Farewell, Chirac!

I t isn’t enough to base your opinion on just one article, as almost 99% of the information we read on the Internet is biased. Applebaum is a renowned columist for New York Times and has been cited as having written many articles on government policies as well as policies from foreign countries. After visiting her website, I became aware that she IS a knowledgable writer. However, I believe the content of the article by shooting quotations may not have been a strong opinionated piece of literature. It wasn't enough to sway my opinion to match that of Applebaum's, so I had to look elsewhere for more information.

L ooking at Jacques Chirac’s overall span of about 10 years as the president of France, we can get a general sense as to why he was elected as president for the second term. It means he’s doing something that the people of France are patriotic about.
However, according to Applebaum's article, I do not agree with some of the things he said, as stated in Applebaum’s article. For example, “On Britain: ‘The only thing they have ever done for European agriculture is mad cow disease. … You can't trust people who cook as badly as that.’” (Applebaum). I don’t believe that as a leader in a democratic society, that it is proper to make these statements, since he is an influential person in politics.


I did some research and came upon an article that discusses the situation in Iran with their work on producing enriched uranium. From that article, Chirac gave his opinion on the hot debate about Iran’s attempt to manufacture a nuclear bomb. He says, “I would say that what is dangerous about this situation is not the fact of having a nuclear bomb,” he said. “Having one or perhaps a second bomb a little later, well, that’s not very dangerous. “But what is very dangerous is proliferation. This means that if Iran continues in the direction it has taken and totally masters nuclear-generated electricity, the danger does not lie in the bomb it will have, and which will be of no use to it” (Sciolin and Bennhold). However, according to that article I found online, France and the United States as well has other countries are pushing Iran to stop producing enriched uranium.

He also states that, “It is obvious that this bomb, at the moment it was launched, obviously would be destroyed immediately,” Mr. Chirac said. “We have the means — several countries have the means to destroy a bomb” (Sciolin and Bennhold). He notes that Iran can influence other neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabi and Egypt to follow in its footsteps and claims that we should also be worried about that.


I extremely agree with Chirac’s opinion and insight onto this subject. Humans learn through imitation, which can advocate problems like this one. Our environment is responsible in ways that helps us to decide on how to react in any given situation. Conformity is easy for a person to engage in because it allows that person to conform to the behaviour of another if they know that that person is committed to completing that form of action. For example, Bob knows that running away from home is a form of deviant behaviour. Nonetheless, if he had an older sibling who woujld run away with him, Bob would feel less reluctant to do it.

I was pleased with how Chirac handled this discrepancy in Iran and despite some of the bad decisions he's made about other people or countries, I cannot doubt that he took the power of President and a leadership responsibility without loving his country whole-heartedly.

Chirac's Farewell Speech: (In French) Below the video are English translations to the video




I found English translations to his speech, but cannot validate that these translations are credible: http://ckenb.blogspot.com/2007/03/chirac-bids-politics-farewell.html

