How to pander with elan

You can’t say that the French lack style. When they pander, they do so with panache. Take their homage, as Reuters reports it, to one of the world’s major terrorist states:

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy says Tehran is a significant, respected player in the Middle East – ‘a great country, a great people and a great civilization’

Iran is a significant, respected player in the Middle East which is playing a stabilizing role, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Monday.

“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.

The United States blames Iran and Syria for destabilizing the region by backing Hizbollah in Lebanon which have been battling Israeli forces for nearly three weeks.

Really, there are few things more stabilizing than a nuclear bomb in a madman’s hand.  That scenario removes all decision-making from surrounding countries.  You do what the madman asks, and you hope that you’re the last one on his hit list.  Sounds very peaceful to me, if you’re the kind of person or country that doesn’t want to be bothered with vexing little questions about right or wrong, or freedom, or respect for human-kind.

In any event, if you’re not as charmed with the French as the French are charmed with Iran, you might want to check out I-Hate-France.com, the ultimate site for those who view France with, at best, a jaundiced eye.