St-Cloud: No News Bad News

Representatives of the deadlocked Lebanese political parties met in St Cloud under the mediating presence of French Foreign Affairs Minister Kouchner.

Nothing happened. Nothing was expected. Those who could not communicate in parliament, nor around a “round” table, failed again. Only this time, the chateau, once owned by Madame de Pompadour, provided a nicer setting.

"This dialogue will continue between the Lebanese on Lebanese territory ... I think they have broken the ice. I think they were very happy to talk together," he [Kouchner] added.

Great. Those who would not bring themselves to “talk”, after 2 years of watching their country sink, had to go to France to decide, perhaps, that they will talk now on Lebanese soil. Of course that’s baloney. It was not Kouchner’s charm, nor the ghost of Mme de Pompadour, that changed (perhaps) the demeanor of our sub-flunkies. I say “sub” because the main flunkies stayed home and were represented by underlings. It was, we are told, because Saudi and Iran and France have been discussing our fate behind the scenes. And so of course our flunkies oblige.

Also, by sending the third-raters to St-Cloud you guarantee “no results” because it’s the second-raters who make the decisions, perhaps. In case you’re wondering, we have no first-raters.

It [Naharnet source] said Kouchner's offer was rejected at the last minute by representatives from the pro-Syrian March 8 Forces who argued that such a position needed a "political decision" from their leaderships.

Even a “blah” general statement was too much to be entrusted to the flunkies of St-Cloud by their Lebanese masters. Why not use the phone you ask? The setting disallowed outside contact (no phones, no cells according to Le Figaro) because no one trusts any of these people not to be on the phone to Damascus or some other puppeteer.

And now those who are “happy” to talk together to save their own country and their own ass, perhaps, won’t be talking together before French Nanny Kouchner comes to Beirut in ten days or so to hold their hands and change their diapers.

In the absence of the usual bland communiqué we get:

The around 30 delegates "reiterated their support for full respect for the foundations for the Lebanese State, the sovereignty, the independence," Kouchner said.

I am surprised the 30 did not come out against the mass murder of babies and the torture of cute puppies. But hey, they really had no authorization from back home, which in turn is awaiting authorization from Damascus, Tehran, Saudi etc

Then again, if we are still figuring out that the institution of “state” may be beneficial then we are still making the transition from cavemen to organized society.

Instead of translating Michael Moore, Elle Magazine, and Maria Mercedes in Arabic someone ought to tackle Thomas Hobbes (on pre-state societies):

Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of Warre, where every man is Enemy to every man;….[snip]… And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short." (Hobbes 1651 AD)