My esteemed fellow French citizens in France, the overseas territories, and abroad,This evening it is with heartfelt love and pride for France that I appear before you.France is an impassioned and independent nation. France is a nation committed to justice and peace. France’s voice rises above partisan interests.My dear compatriots, I love France passionately. I have put all my heart, all my energy, all my strength at her service, at your service. Serving France, serving the cause of peace, that has been the commitment of my life.I would have loved, of course, to shake the foundations of the old ways and partisan interests even more, to respond more quickly to the difficulties confronting many among you. But I am proud of the things we have been able to accomplish together. Proud to have worked with you to restore the fundamental values of the French Republic, including the principle of secularism. Proud to have helped bring about important reforms, to protect your retirement pensions and better see to the needs of senior citizens and the disabled. Proud to have fought the good fight against crime and to have reduced delinquency. Proud to see French women and men on the road to innovation and progress. And especially proud to have demonstrated that we are not powerless against the scourge of unemployment. Even though we have far to go, unemployment is lower now than it has been in a quarter of a century. France is living up to its responsibilities. France is asserting its position in the world.All that is true thanks to you, to your talents and your creativity. Thanks also to the hard work you have been willing to do, and which I do not underestimate.My dear compatriots, as the term as president you have accorded me comes to an end, the time has come for me to find new ways to serve you. I will not be a candidate for a third term. In new ways, but with undiminished enthusiasm and a passion to act in your interest, I will continue the struggles that have been ours, the struggles that have always been my priorities, for justice, progress, peace, and the greatness of France.On the subject of the current presidential election, I will have other opportunities to reveal my personal choices. But this evening, and in the name of the confidence you have placed in me, I would like to speak on several other subjects.First, I want to urge you never to go down the road of extremism, racism, antisemitism, and exclusionism. Historically, we have seen extremism threaten our very existence. It’s a poison. It divides. It perverts and destroys. Everything in the French soul says no to extremism.France’s true calling, France’s glorious mission, is unity and solidarity. Yes, our values have meaning! Yes, France is enriched by diversity. Yes, honor in politics requires working for equal opportunity for all, and making it possible for everyone, for every young person in France, to have equal opportunity. This struggle, despite all obstacles and the long road we have ahead of us, is under way. We must stay united to succeed. It is one of the keys to our future as a nation.The second thing I want to say is that you must always believe in yourselves and believe in France. We have so much going for us. We must not fear change in the world. Instead, we must embrace a changing world. We have to continue to make our mark. And we must never sell short our French political system and model. It defines us. And the French system is right for today’s world, as long as we continue to adapt and modernize it.We must continue resolutely down the road to reform, with an emphasis on hard work, innovation, and initiative.My third point has to do with Europe.In the 2005 constitutional referendum, you expressed your doubts, your worries, your expectations. It is vital that we continue to build Europe. Nationalism has done such damage to our continent and could resurface at any moment. Alone, we would be less able to withstand the economic dislocations of today’s world. France must reaffirm the need for a strong European union. A political union. A European Union that will protect our social model. Our future is at stake. Let us not abandon this ideal, nor our will to succeed.The fourth thing I want to say is that France is not “just another country.” France has special responsibilities that we have inherited from our history and from universal values that we have helped to forge. As a result, faced with the danger of a war between civilizations, confronted by the rise of extremism, and especially religious extremism, France must defend tolerance, dialog, and respect among peoples and among cultures. The stakes are peace and the security of the world.In the same way, it would be immoral and dangerous to let unchecked market forces widen the gap that separates the world of the rich from that "other" world, where billions of men, women, and children live in poverty and despair. The duty of France is to weigh in with all its influence so that the world economy can come to understand that economic development must benefit absolutely everyone.Lastly, the ecological revolution is now under way. If we do not succeed in reconciling the needs of a growing economy and the suffering of a planet that is near exhaustion, we are headed for catastrophe. What is required is a revolution in our thinking as well as worldwide change. We must forge a new relationship with nature and invent a new kind of economic growth. With our scientists, our business leaders, our farmers, and with the progress we have made in the area of nuclear energy and our commitment to renewable energy sources, France is well positioned to live up to this major challenge of the 21st century.My dear compatriots, as you can imagine it is with much emotion that I speak to you this evening. Not for one instant have you ever been absent from my heart and mind. Not for one minute have I stopped working at the service of our magnificent France. This France that I love as much as I love you all. This France rich because of its young people, strong because of its past and its diversity, and hungry for justice and a desire to move forward. This French nation that has not yet finished astonishing the world.Long live the Republic! Long live France!

Works Cited

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Jacques_Chirac_at_the_G8,_16_July_2006.jpg/466px-Jacques_Chirac_at_the_G8,_16_July_2006.jpg

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/05/07/PH2007050701574.jpg

http://ckenb.blogspot.com/2007/03/chirac-bids-politics-farewell.html

Applebaum, Anne. anneapplebaum.com. 13 May 2007. <http://www.anneapplebaum.com/>.

Elaine Sciolin and Bennhold, Katrin. "Chirac Strays From Assailing a Nuclear Iran." The LosAngeles Times [LosAngeles] 1 Feb 2007. 12 May 2007 <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/01/world/europe/01france.html?ei=5088?ner=rssnyt&en=2a79cb363a6d7afd&ex=1327986000&emc=rss&pagewanted=print>.