France: Leader of the Free World

A great piece, from Philip Delves Broughton, at Newsweek: "The French are a decisive, manly superpower. Unlike America."

France, of course, is nowhere near being the leader of the free world. But with his intervention in Mali, French President François Hollande has made a tremendously important statement about the need for leadership in the fight against global jihad. On objective measures, France can't do the job alone, which is why the U.S. is sending drone contingents to North Africa. But the moral statement is uniquely powerful. And the intervention raises questions of a renewed "idea of France" as a powerhouse of international relations. Read the essay at the link. France probably can't afford a long deployment, but if it gets other countries to face up to facing down the terrorists with real material capabilities --- i.e., boots on the ground --- it'll be worth the costs.