Philharmonic

Taliban Interview

NATO

From: Le Figaro
by Arnaud de la Grange

European Defence: Paris wants support from London

As is the case for Washington, the Brits would be prepared to accept that Europe have its own operations headquarters.

France wants to win over Britain to its conception of NATO and European Defense. Without an understanding with the other true European military power, Paris knows that nothing is possible. One thus has to revive "the spirit of St-Malo", that which governed the French-English summit which inaugurated European Defense in 1998.

The French stance is that of ceasing to play bad boy in the Atlantic Alliance, in an effort to win over those who normally put the breaks on European Defense, the U.S. and Britain most of all. Thus a series of advances: opening the possibility of re-joining NATO's integrated military ; announcing French re-enforcements in Afghanistan, and most importantly, taking part in the true war against the Taliban, in the eastern and southern parts of the country. This in place, the great negotiation can begin on NATO-Europe. European-level defense will only come to be with the capacity to plan and carry out an operation in an autonomous fashion.

THE RISK OF DUPLICATION

This implies that a headquarters worthy of the name be established. Britain has always refused this, in the name of avoiding unnecessary "duplication" with outlay for NATO, in effect Shape, the great headquarters of the alliance established near Mons in Belgium. They have argued that that the EU could use these same NATO facilities, as per the accords known as "Berlin+", for certain operations.

Britain seems today more receptive to the idea of giving the EU an "operations headquarters" in Brussels. "But they would like to see this new structure capable of coordinating the civilian capacities of the EU and the military ones of NATO," explains a diplomatic informant, " which is good, but one must be careful so that this technical approach does not downplay the political ."

If there is openness in London, it is because there is as well in Washington. At the end of February, the U.S. ambassador to NATO gave a speech that was noticed in Paris and London. Victoria Nuland recognized that Europe should be able to "act in an independent manner" and, while remaining vague, she admitted that Europe could legitimately argue for a proper center for planning and training.

Washington no longer sees European Defense as unthinkable. The "All-NATO" approach encourages Europeans to rely on this life-insurance and keep their defense budgets low, which is a problem when the time comes to find serious allies.

Still in the hopes of bringing Britain on-side, Paris would accept to only gradually assume more responsibilities within NATO. The job of number two, for the Allied forces in Europe, always goes to the British. And the latter remain well attached to their de facto status, as first lieutenant for America within NATO.

Polygons

Health Care

I have not seen Michael Moore's movie Sicko about the lack of health care in the United States, but I am sure it is suitably biting. With 45 million uninsured Americans, there is matter for concern. The reviews I have read also mention that he makes much of the Canadian system of universal care which, we are told, he much favors ( and won't get). The insurance companies are not about to roll over and die, there are only so many Harvard med school graduates to go around, and so forth.

What is the system like in Canada, and are there some aspects of that system that could transfer. It is true that there are long waits for many surgical procedures. That is because there are only so many hospital beds 'open' at any one time, only so many operating rooms 'in business'. And the high-end expertise often gets hired away to the U.S. It's like being on a budget, or a diet. Because the demand for health services can easily get out of hand. But a child who has been waiting for a long time for an organ transplant gets his picture in the papers, or a fund gets put together so that someone in need with a rare condition can get care elsewhere. Those are our limits.

I once read somewhere that the old need to be old the way the young need to be young. That is they need to express their condition of maturity, need to be recognized for what they are experiencing. Those at end-of-life need company, need to talk about dying. Surely all that need not be medicalized.

Pregnant women need to be medically cared for, reminded of the dos and don't. Given vitamins and food vouchers.

I, personally, am a great consumer of health information. And diet and exercise. And trends in mental health care. And the latest beauty products. The New York Times sends me a health feed every week. It all comes with my Internet connection.

American statistics in any field are often misleading because there are sub-populations that account for almost all the down-end figures (and mask just how well-off the non-minorities are). It is not always the Blacks, although it might be for something like teen pregnancy. There are also regional differences (like anybody who doesn't live in the greater Boston area). Michael Moore comes from a relatively isolated part of the country which might well be experiencing a shortage of medical personnel. American political discourse just doesn't cover that kind of issue.

It would be a pity if, given the present configuration of candidates for the Presidency, improvements in the delivery of heath care could not be agreed on. Many Americans are feeling left out.

CREST