Chapter 2058 The Awkward Gallic Chicken (Please Give Me a Monthly Ticket!! Please Subscribe!! Please Recommend!!!)

France is actually a rather embarrassing country, and they live in a very awkward way.

They think they are a world power and a pole that determines the fate of the world, but in fact, they often do not get the "corresponding" treatment they think they should get in the international arena.

They think that as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, France's international status is unparalleled.

However, in sharp contrast to France's lofty international status, France's international image has remained the same for decades. To this day, the "milking France" jokes on the Internet are still flying all over the sky, telling the world all the time: France's face has never existed.

For a big country, this is undoubtedly an incredible result. You must know that "the economic base determines the superstructure" and the comprehensive national strength determines the international status and face. However, France's international status has always been out of touch with its international face for a long time. Although everyone on the earth knows that France's comprehensive national strength is outstanding and its international status is crucial, they still can't help but disdain it when it comes to France.

France is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, one of the "two giants" of the European Union, a member of the G7 and a member of NATO. It stands to reason that a country with so many "titles" should be a country with great influence. However, in the real world, although France has some influence, it lacks "leadership temperament", especially at the key juncture of historical turning points, France often gives people the feeling of "lack of responsibility". The reason is actually only one, that is, it has never found its "appropriate position".

Since modern times, France has always been a traditional power in Europe and even in the world. Before World War II, France and Britain were known as the two major colonial empires; after World War II, France was one of the five permanent members representing the post-war governance system, and it was also one of the "leaders" of the European Union; economically, it is a member of the G7, and its total GDP has long been among the top seven in the world; France is a manufacturing power and has an independent scientific and technological research and development system. Militarily, France is a "member of the nuclear bomb club" and has a complete military-industrial system.

From the perspective of soft and hard power, France is undoubtedly a world power. However, the role it plays in international affairs is obviously inconsistent with its strength. The fundamental reason is that every time at a critical historical period, France often "drops the ball", that is, it lacks the courage to "take responsibility".

After World War I, the appeasement of France and Britain led to the inevitable Second World War. In World War II, France, which claimed to have the best army on the European continent, collapsed at the first touch with the Nazi army, and raised its hands to Hitler after only more than 40 days. Fortunately, General de Gaulle did not give up resistance, which left the "ambitious" France with an opportunity to "turn over", otherwise, France would probably have become "mediocre" after World War II. After World War II, with the support of Churchill, France barely won a permanent seat on the UN Security Council as a victorious country, and finally preserved a trace of the dignity of the French nation and the right to participate in world affairs. Of course, the "strategist" Churchill also had strategic selfishness in supporting France, that is, to balance the other two powers on the European continent, namely Germany and Russia. However, France, which was "entangled" in its heart, has since embarked on another path. After all the tossing and turning, France is still "wandering" and has not found a "position" that suits itself. To put it bluntly, it is "very embarrassing".

The French nation is romantic and proud at the same time. When romance and pride are organically combined, France will burst out with amazing creativity. However, more often, romance and pride are opposite, or they are presented separately, and the result is "entanglement" and "taking it for granted". And this "entanglement" and "taking it for granted" distort the "soul" of the French nation.

France suffered heavy losses in World War I, and its inner fear and selfish mentality led to a policy of appeasement, which, to put it bluntly, means losing its "bloodiness". This mentality is the reason why World War II was almost "surrendered without a fight". At the same time, the experience of "surrendering without a fight" made the proud French nation feel "humiliated". In other words, "romance" made France choose to surrender, and pride made them "sad", which led to the "entanglement" of the French.

The proud French nation wanted to restore its reputation, and was very anxious. However, it takes strength to prove itself. However, France, which was "insufficient in strength" after the war, naturally found it difficult to gain respect in Europe and the world. Therefore, the romantic French began to "take shortcuts", that is, to find another way. In order to make themselves noticed and have a sense of existence.

It must be said that General de Gaulle really wanted to save France and restore France's status and dignity as a great power. Therefore, after establishing the Fifth Republic, General de Gaulle proposed the geopolitical strategy of "Europe is Europe for Europeans". In international affairs, General de Gaulle pursued an "independent" diplomatic policy. In the military, France withdrew from NATO's integrated military command system. Obviously, General de Gaulle wanted France to become the "third pole of the world" during the Cold War.

Objectively speaking, France had a period of "brilliance" during the Cold War. For example, the United States and Britain were unwilling to give up and could not give up France, while the Soviet camp used the fight for France as a "political weapon" to attack the West. Therefore, during that period in the 1960s, France felt quite "flattered". However, "the ideal is full, but the reality is cruel." The French soon discovered that it was "nothing", or that it was just a "chip" used by the two camps during the Cold War. In other words, France at that time only earned the reputation of a "world power", but in reality, France's influence was being continuously weakened by the United States and the Soviet Union. For example, with the tacit "tacit" cooperation of the two emerging superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, France's colonial interests in the Middle East and Africa were continuously "eroded" by the United States and the Soviet Union. For example, the strategy of "leading the European continent" was crushed and shattered by the United States.

