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Pyscho babble aside- France acted with us (as did nearly every major power) in the first gulf war. There are reasons now they are not. And chief among them is not a wrong perception of US Hegemoney over the entire Mid East. If you think otherwise then we disagree. If I were France or another continetal power like Germany I can easily see why they oppose this US action in Iraq.

Powers stopped acting on emotion since WWI (except the USA)- in fact- the study of Europeon diplomacy in the last 50 years is a study in self interest and realpolitik- which this Country needs to be schooled in.

"Powers stopped acting on emotion since WWI (except the USA)- in fact- the study of Europeon diplomacy in the last 50 years is a study in self interest and realpolitik..."\

This is sophmoric. Why did the British revalue the Pound and Gold at pre-WW1 parity after WW1 (false pride)? Why didn't the British conclude a separate peace with Germany during WWII as was offered several times by Hitler (pride)? It certainly would have been in their short-term economic interest to do so. Why did Mussolini's Italy fancy itself as a recrudescence of the Roman Empire and conduct a reckless foreign policy as a result (false pride)? Recent European history is replete with other examples of nations acting out of a sense of pride or because of domestic political pressures rather than a discernible national interest. Do nations seek to protect vital national interests? Of course, but it is not the only factor that will motivate a nation to act.

If France was strictly concerned about its economic interests in Iraq it would made a secret deal with the US several months ago as a quid pro quo for non-interference as Germany should have done as well. I believe that Chirac and Schoeder have allowed their own domestic political problems to dominate their actions on the Iraq issue to the detriment of the interests of their countries. Talleyrand and Metternich must be turning over in their graves watching Chirac and Schroeder blunder their way throught this crisis.