Photo: French Ministry of the Armed Forces
The $ 66 billion "Contract of the Century" floated away in the truest sense of the word. Such dastardly Australians who, according to many French leaders, have formed a new alliance with the US and Great Britain by "lies and treason", AUKUS. And having formed, they changed their minds to order from France 12 attack submarines "Attack Class" and, thus, all the bright hopes of the French for 66 billion dollars sank into the English Channel and sailed away.
It doesn't really matter whether it is across the English Channel or across the ocean. The fact that France received just a deafening slap in the face, which testifies to how low the country's status in the world has fallen.
Truly, they say correctly: don't spit in the well, if it flies back out, you won't dodge.
How can you not remember history with the Mistrals? In it, the French looked so unattractive, so much the United States was behind this scandal that they did not even want to raise the question of France's independent policy.
Photo by wikipedia.org
And here is a natural result. And now you can shout as much as you like about the "stab in the back" from Australia, the result will be unchanged. The money will go to the masters of the situation, which does not include France.
Let's look at it from an objective point of view. Not as victims of the French, more precisely, of their dependence on the Americans, here with these floating coffins, it may even have carried over. Let's look at the situation just independently, since we are really neither hot nor cold from this deal.
The situation developed as follows: for a long time the Australians simply fooled the French. As events have shown, as soon as they talked about money, the Americans immediately got into the situation, which in Australia, not only did not resist, they didn’t even look like it.
The USA had something to offer Australia, since they also know how to build boats. In addition, there is another small nuance in history: France really wanted to play in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and therefore the French wanted to get wide access to Australian military bases.
We know how this story ends when “give me a drink, otherwise I want to eat so much that there is nowhere to spend the night”. But by and large, what's the difference, the soldiers of what flag, besides yours, will hang around your bases? French, British, Americans ...
The British, by the way, seem to be completely “their own”, moreover, historically. Americans ... you get the idea, right? The French here do not look so "their own on the board."
So it is likely that all these dances with the French were just part of the preference game. Because, in fact, it was really easier for the Australians to negotiate with the British or the Americans. And then suddenly there was such a turn, which in fact did not appear.
The French turned out to be a convenient pawn in the game, which is not a pity to exchange. And the game was just wonderful: Biden reveals technology to the Australians, roars menacingly at Macron, the British quickly register Aukus LLC, which everyone quickly runs into.
And, as a limited liability company, France is a forest. Australia will be with submarines, because in fact, they do not care whose they are, as long as they are not Russian.
And besides, who said that French submarines are better than American ones? I didn’t say that, especially since I don’t think so.
The fact that American boats are better is a problem exclusively for Australia. And here it is not only about France, which is burning with righteous anger, but there is also Indonesia and China, who have already made it clear that they are not at all thrilled that a new player will suddenly appear in their seas in the person of Australia with twelve nuclear submarines.
However, China and Indonesia are the subject of a separate analysis, but France ... France, burning with righteous anger ...
Photo: Jacques Paquier / flickr.com
Let's just look at all these shouts and responses from the ambassadors. Reviews are not forever, reviews are for consultation. Yes, for super-obedient France, this is already a demarche on the world stage. Quiet, but a demarche.
Some experts seriously say that this is the first case in the history of the Republic of France - the recall of ambassadors. Moreover, two at once. That is, there seems to be the highest degree of displeasure.
You know, I immediately remember that very 2014 and how ours ... reacted. Yes, the same thing with the Mistrals. The term that is asking is not very good, but it is very suitable in meaning.
So, then there was a billion with a little euro on the map. 1,2 if my memory serves me. That's $ 1,4 billion at today's exchange rate. That is, in theory, the French should have been 47 times more nervous. Such a reaction seems to be difficult.
But the responses of the ambassadors and critical statements are quite enough. And the face seemed to be preserved, and the steam was released. It is clear that the money cannot be returned.
For example, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian calls Australia's decision a "stab in the back." He is all so "angry about the break of this contract."
Rest? The rest do not care. The rest got together and announced that they think for three, and they do not need anyone in this process. Thanks to everyone (especially France), everyone is free.
Photo: White House video screenshot
US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
What can France do in this situation?
NOTHING.
Only biting your elbows is powerless. Because the guys decided everything much cooler than today's French. Macron, excuse me, this is not De Gaulle for you.
By the way, a small historical excursion for understanding.
Early 1965. Three steamships are entering the port of New York with a very interesting cargo on board.
Plus, the same thing is unloaded from planes at the airport. Dollars. Yes, the same green dollars that French President De Gaulle sent to the United States to exchange for gold.
The US government was furious, but ... they accepted the papers and gave the gold.
De Gaulle sent the Bretton Woods system of monetary relations that had existed since 1944, which the United States imposed on 1944 countries in 44. France was among them. The system was terribly beneficial to the States, because the currencies of the states that joined the system were pegged to the dollar, and the American currency itself was pegged to gold.
The Americans had to give in exchange for their currency, the gold they held at the request of the holders of the dollar. There was plenty of gold in the United States, the country earned money in the war, and grabbed someone else's gold in abundance.
But De Gaulle really wanted to see France Great, and therefore went to the conflict, for which he paid in 1968. We can say that the way De Gaulle was removed is a prototype of "color" revolutions.
But then, in 1965, the United States had to exchange $ 4,7 billion worth of green bills for full-fledged bank gold bars. Such was the price of the demarche of The Last Great Frenchman.
Anyone who now says that Macron is not De Gaulle will be absolutely right. And there is nothing to add here. De Gaulle was indeed the last independent politician in France. The rest got the very sad role of diligent executors of the transatlantic will.
Yes, we can say that today, units like North Korea and China do not dance to the American harmonica. Sorry, but not as obvious ...
The United States orders not to give the paid ships to Russia - and France obediently does not give it up. Hollande is not De Gaulle either. In 2016, Poland does not want to acquire French helicopters, preferring American ones. And also nothing.
Of course, a contract for 12 nuclear submarines is something. But everyone understands what kind of President Emmanuel Macron is and that he, too, will not be able to do anything.
Yes, he will have to rave too. Anger from realizing your own powerlessness is an unpleasant thing. But if any of the top politicians in France believed that the country ranks high in the political hierarchy of the world, then it was time to make adjustments.
It is clear that "nothing personal, just business." And Australia, which has the 13th economy in the world and the 12th military budget, if it has collected this 66 billion, it will be able (albeit with "little" help) to spend it.
And if a bonus to the deal is the speech of US President Biden himself, who publicly announced that the United States would share its nuclear technology with a new ally so that the Australians could build a fleet from nuclear submarines by themselves ...
Everything is clear here, the only open question is who they are going to be friends against.
In general, he is not that open. And it is so clear that it is against China.
But it turns out that in the carve-up of the Pacific region, France was not only not called - they did not even take into account the wishes and plans of the French.
Here you can draw a variety of conclusions, but all of them are by no means in favor of France. For you want to be reckoned with - be independent. If you want to be independent, be strong. And if you only have unsupported ambitions (albeit a nuclear power) - be prepared that those who are stronger will wipe their feet about you.
What actually happened.
In general, in vain then the French followed the lead of the United States and thwarted the deal with the Mistrals. It will only get worse. For France. But - what a reputation, boots walk on it. Everything is deserved.