Thinking otherwise only buys into the Gaullist claim that France should occupy a place of reverence in the community of nations. But why should its views matter any more than, say, Italy, whose population and economy are nearly the same size? The United States may choose to work with France on a few areas of mutual diplomatic interest - Haiti and perhaps Iran - but in general, the marginal amounts of aid and peacekeeping help Paris can offer hardly merit concessions on our part. And if France threatens to undermine American interests with its Security Council veto, we should call its bluff, pointing out that such behavior merely weakens the institution that is the prime source of France's undeserved prestige. (Despite all the bluster, France has not used its veto power unilaterally since 1976.)
Moreover, making an example of the French is precisely the wrong approach because it elevates France in the eyes of the world's anti-Americans, who will always be with us. The one thing France and the neo-Gaullists can't possibly abide is being ignored. Perhaps that's punishment enough.
Hogwash. If we ignore the French they'll go on thinking they are a great power. The French have built up the illusion of power. They have nukes they'd never use lest Paris get smashed up; they have a nuclear aircraft carrier that looks nice tied up in port; they have a pretend empire that lets them color in the map the right colors but otherwise is a drain; and they have a Security Council veto. All this impresses the French very much if not anyone else. Really, without the Foreign Legion, France would have the power projection ability of Belgium. The French are self-hypnotized with the illusion of power and we don't affect that at all. Who exactly is looking toward France to organize an anti-American bloc? Serious anti-Americans look to China for that. So putting the French in their place does not give the French added weight as an anti-American bastion.
Ignoring the French is not the best path to take with France because it ignores a basic foreign policy rule: reward friends and punish enemies. The example of France getting away with screwing us over time and again encourages countries not to cooperate with us. Even if it wouldn't be a pleasure to strike back, this should get us moving to punish France.
Are the French our enemies? Well, no. Not yet. But they aren't our friend, either. We can cooperate with the French in narrow areas where our interests coincide without getting all misty eyed about our long friendship.
If we ignore the French, they'll just up the ante to get our attention. Punish France. If they decide to aid us, then we can end punishment. If they keep aiding us and so look at least nominally sincere, then we can start rewarding them.
Look, I don't mean to tar the entire French nation with a broad brush. And I'd love to have the French as real friends and allies. I'm sure we have friends there, too. But our friends don't control the government and aren't thick in the press to say the least. For those French in charge over there I have nothing but contempt.
Break their trance. Punish France.
