2006 08:18 AM
Is this the same France that tried to keep out the Nazis by building a defensive line part of the way across their border and never considered any one comming around the end of it? Is this the same France that required USA and England to rescue it. It would seem logical that France of all nations would understand that Isrial needs to defend its country. Oh I forgot, this really is the same France.
Posted by Cliff Brown at August 1, 2006 01:55 PM
When you mention frog, I think of the classic recipe for frog's legs. You start off with a pot of cool water, plunk in the frog, and slow heat the pot. By the time the frog realize his plight, he's so ennervated by the warm water that he can't jump out.
To me, the perfidy of the frog is his inviting the rest of us to join him in the pot...
Posted by civil truth at August 1, 2006 03:20 PM
When you mention frog, I wasn't thinking Kermit. Rather I thought of the classic recipe for frog's legs. You start off with a pot of cool water, plunk in the frog, and slowly heat the pot. By the time the frog realizes his plight, he's so ennervated by the warm water that he can't jump out.
The perfidy of the frog is his inviting the rest of us to join him in the pot...
Posted by civil truth at August 1, 2006 03:23 PM
>Iran--a great country, a great people and a great civilization which is respected and which plays a stabilizing role in the region
Fine. To be really respected, don't annihilate Israel. Cyrus the Great liberated the Jewish. He is far more respected than any leaders in the current regime in Iran.
Posted by Shah Alexander at August 2, 2006 01:37 AM
