>WP: France devises a baby boom – washingtonpost.com Highlights – MSNBC.com

People love to knock the French. We can’t have French Toast anymore; it’s called “Liberty Toast.” French fries? Nope – “Liberty Fries.” Why? Recall the events after 9/11 and how the French refused to support our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

History will be the final arbiter of their choice, but fives years later, their decision seems sound. The world of public opinion favors their response, not ours or the British. In recent articles in the Mail & Guardian, British commanders lament the focus of activities on Iraq. The imbalance of attention in Iraq has prevented sufficient resources from being available to assist with the rebuilding of Afghanistan. The complete failure of U.S. policy and administration in Iraq has prevented focused and sustainable development in Afghanistan. The Bush Administration hired James Baker, Bush Sr.’s secretary of state, to evaluate Iraq. Baker says Iraq is a “hellava mess.”

If the rumors are true, then Syria and Iran will be the new administrators of Iraq, according to several newspaper accounts. Aren’t these members of the Axis of Evil? Iran was one of the original members. Syria is member by proxy due to its support of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Let me get this straight: The Bush White House, apparently after the November elections, will negotiate with the Axis of Evil a plan to administer the new Iraq?

Where am I going with this?

We have immediate issues within our own borders. We have immediate need to address education, crime, and families. Our national government likes to use touchy-feely language like “points of light” and “no child left behind” but has no backbone to really support any of these measures. Would the world really be so worse off today if Saddam Hussein was still in power? Look at what France is doing to support each family. It sounds as if they are listening to what is going on with their people and doing something about it.

I offer that perhaps if we took care of ourselves at home, be more consistent in word and deed at the national level, the world would look upon us differently.