DOCSLIB.ORG

Download Economic Battle Plan

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Download Economic Battle Plan how the CCP made the world sick 3.93 CLEARED FOR RELEASE 06/25/2020 [Economic Battle PlanTM points: 87) Background Briefing –How China’s Communist Party Made the World Sick! COVID-19 has become the ultimate economic weapon. Just look at the unemployment rates, the trillions of dollars of spending, and the shutting down of nations around the world. COVID-19 has created one of the biggest economic disasters in the history of the world. As we state, what we see as the marketplace our enemies view as a battlespace™, continues to play out clearly with COVID-19 and the economic war the Communist Chinese Party is now waging across the world. While the CCP virus may not have initially been intentional, China was purposeful in their decision to make sure they were not the only ones that felt the pain. They continue hiding information that could help the world solve this pandemic. This is not the ideology one would expect from a so-called economic partner. Now, as we start to revive our economy there is talk of a second wave and even extended waves of COVID-19. While the verdict is still out on the long-term effects and trendlines, Economic War Room has conducted multiple live stream episodes on COVID and the steps we need to take to save our economy while protecting those in high-risk categories. For your briefing this week, we invited Bill Gertz into the Economic War Room to share his investigative research on what we should know about COVID- 19’s origins and China’s corruption of the World Health Organization. “There was a 30-day period of time at the beginning of December through December 31st, 2019 that shook the world because the Chinese covered up, lied and deceived the world about the virus. They did this first to their own people an it was only through the efforts of some courageous Chinese doctors in Wuhan, China, who managed to circumvent this near totalitarian control on information within China. They were able to get word out first to the Chinese people and ultimately to the world that we’re facing a horrific global pandemic because of a virus. That virus most likely originated from one of two laboratories in Wuhan.” –Bill Gertz page 1 how the CCP made the world sick 3.93 CLEARED FOR RELEASE 06/25/2020 [Economic Battle PlanTM points: 87) Your Mission: To recognize that COVID-19 is more than a Pandemic, it is now a tool being leveraged by China as part of their strategy to ensure their Global Economic Dominance. Also, to understand that the WHO has now been corrupted by China’s Communist Party. “They (China) have an obsession with viruses, including these corona viruses, which come from bats. So for scientists in both the Chinese and inside US government to say that we don’t have any evidence that this came from a laboratory is just nonsense. There’s strong circumstantial evidence. Again, the Chinese have covered up and lied and deceived about it. And it’s really important, I think, that the international community start to put pressure on China to tell what it knows about this disease.” –Bill Gertz Ep. 3-93 (OSINT) Open Sourced Intelligence Briefing. This includes quotes and summaries of conversations in the Economic War Room with Kevin Freeman featuring Bill Gertz. Bill is an investigative reporter that really knows and understands the Pentagon. He is the author of China Threat, Deceiving the Sky and his newest booklet, How China’s Communist Party Made the World Sick. Bill Gertz is a friend of the military, intelligence agencies, and the Economic War Room. He was among the first to break the story of Kevin Freeman’s research into Economic Warfare waged against the United States. 1. Did the World Health Organization and China collude together? – German Intelligence Community says YES. “The World Health Organization issued a statement denying the German report. But I can tell you from my research and in my latest booklet that it’s true the World Health Organization was totally corrupted by the People’s Republic of China.” –Bill Gertz page 2 how the CCP made the world sick 3.93 CLEARED FOR RELEASE 06/25/2020 [Economic Battle PlanTM points: 87) The Status of China and WHO communications in the beginning of the pandemic. (From Bill Gertz) » Starting in 2003, China maneuvered and paid people to go infiltrate the World Health Organization so that it became a Chinese controlled organization. » The corruption of the World Health Organization can be seen in a January 12th statement by the WHO, that stated, “There was no human to human transmission of the virus.” At that point, it had been almost a month and a half that Chinese researchers knew that this was a dangerous, easily spread virus between people. » In addition, the World Health Organization following China’s dictate, told the world not to curtail travel. 4 million people left Wuhan with many of them carrying the virus. They were sending infectious time bombs around the world. 