A Sea of Tranquillity?
President Sarkozy has greeted the 43 world leaders for a summit that at least looks more successful than many of us expected. He welcomed Mrs Merkel with a hug, Gordon Brown with what could have been a joke and the Turkish leader very quickly, shrugging as he left the platform.
Mr Sarkozy has made this summit about peace in the Middle East. In his main speech before the full meeting he said that the Mediterranean was the source of "all faith, all reason and all culture", that it was there that the first "fraternal civilisation" was built and from there that the religions of the book were born. He said it had created a notion of happiness, wisdom and self-esteem, but also tragedy. It had pushed to the extreme "a zest for life and fascination with death".
His central passage, too grand to be called a soundbite, was: "If this future is to be great, if this future is to be bright, if this future is to be a future of peace, a future of justice and future of progress everyone will have to make an effort, as the Europeans did, to put an end to the deadly spiral of war and violence that, century upon century, sporadically brought barbarity to the heart of civilisation."
I think it was a governor of New York who came up with that great phrase "we campaign in poetry, we govern in prose". Mr Sarkozy is one of those politicians who is full of surprises because he is always campaigning and never abandons poesy.
I’m Mark Mardell, the BBC's North America editor. These are my reflections on American politics, some thoughts on being a Brit living in the USA, and who knows what else? My 
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Mark, I think you meant "poesy" (or poetry). But in the circumstances, "posey" probably works better.
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Isn't this EU-Mediterranean summit just a follow-on from the Spanish-instigated Barcelona process? Some of the coverage seems to be implying President Sarkozy thought of the whole thing himself.
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The MU is a diversion from the failed EU which is a diversion from the failed French economy and society. What will Sarkozy invent to divert attention from the MU when it also fails?
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To gwyddeles (2 above)
Yes, it is a follow-on to the Barcelona Process but it is not just a follow-on. The process has made and continues to make progress mainly in North Africa form Libya to Marroco. If President Sarkozy can begin to move towards bringing at least a step towards peace in the Eastern Mediterranean and perhaps the Middle East we here in Spain will not care if he claims to have invented the MU all by himself or not.
To Mark
The French have had a presence in Egypt forat least two centuries and a mandate over Syria and Lebanon form the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War.What is more they are generally weel liked and accepted, in cotrast to North Africa.
I would judge that the style is probabley a bit direct but neverless acceptable to the Middle Eastern mind. Try reading the Koran even in an English traslation and you will see what I mean.
The ancient Chinese had a saying that a journey of a 1000 miles starts with a single step, which is as true today as it ever was.
This journey towards peace and harmony is in fact also a process towards true Islam as well as true Judio-Christanity. The process will take many years but if men can believe that seccess is possible they will brave hardships and setbacks along the. way.
If the leaders can see how the E.U. with all its faults can make War in Europe not only impossable but unthinkable, they know it can become more than just a dream.
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Very true what Sarko said about the Mare Nostrum. He may be just an actor, but a great actor, whose plays are good enough to be constantly shown by all world wide media.
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The Mediterranean Union is founding stone of the New 21st Century Roman Empire. With a bit of vision everyone can see that.
With the right financial incentives, regional peace in Palestine can be finally achieved by welcoming in Israel, West Bank, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt into this Union.
A new world order is here upon us, right now that the USA is fading way into economic, military and political nullity.
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Its not just Sarkozy's proliferation in the world media that is perhaps a worrying aspect to his personality; but also the hidden aspects to the story that are not being covered by the media...
I'm not talking about the hostage 'rescue' or the Middle East peace process; but more significance of the number of projected members in this new EU-MU hybrid...
Th number is being talked about in some circles I assure you.
Heres a hint: What is the answer to life the universe and everything?
The dolphins are already jumping out of the water; its just a shame they can't fly away...
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When you consider the logistical and political issues that have arisen since some politicians within the EU (and it was not the people!) decided to expand the EU from 12 to 15 and now to 27 with more nations queueing up to share in the wealth of contributing nations - one has to look at the 43 Heads of State gathering for this tete-a-tete in Paris and just have to wonder how President Sarkozy can possibly imagine that this massive EU-MU Political enclave will work.
Especially so, given that the arabic states are intrinsically dictatorships.
Some reality has to be brought bear on this political whimsy!
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There are some quite undemocratic administrations in Europe at the moment too...
Its perhaps the one thing they all have in common.