France has only one purpose in proposing the slogan and strategy of "Europe is a Europe for Europeans" and withdrawing from NATO military integration, which is to take advantage of the "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity that Germany is restricted because it was a defeated country in World War II. Become the true leader of the European continent. However, contrary to expectations, France's dream of being the "biggest" player in Europe was also shattered under the respective strategic needs of the United States and the Soviet Union. France wanted to become the "King of the European Continent", but the Soviet Union also had this intention. Therefore, the Soviet Union firmly controlled the geopolitics of Eastern Europe with the help of the Warsaw Group. The most important thing is that the United States established the Soviet Union as a "powerful enemy in Europe" and used NATO as a military organization to completely "kidnap" the Central and Western European countries. The French, who withdrew from NATO's integrated military command system, found themselves "very embarrassed": on the ground in Europe, the two major military groups of NATO and Warsaw were fighting fiercely, and France basically had nothing to do.

As the saying goes: Power comes from doing more. At that time, France was no more than a "cold bystander" in European affairs. Naturally, the right to speak is missing. Another reason for France's embarrassment is that it cannot abandon the West in terms of values, so it is impossible to have a real "consensus" with the Soviet camp. Therefore, France was at best an "awkward mediator" between East and West. However, the contradiction between the two camps is obviously not something that mediation can resolve. Therefore, France only "made a profit" during the Cold War.

After the end of the Cold War, France was "very embarrassed" when facing the West. The reason is that during the Cold War, the West "separated from the camp" and won. In other words, the "credit" does not belong to France, nor does Europe belong to France. As a result, the romantic French made another "magnificent turn". After Sarkozy came to power, France completely abandoned Gaullism and rejoined the NATO military integration organization in 2009. But something happened afterwards that exposed France's "utilitarianism". It also makes the United States both exploit and wary of France.

France returned to the NATO military integration organization in 2009, and in 2011 a major international incident occurred when NATO bombed Libya and overthrew the Gaddafi regime. The West has always been taboo about mentioning France's "role" in the NATO bombing of Libya. But many years later, due to opposition to Macron's plan to form a European army, NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg revealed in a mocking tone the "truth" about NATO's bombing of Libya and forcible intervention in the Libyan civil war.

According to Stoltenberg, it was not NATO that wanted to overthrow Gaddafi, but France and Sarkozy who really wanted to overthrow the Gaddafi regime. At that time, when NATO was still "indecisive," France took the lead in bombing Tripoli. In order to show its internal unity, NATO had to fight against Libya. Obviously, Stoltenberg was mocking France's lack of strength and also hinting at France's "utilitarian" behavior of "kidnapping" NATO. Since then, the United States has also begun to doubt France's motives for returning to NATO, and has implemented a strategy of vigilance and suppression against France. Based on this, France once again had the idea of ​​withdrawing from NATO.

Someone once commented on France that since Napoleon, especially after the Franco-Prussian War, the French's "arrogance" has "changed its flavor" and they are no longer a European leader capable of turning the tide. At every historical juncture, romanticism will transform into "utilitarianism." Of course, it is "independent" in name, but in reality it lacks responsibility. It is naturally difficult for France to become a real leader in Europe. This was true after World War I, this was true at the beginning of World War II, and it was true during the Cold War.

They always make themselves look powerful and arrogant, but no one wants to deal with them. They can set up some small circles in North Africa, and everyone can't see them, and that's all.

The awkwardness of the Gauls is not only reflected in international affairs, but also in daily life.

For example, the Gauls didn't like Americans very much, thinking they were rude and uneducated. But my body is very honest, and I always follow the United States consciously or unconsciously.

They say they dislike the United States, but they like American culture.

Very awkward.

As for French culture... To be honest, if you go to a French cinema now, the most popular ones will always be Hollywood movies. As for French local films... they have been completely neglected, except for literary and artistic films, that is, literary and artistic films.

France has subsidies for filming movies, and the subsidies are huge, so all those directors are spoiled, and they all make art films, thinking they are cool. Then they don’t know how to make commercial films at all. The few who can make commercial films can only develop in Hollywood.

Even so, a group of Chinese people are still advocating for the government to subsidize movies, especially art films... Fortunately, the government did not agree, otherwise Chinese movies would definitely be worse than they are now. A group of old men who lived in the 1960s and 1970s are still fantasizing about themselves! (I really hate the so-called fifth and sixth generations. Basically, none of them can tell a good story. They just want to show off and don’t make good movies. Even so, there are still a group of so-called filmmakers who are making commercial movies. They think that commercial movies are not good, and art movies are the real movies... But they just admire Hollywood, as if Hollywood’s commercial blockbusters are not commercial movies. To put it bluntly, these people are compradors. In their opinion, it is best for them to make art movies and the government to pay for them, and then all commercial movies belong to Americans. To be honest, it is not easy for Chinese movies to grow to this day under the "care" of these grandsons... But if you want to say how many people have contributed... There is no one. Fuck, if it weren’t for Hollywood itself, domestic movies would have died long ago!)

In short, this country as a whole is very awkward, from the people to the government.

Diana was not very prominent in France, but when she went to the United States... she became Wonder Woman.

Some French people feel very uncomfortable.

But another part of the French think that it is because France is better than the United States... Actually, this is nonsense. Other places in France may be better than the United States. But Paris... Let's put it this way. The city of Paris has never been peaceful since ancient times, especially after World War II, when a large number of immigrants poured in and the public security became worse. The more modern it is, the more so.

In short, the main point is self-deception.

But now, the problem is big. The French government really has no choice, so they can only ask for help... Of course, according to what they say, it is definitely not asking for help. Damn, Diana's passport clearly states that her nationality is French!

This is called conscription!

Of course, everyone knows the specific situation. But they won't say it. No matter how arrogant the French government is, it will not think that a character like Wonder Woman will obey the government's dispatch... After all, this passport... is fake from beginning to end!

Men have to wash their feet, and they feel comfortable after washing...