2. China sent infected people around the world - What we know China did and what we still have questions around. China has established a disinformation campaign saying the US started this, but it is important to look at what they do vs. what they say. » China sent infected people around the world. At the same time, the Chinese government cut down all travel from Wuhan to Beijing. Note: They did not cut off travel to other parts of China or to the rest of the world. » Through Gertz’s research, he is convinced this was done deliberately and that the Chinese Communist Party leadership don’t really care about the Chinese people. They’re only concerned about advancing their own interests and power. page 3 how the CCP made the world sick 3.93 CLEARED FOR RELEASE 06/25/2020 [Economic Battle PlanTM points: 87) “I think they made a calculation that China would not be the only one infected by this disease when they allowed travel from Wuhan around the world. I’m told reliably by U.S. officials that Wuhan was a center for Chinese international workers and many of them were coming home and going out of the country during that Lunar New Year period. Most of them went to Europe and then from Europe, they spread to the United States. The West Coast first case was in Washington state.” –Bill Gertz » “Making it worse, China refused to provide virus samples. Now, the experts I talked to say that you really need to study to get the real understanding of the virus from the original samples.” » If China cared and cooperated this could have been controlled. “If they hadn’t lied to the World Health Organization, I think we could have stopped the virus very early in the outbreak.” –Bill Gertz » China initially agreed in the Wuhan Institute of Virology to give samples to the U.S. and then reneged on it. So we never got original samples from China and we need those to really understand the origin of the virus. What really happened? “The short answer is we don’t know because China has refused to provide information. I believe the idea that it was naturally occurring and came from a wet market is a cover story to cover up some type of laboratory accident. Now, the scientists who have examined the genome say that it does not appear to have been manipulated in the laboratory. That said, there have been numerous studies, including by a woman named Shi Zhengli, who is considered the bat woman of Wuhan. In her study, she talked about how China had taken a coronavirus and manipulated it so that it would more easily infect humans. This was done for research to try and find a vaccine. Furthermore, Doctor Shi said that, in fact, a page 4 how the CCP made the world sick 3.93 CLEARED FOR RELEASE 06/25/2020 [Economic Battle PlanTM points: 87) pandemic would likely come from China in the future. And she was absolutely on target. Now she’s been completely silenced.” –Bill Gertz 3. China’s Communist Party Made the World Sick and What We Should Do About It Bill Gertz provides his action plan for America. » We need to have an international investigation that is not corrupted by the World Health Organization or China. The last investigation that was done by both China and WHO concluded that we don’t know the origin of the virus. China is claiming that it’s a subject for scientists to study, but yet refuses to tell what they know or provide access for a proper investigation. » We need to change our policy of engagement with China. It’s clear that our supply lines were compromised early on in March. The Chinese government knew the intense reliance of the US supply chain on pharmaceutical precursors as well as actual items. » We need to be able to punish any U.S. company that’s reliant on China for that supply chain and other critical supply chains. Rosemary Gibson confirmed in our previous briefing: “Recently, China threatened to withhold medicines from the American people and that’s a threat to kill us. We now having very credible reports that China is telling its companies not to send medicines to the US. This is a national security issue and finally Executive orders are being worked on to bring our pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the U.S.” » We need to cut off training for Chinese technicians and managers, the people that are running the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Wuhan Centers for Disease Control were trained in the United States and in Europe.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The People's Liberation Army in the Land of Elusive Sheen
    No. 38 SEPTEMBER 2001 The People’s Liberation Army in the Land of Elusive Sheen Edward B. Atkeson The People’s Liberation Army in the Land of Elusive Sheen by Edward B. Atkeson The Land Warfare Papers No. 38 September 2001 A National Security Affairs Paper Published on Occasion by The Institute of Land Warfare ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AN AUSA INSTITUTE OF LAND WARFARE PAPER The purpose of the Institute of Land Warfare is to extend the educational work of AUSA by sponsoring scholarly publications, to include books, monographs and essays on key defense issues, as well as workshops and symposia. A work selected for publication as a Land Warfare Paper represents research by the author which, in the opinion of the editorial board, will contribute to a better understanding of a particular defense or national security issue. Publication as an Institute of Land Warfare Paper does not indicate that the Association of the United States Army agrees with everything in the paper, but does suggest that the Association believes the paper will stimulate the thinking of AUSA members and others concerned about important defense issues. LAND WARFARE PAPER NO. 38, SEPTEMBER 2001 The People’s Liberation Army in the Land of Elusive Sheen by Edward B. Atkeson Major General Edward B. Atkeson, USA Ret., is a senior fellow with AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare and a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. During his military service he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, U.S. Army Europe, and was later a member of the National Intelligence Council under the Director of Central Intelligence.