This situation is unfortunately about as far from whimsy as you can get. it is not what it seems; but the outcome is going to be less fanciful than you may deem...
Nothing is certain. It is the deep breath before the plunge.
There will be light in dark places.
Forget fear: choose love.
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at last something that meant split the EU into 2 bring it on baby THE MU
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jaws1912,
Split into two... haha
Now who would gain from that?
I would wait until the show begins before applauding the stage.
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bring on the EU+MU=EMU and see the rise of an empire.. an empire without the people..
time for peace is over, this fake empire will bring the most diseastrous war humanity has seen.
why people want to live in private houses, have privacy, etc?
why not make a common house, no privacy, living toghether 100 or 1000 people under a big room? united? sharing together everything we have.. like collectivity, bunch of primitives.
while the elite enjoys it.
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Lets kick France out of EU... and isolate them... they cannot do anything.. except strikes...if they resist or make trouble...we should remind them that Hitler invaded france in 3 hours.
if they want a union, let them move to africa or middle east.
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#14,
Sounds like you're talking about a concentration camp, hopefully it'll be the s**ts like Sarko that will be the inmates, but until then lets hope the French do what they're best at "yet another disaster pulled from the jaws of victory".
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Finally the french showed their face of arrogance and self interest, they dont want turkey because the cannot bully turkey but they want their ex-colonies which by case happen to be muslim islamic too.
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''...time for peace is over...''
You talk as if we are already succumb...
The door is not yet shut, my friend; and your words to the French are ill advised.
Add fuel to the fire and we all get burned; and I trust you have seen the fire, karolina001?
Softly softly, does not last forever; and we must not place appeasers with isolationists: it is no time to be on your own I assure you.
Our only option now is love; or else succumb to the fear...
It is never too late, karolina001.
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Yes, Mark, I think you need to explain to simpletons like me what all this Med Union is all about...
We already have non-functioning 'unions' like the EU, AU and UN - why add yet another one to the list ? What is this meant to achieve ?
One-World-Government ??
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No union, whether it be European or Mediterranean, can amount to anything if Sarkozy is given any great influence in it. Is there anyone he has not needlessly offended yet?
This hijacking of the Barcelona process is just the latest stunt of stealing credit at the last moment when all the hard work has been done quietly by others - examples include using the freeing of Bulgarians held in Libya as a photo opportunity after all the careful, drawn out diplomacy and negotiation by the EU, or playing peacemaker between Syria and Israel when Turkey has been delicately facilitating talks for several months.
He gives the impression of a man whose desperately fail ego needs constant attention and reassurance.
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It's quite simple really lordBeddGelert, it just gives all the snout in the trough political elite yet another excuse to have a lot of trips, meals, bank accounts, bungs etc at our expense.
To need4reality #18, I've just been listening to some tunes and guess what, I came across Roger Water's 'The tide is turning', judging by the views of many ordinary people it hopefully is and the sooner the elite realise that whilst they can duck, dive, twist, spin, hide etc we still know what they are, lower in the food chain than rats.
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''He gives the impression of a man whose desperately fail[ed] ego needs constant attention and reassurance.''
Quite the contrary, he has all the support he needs. The media only does this kind of favour to those of a particular kind in this day and age...
''Is there anyone he has not needlessly offended yet?''
Yes quite a few... and I deem the insults are indeed through arrogance, the double cross by design...
Politics is anything but ruled by chance. You take your chances in the casino, true; but only if you play the games, the house wins or redefines the game...
Choose love.
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need4reality ,
are u sure you a choosing love, or a pact with the devil??
EU is doing unity with dictators devils.
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I didn't say I was necessarily pro-union, in any of its current guises; but you should criticise the idea/ the proponent; not the French people.
I choose love.
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You get the attention of world media every time a non-normal or better say stupid idea is appropriated by incompetent politicos, as the Sarkozy case.. do you agree?
the more stupid strange ideas a high profile politicos has, the more the attention he gets, and it is not usual to find such fool leaders nowadays.
Tell me what are the benefits of such a MU union?? except megalomaniactic dreams of Sarko-the Napoleon, or Barroso-the Imperator??
