In case you missed the Paris speech...

[YvonneCa]

...today:
http://m.state.gov/md236059.htm

Video: http://www.c-span.org/video/?323847-1/secretary-state-john-kerry-remarks-paris

[karynnj]

1. Thank you for this link

This is an incredible speech. No wonder the right went crazy making fun of bringing James Taylor. Otherwise, at least part of this speech would have been covered -- and there is not one paragraph that would not have been seen as appropriate by all but the far right lunatics.

It is beyond strange that the Obama administration, which responded promptly with any help they could, and had both Obama and Kerry make statements within hours - Kerry's partly in French, is somehow seen to have let France down. How - by not having a top official turn up for the march. ( In fact, ANY official would have been said to be too low other than Obama.)

This then turned the Kerry visit to an apology in their mind - one they obviously hoped would lead some to produce the footage they wanted -- Kerry being booed by the French. Their goal obviously having nothing to do with helping the French, leading the attacks against ISIS and AQ, or comforting the French -- it had to do with getting something that helped "their side". They ignore that Hollande, like Kerry and Obama, did NOT fall into the trap of making this a clash of civilizations - but rather an attack of evil against civilization.

It is beyond belief that somehow the far right which insulted the entire French population for years, had the chutzpah to suggest that this man, speaking beautiful, inspirational words in French somehow failed to represent America in France well.

[YvonneCa]

2. Amazing...

...isn't it? No matter what he does or says it gets spun to invalidate the US, President Obama and his Administration.
I think CSpan did show the full speech a couple of times. Unfortunately, many don't watch CSpan.
Thanks for your words, karynnj. It's nice to know others see what I see, too.

[karynnj]

3. Here's a surprise - Dana Milbank called out the Republicans on this and detailed the Obama

Kerry actions.

After quoting many Republicans' words of outrage:

But the notion that Kerry, of all people, was slighting the French is a bit incroyable. The son of a diplomat, Kerry has close family in France and learned the language at a Swiss boarding school. After the initial massacre in Paris last week, he addressed the shooting at an appearance with the Polish foreign minister, in both English and in French. French TV channel TF1 said that Kerry’s “poignant statement in French” would “go down in history.” The French intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy said on CNN that Kerry’s French statement “is a great moment of brotherhood and solidarity.”

But now Kerry is being called insufficiently pro-French, snubbing them because he had the nerve to be in meetings in India onSunday. It didn’t matter that he had signed a condolence book at the French Embassy (as did Obama) or that he’ll be in Paris on Thursday and Friday, at the end of his current trip. Neither did Obama get credit for his call to Hollande on the day of the attack, the various statements he has made about the attack or, of most importance, all the counterterrorism help the U.S. government is giving France.

The conservatives are guilty of a bit of inconsistency, if not hypocrisy, in criticizing the Obama administration for snubbing a people they not long ago called cheese-eating surrender monkeys.

But, ça ne fait rien. It’s très bien that Francophobia has waned on the American right, and that the land of Lafayette, socialist government and all, is again in conservatives’ good graces.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-republicans-inconsistent-attacks-on-obamas-paris-response/2015/01/12/bd223d0a-9aa8-11e4-96cc-e858eba91ced_story.html

[YvonneCa]

4. Wow! That is a surprise. A...

...pleasant surprise! Good for Dana. I wish we had more who would get the facts and not just generate preplanned talking points. Thank you for pointing this out and the link.

[YvonneCa]

5. "Kerry was right"...

... about song, "You've Got a Friend."

http://qz.com/328883/why-john-kerry-was-right-to-sing-youve-got-a-friend-to-france/

[karynnj]

6. With all the Republicans suggesting alternatives - most pretty bad

Last edited Tue Jan 20, 2015, 03:19 PM - Edit history (1)

and many listed just to give them pop music creds, I think they are ignoring the order of what happened that day.

In addition to that event at City Hall, there were the more personal, emotion stops to leave wreaths where people fell. Then at the City Hall itself, there was first an incredibly good speech , given in French. He could have left it at that. No one could have expected more.

However, after the intense anguish of the week, the high emotion of the march and the seriousness of the speech, the short epilogue of a very well known, comforting song was a nice note. In addition to the obvious statement that "you've got a friend" and references to helping hands and being there, the song contains a different important message -

" Well, they'll take your soul if you let them,
oh yeah, but don't you let them."

All you have to do is think of 911 and to me, this is the most important message to France - stay true to your own "soul" rather than allowing the terrorists to change your country in negative ways.

In addition, lost to most Americans was that Taylor was in Europe because he will be starting a European Tour. That rather shows he is still appreciated there. (Having seen him a few years ago with Carole King and at the JK event, he is still very good.)

The last thought was remembering that at the JK event when he was thanking the musicians, he spoke of how he had always had the good fortune to have musicians at his political events. Between that and having watched him sing along to Christmas songs, it is clear that music has been something that has personally brought him happiness and probably at other times, comfort.

[YvonneCa]

7. That's a nice summary. I...

...agree. And the line about our collective 'soul' being taken..."Don't you let them"...IS the message to Paris and all of us as we confront terrorism. Kerry is right, as usual.