    [Show full text]
  • Chinese Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Background and Analysis
    Order Code 96-767 F CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Chinese Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Background and Analysis September 13, 1996 (name redacted) Analyst in Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress Chinese Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Background and Analysis Summary To assist congressional deliberations, this report sets forth the background on and analysis of Chinese technology transfers suspected of contributing to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. For a discussion of policy options and approaches, see the related Issue Brief 92056, Chinese Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Current Policy Issues. The issue of Chinese proliferation involves three aspects: China’s support for nonproliferation efforts, China’s transfers that promote proliferation, and vertical proliferation (modernization of China’s WMD and missile programs). Since 1992, China has responded to U.S. and other pressures to participate in some parts of international nonproliferation regimes. China promised to abide by the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which is not a treaty, but a set of guidelines. China also acceded to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and signed the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). However, it is not a member of the MTCR, Zangger Committee, Nuclear Suppliers Group, Australia Group, or the Wassenaar Arrangement. The pressures to join nonproliferation efforts that China faced in the early 1990s have weakened, while its commitment to nonproliferation is unclear. Chinese missile-related transfers have not violated any international treaties, since the MTCR is not a treaty, but have violated Chinese pledges and U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • The Art of the Deal for North Korea: the Unexplored Parallel Between Bush and Trump Foreign Policy*
    International Journal of Korean Unification Studies Vol. 26, No. 1, 2017, 53–86. The Art of the Deal for North Korea: The Unexplored Parallel between Bush and Trump Foreign Policy* Soohoon Lee ‘Make America Great Again,’ has been revived while ‘America First’ and ‘peace through strength,’ have been revitalized by the Trump admin­­­ istration. Americans and the rest of the world were shocked by the dramatic transformation in U.S. foreign policy. In the midst of striking changes, this research analyzes the first hundred days of the Trump administration’s foreign policy and aims to forecast its prospects for North Korea. In doing so, the George W. Bush administration’s foreign policy creeds, ‘American exceptionalism’ and ‘peace through strength,’ are revisited and compared with that of Trump’s. Beyond the similarities and differences found between the two administrations, the major finding of the analysis is that Trump’s profit­oriented nature, through which he operated the Trump Organization for nearly a half century, has indeed influenced the interest- oriented nature in his operating of U.S. foreign policy. The prospects for Trump’s policies on North Korea will be examined through a business­ sensitive lens. Keywords: Donald Trump, U.S Foreign Policy, North Korea, America First, Peace through Strength Introduction “We are so proud of our military. It was another successful event… If you look at what’s happened over the eight weeks and compare that to what’s happened over the last eight years, you'll see there’s a tremen­ * This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government (NRF­2016S1A3A2924968).
