September 03, 2003
GASPS DRAWN
Blessed are the chocolate makers:
In unusually blunt language that drew surprised gasps from reporters, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher scoffed at Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg for continuing to support the proposal that they first introduced at a mini-summit in April.
He described the April meeting as one between "four countries that got together and had a little bitty summit" and then referred to them collectively as "the chocolate makers."
Boucher wussily backed down after saying this. He shouldn’t have; it was an excellent line. Besides, he was only reflecting a widely-held view:
Posted by Tim Blair at September 3, 2003 07:01 PMOne senior State Department official said the four nations backing it could also be called "the greater Benelux," a reference to the small trade association made up of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg that has no military component or aspirations.
Wow, Boucher really said that? Dang, I missed it. I have watched him over the years on C-SPAN and have waited to see him actually answer a question. As the official spokesman of the US State Department anything he says could be interpreted as official US policy. So he takes great care not to answer, any question at great length too. It's amazing to see the guy at work. And the press too.
Posted by: Charles at September 3, 2003 at 07:11 PMHe described the April meeting as one between "four countries that got together and had a little bitty summit" and then referred to them collectively as "the chocolate makers."
also, four countries -- australia, the US, the UK and spain -- got together earlier this year and decided that invading iraq was a good idea. we shall call them "the war makers".
Posted by: adam at September 3, 2003 at 08:37 PMOh, adam I'd rather have chocolate than war! (Hugs her teddy bear, which is woven of organically pure hemp and stuffed with recycled Greenpeace leaflets.)
Posted by: Andrea Harris at September 3, 2003 at 09:19 PMFour countries got together and decided to kick some ass, four others got together and decided to take a dick up theirs. Can you see the difference adam? Loser.
Posted by: Amos at September 3, 2003 at 10:25 PMDidn't stop the Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys from deploying troops to the Ivory Coast to secure the cocoa trade; the French don't give a grenoille's merde' about liberte'et egalate', but try cutting off their supplies of chockies!
Let's face it- the only chance a Frenchman has of getting a root is with a decent box of chocolates; they're more bath-shy than the poms, plonk is hardly in short supply, and Jean Reno is regarded as good looking.
(PS Don't attempt secondary level French while drinking).
Four countries got together and decided to kick some ass, four others got together and decided to take a dick up theirs. Can you see the difference adam?
well, one group of four countries is kicking some ass, the other group of four countries is being fucked in the ass, i.e., yes, i can distinguish between the groups you propose. but notwithstanding the difference between being an ass-kickor and ass-fuckee, in each case there's still only four countries involved.
also, habib, i don't think anyone seriously disputes that the french are hypocritical. this about seals it.
Posted by: adam at September 3, 2003 at 10:58 PMI don't see the hypocrisy: on the one hand, they support a country with:
- corrupt leaders winning supposedly huge election victories
- terrorist groups allowed to roam within their borders
- restrictions on what people can or cannot say
to have weapons of mass destruction,
and they don't have any problems with Iraq having WMDs either.
Posted by: Andjam at September 3, 2003 at 11:16 PM"the chocolate makers"
Must... Stop... laughing... must.... breath...
Posted by: Aaron at September 4, 2003 at 12:18 AMA fun comment, but not entirely new. A few months ago on Fox, Charles Krauthammer said that to him, Belgium is not so much a country as it is a chocolate.
Posted by: Andrew at September 4, 2003 at 01:44 AMOur State Department?! The Fifth Weasel? They said that? Wow.
Actually, I think of Belgium as more of a waffle.
Posted by: BH at September 4, 2003 at 01:49 AMHey, BH, you know why they call them Belgian Waffles, right?
They crumbled under the Nazis.
Posted by: Aaron at September 4, 2003 at 03:09 AMAlso, they taste delicious with Vermont maple syrup.
Posted by: Steve in Houston at September 4, 2003 at 03:13 AMWith all the different axis' and now the Gang of Four Chocolate Makers, who makes up the Wheel of Cheese?
Posted by: Jake D at September 4, 2003 at 11:55 AMGood to see that the Dutch didn't get suckered in. Their Marines are way hard-core, and their Tankers are pretty damn slick in their Leopard 2s.
Posted by: Razor at September 4, 2003 at 12:26 PMConsidering how 'in' being 'out' is regarding US television programs, I'm surprised he didn't use a comment using "fudge" that would have been considered the ultimate trendy compliment.
Regarding the war markers, would that be the countries that voted on UN resolutions thinking they would have meaning instead of empty bureaucratic masturbation?
Posted by: Chrees at September 4, 2003 at 03:04 PMSo this Boucher-nobody refers to Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Germany as "the chocolate makers" huh? Well that's a fine way to unveil his colossal ignorance in the smug manner that has become such a tiresome trademark of the current U.S. administration. Has this geopolitical ignoramus ever actually set foot on foreign soil? Has he heard of Switzerland (Toblerone, Lindt)? Austria (Mozart)? Denmark (Anthon Berg)? Sweden (Marabou, Kex)? Now THOSE are the places to go, among others, if you want some REAL kick-ass chocolate. All Belgium has are those dreadful Guylian "shells" with the shite (oops, I mean "white") chocolate swirled in. (And as we all know, white chocolate is the biggest oxymoron since "compassionate conservative".)
Posted by: Peta Piper at September 4, 2003 at 06:23 PMBoucher, Boucher, Boucher. HEY WAIT A MINUTE. That's a FRENCH name!!! I smell a rat. Oh, no wait. It was only Rummy.
Posted by: Peta Piper at September 4, 2003 at 06:25 PM