Dateline: above the garage in Portsmouth RI, 30 June 2004
Spent the afternoon in Providence with Jean Michel Demetz of L’Express, the Paris-based magazine. He had read the book and wanted an interview, promising a significant story in the early fall (the summer is not a time for such stories in France—pure and simple).
It was a much better discussion than I expected, not because he was French but simply because he was a magazine reporter and yet his angle was not so much an angle as a simple exploration of feasibility in terms of the transatlantic relationship.
We talked a lot about the choices made by the West in the post-Cold War period, and especially those choices made by the Pentagon in terms of force structure (i.e., what they bought). We talked about the many variations of the Bush Doctrine. But what we talked about most was the missing A-to-Z global rule set on how to process politically-bankrupt states, and what it would take to make such a system come into being.
I enjoyed the discussion a lot, and it went for almost two hours over coffee. A real rarity with journalists: I actually found the argument truly stretching for me. Typically, what you do in an interview is regurgitate, not explore beyond.
What will this yield in September, who knows. No doubt, it will test my memory of my two years of French in the mid-1970s.
But the whole experience gave me some real hope . . . of a book deal in France.
The catch from Wednesday:
The scorecard for the Sys Admin force in Iraq
“Reality Intrudes on Promises in Rebuilding of Iraq: 2,300 Projects Planned but Fewer Than 140 Are Under Way,” by James Glanz and Erik Eckholm, New York Times, 30 June, p. A1.
“5,600 Ex-Soldiers Will Be Called Up: Ready Reserve Members to See Duty Overseas,” by Thom Shanker, NYT, 30 June, p. A1.
“As Threats to Oil Facilities Rise, U.S. Military Becomes Protector: Navy and Coast Guard Boost Presence in Persian Gulf, Brace for Long-Term Effort; Suicide Attacks on Terminals,” by Chip Cummins, Wall Street Journal, 30 June, p. A1.
House of Bush to House of Saud: the clock is ticking
“Bush Urges All Autocrats To Yield Now To Democracy,” by Susan Sachs, NYT, 30 June, p. A13.
“A Saudi Leadership Adrift: Monarchy Reacts Slowly to a Dangerously Changing Society,” by Hugh Pope, WSJ, 30 June, p. A7.
America: the great economic rule-set exporter
“Global Markets Await Action by U.S. Fed: Other Central Banks Will Face Pressure to Follow Suit on Rates; Borrowing Costs to Feel Impact,” by Craig Karmin et. al, WSJ, 30 June, p. C1.
“Human Rights Abuses Worldwide Are Held to Fall Under U.S. Courts: Foreigners Can File Suits, Justices Rule,” by Linda Greenhouse, NYT, 30 June, p. A19.
Integration inside the Core is the Old money into the New markets
“Gas and Oil Bring Japanese Money to Russia’s Far East,” by James Brooke, NYT, 30 June, p. W1.
“Developers Enter India Market—Indirectly: Ownership Restrictions Force Foreign Companies To Settle for Side Roles,” by Ray A. Smith, WSJ, 30 June, p. B6.
The classic sad Gap story: begging the dictators to let the aid in.
“Powell to Press Sudan to Ease the War for Aid in Darfur,” by Christopher Marquis, NYT, 30 June, p. A3.
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