Why we didnt care for peace in middle east before, when we didnt have problem in our homes, when EU wasnt weak as it is now, and US was strong?? but now that we are weaker we care?? How do we care for peace when we are in a union with dictators?? At least now we openly support them by taking pictures and shaking hands with them?? Will this increase terrorism or stop it?? As one of them said, but others didnt want to listen, it will feed terrorism..
many people in europe are anti-US policies because they see it as interference of US on other countries.. Is EU going the same path, and trying to support appartheid dictatorial regimes in north africa and middle east for the so-called of peace and love.
Does anyone comes in EU and solve our problems?? no... why we should go and solve thier problems??
By preaching peace and love, doesnt make you a saint.. but in this world this happens quite often..
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I think they would call it 'joint security' rather than peace and love...
And you are quite right... To preach peace and love does not make one a saint. But then saints are not always chosen by those merits...
''Tell me what are the benefits of such a MU union??''
There are benefits; the question is: for whom?
The so called 'failure' of the EU was to finally bow to the will of its people; for which many who deserve credit will not receive...
The MU is a much bolder vision and the agenda has no doubt been set. The politicians are working to this time scale; and the set back of renegotiating Lisbon (or similar propositions) is no longer to their mind an option...
If it is as I fear, then all sign posted roads lead to Rome. And they say the only alternative is Communism.
This is of course, not the case.
A choice between Fascism and Communism, is no choice at all; and they distract us from our road to love and enlightenment.
Co-operation and peace do not require this vision of Union; but do require the acts of forgiveness and compassion for all men, be they French, British, Italian, Moroccan, Palestinian...
Union is all very well; but it must have a foundation on the principals for peace.
Based on competition, the extraction of true wealth and the power to control mankind, it will fail...
Again we reach a crossroads, my friend.
Unite through fear, Unite through Diktat... of course we could turn back, though we see that the road is dark behind...
The road of isolationism and fear, lead to the same destination as the claim to power without democracy; but there is another road...
To unite through love.
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""""Again we reach a crossroads, my friend.
Unite through fear, Unite through Diktat... of course we could turn back, though we see that the road is dark behind...
The road of isolationism and fear, lead to the same destination as the claim to power without democracy; but there is another road...
To unite through love."""
dont you see that we are uniting because of fear... because we fear china, india , russia and the loss of our wealth and position as world leaders...we are uniting because of dictat, the elites are not even asking the people..
i ask you again, when everything was fine in EU, ecomony, people, there was no terrorism, not so much immigration etc... why we didnt care about uniting??
we could have done it before, but we choose not? instead we followed other policies, which will hunt us for generation after generation.. and you think France has change fro
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Keywords: Turkey, Cyprus, EU, Nato, bid, veto...
If European, Mediterranean, Aegean and/or Black Sea Union don't work out, Turkey might found her Marmara Union, which would re-adopt Ataturk's neutralist policy.
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''...why we didn't care about uniting??''
You will probably find that Integrationism was much more popular in the boom times; but the particulars highly debated...
You will probably find also that the Med. union is more a rival to the UN than a rival to the EU...
And democracy lives on for at least another 3-6 months... The year 2009 is of great significance; and with significance comes opportunity, responsibility and above all hope...
By the by, I don't think France has changed, my friend: I know that Sarkozy has near six years to further his cause (Blair France...) and six months in the EU presidency... and with MU, who knows? Maybe none at all...
The fact that the media is all over him like a pack of dogs on heat is perhaps testament to that... perhaps not...
Perhaps the far right are finally making their move...
But remember, the first thing Hitler did was to kill the Brown shirts when he came to power; and institutional rule begins...
All serve their own purpose on this merry go round...
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''...don't you see that we are uniting because of fear...''
Yes, I do see that. And it is also given as the only sensible reason to unite at all...
The Empire built on fear will be ruled trough fear alone; and mores the pity for the meek.
You must remember the context of the fear:
Fear the Chinese, yet their economy is built on the jobs that the fear-mongers exported there. And is it not the same in India?
Our low wage economy has driven our skilled labourers abroad, and recently to Russia as well as Australia / Canada.
We should neither hate nor fear them. The fuel that feeds the flame of hate will only serve to burn us in the end...
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President Sarkozy is not a figure to achieve such a thing. Firstly nobody trusts him. You can see many Mediterranean countries are sceptical about the whole thing. Turkey is not keen as President Sarkozy believes that is the route for Turkey instead of EU. Libya is not there at all. Algeria is just like Turkey very sceptical.
It migh be the right move but not with Sarkozy. That will be big failure for President Sarkozy.
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