People are correcting an article The Guardian released on 23 April. Because in it, the outlet gives a fawning account of French president Emmanuel Macron and his apparent drive for more war in Syria.
Many people, however, appear not to share The Guardian‘s admiration. And as Macron’s recent comments to Fox News show, people are right to be pushing back against any glorifying of his dangerous views.
Progressive?
The French president is currently on a state visit to the US. So The Guardian published an editorial on “Macron in Washington”. In the article, it described Macron as:
a modernising charmer from the progressive wing of politics
Many Guardian readers, however, disagreed with this description. As one commentator said:
You’re going to need to back that up with examples I’m afraid. The evidence suggests he’s a slimy neoliberal warmonger.
But The Guardian doesn’t appear to be concerned by the fact that some view Macron as a “warmonger”. In fact, in the article it openly wishes for Macron to “shift” Donald Trump’s stance on a number of issues. And one of them concerns Macron’s push for more war.
We’re staying
Trump supposedly wants the US to withdraw American forces from Syria. Macron, however, appears to prefer Western powers continuing their military action there. In its article, The Guardian notes Macron’s efforts to persuade Trump “to keep the US engaged in Syria”. And it claims that, if Macron is successful in achieving this (and the other things it mentions), then:
the rest of Europe would owe a debt to the French leader.
So according to the outlet, keeping the US in Syria is a good thing. Because it claims Europeans will “owe a debt” to Macron if he manages to persuade Trump to do so.
Meanwhile, it seems Macron doesn’t think Western powers should leave Syria after the fighting’s over either. In an interview with Fox News ahead of his US trip, Macron spoke about what should happen in Syria after the numerous military actors there defeat Daesh (Isis/Isil):
.@EmmanuelMacron discusses the role of the U.S. and allies in Syria: pic.twitter.com/nMnloASJUL
— Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) April 22, 2018
He said:
We will have to build the new Syria.
Macron asserts that “the US, France – our allies”, along with “all the countries of the region, even Russia and Turkey”, must help create the “new Syria”. Because Macron claims that, otherwise, Iran, president Assad and their supporters will start a “new war” and “fuel the new terrorists”.
The French president stated his imperialist intentions without the least bit of irony, despite France and its “allies” being responsible for the majority of wars and fuelling huge amounts of terrorism over the last few decades.
Modernising?
After a seven-year-long brutal civil war, understanding what’s best for the Syrian people going forward isn’t easy. But it is fairly clear what’s not good for them, based on past experience.
Western countries dictating what Syria should and will be is one of them. Western countries bombing the country in order to bring ‘democracy’ to it is another. Macron’s ‘ally’ in Washington is also reportedly considering sending in a Saudi-led ‘Arab force’ to Syria to combat the extremism there that it helped fund and to limit Iran’s influence. This is probably one of the worst proposals of all.
Clearly, Macron and his allies don’t have the answer to Syria’s problems. In fact, the French president is offering the same old dangerous interventionist solutions to the country’s troubles.
So The Guardian‘s attempt to brand him as a ‘modernising’ saviour isn’t fooling anyone.
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Featured image via Michael Brunton-Spall/Flickr