    [Show full text]
  • The Strange Rebirth of Missile Defense
    The Strange Rebirth of Missile Defense: Why Republicans Resurrected Reagan’s Dream Paul Musgrave Introduction National missile defense, even in its stripped-down, post-Reagan version, died in 1993. The Clinton administration killed it; shifting funding from research on “Star Wars”-like projects to missile defense systems like the Patriot. Instead of building a shield that would protect all of America, the United States would henceforth try to construct only limited defenses that could protect troops deployed in a future battleground. Yet ten years later, the George W. Bush administration has broken ground on new testing sites for a planned national missile defense, and billions of dollars annually are flowing into research and construction of a nationwide missile shield. The Bush administration could claim, were it so inclined, that it was merely following its predecessors; the basic parts of the Bush system are the same as those President Clinton proposed to use in his national missile defense. Why did U.S. policy toward missile defenses shift so dramatically? How did National Missile Defense survive its apparent death in 1993? These questions are important. National missile defense, in all of its guises and architectures, is among the most complex technical challenges humans have ever attempted to solve. It is also among the most costly, with some estimates placing the total cost of a missile defense system at nearly a trillion dollars. Understanding the sources of NMD’s resurrection is critical to a deeper comprehension of American security policy in the early years of the twenty-first century. The rebirth of missile defense came from two sources.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Economic Battle Plan
    Bill Gertz - Deceiving the Sky 2.60 [Economic Battle PlanTM points: 75) Background Briefing: Bill Gertz joins the Economic War Room to discuss our intelligence failures with China through 20 years of in-depth investigative reporting. Topics covered include China’s real world view, the mistakes we made integrating our economy with China, and the solutions going forward. It is time for all of America to wake up to the reality of what is happening. Historically, our intelligence analysts have been aligned with the Chinese. Now, that may be changing! ”In the 1990’s, I was with the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. And what he was saying was that China was not a threat. And my response was, “Why do you think that?” And his answer, to paraphrase it, was “Because the Chinese told us.” And I was totally shocked. But it became very clear to me within a very few years when a major spy was uncovered inside the Defense Intelligence Agency. His name was Ron Montaperto. He was a Defense Intelligence Agency analyst. And he was eventually convicted of passing classified information to Chinese and military intelligence at the Chinese embassy in Washington.” – Bill Gertz Best Selling Author, National Security Insider and Investigative Reporter Our intelligence community, our policy community, and our academic community has all been kind of infiltrated with these pro-China analysts. In some cases they were even infiltrated with Chinese spies. Your Mission: To understand the China threat and help enforce political change in DC that protects America’s national security. page 1 Bill Gertz - Deceiving the Sky 2.60 [Economic Battle PlanTM points: 75) FUN FACT: Former Defense secretary Rumsfeld said that Bill Gertz got information in the Pentagon faster than he did as Defense Secretary.
    [Show full text]
  • Space and Defense Issue
    33SPAC E and DEFENSE Volume Eleven Number One Spring 2019 China’s Military Space Strategy Sam Rouleau Volume Five Number One Communicating Cyber Consequences Sum Timothy Goines mer 2011 Why Brazil Ventured a Nuclear Program Saint-Clair Lima da Silva Arms Control & Deterrence Coalitions in Space:Damon Coletta Where Networks are CadetPower Voice—Curious Trinity: War, Media, Public Opinion byLaura James Olson Clay Moltz The 2010 National Space Policy: Down to Earth? by Joan Johnson-Freese Space & Defense Journal of the United States Air Force Academy Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies Publisher Col. Kris Bauman, [email protected] Director, Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies Editors Dr. Damon Coletta Dr. Michelle Black U.S. Air Force Academy, USA University of Nebraska, Omaha Associate Editors Mr. Deron Jackson Dr. Peter Hays U.S. Air Force Academy, USA George Washington University, USA Dr. Schuyler Foerster Ms. Jonty Kasku-Jackson U.S. Air Force Academy, USA National Security Space Institute, USA Thank You to Our Reviewers Andrew Aldrin Christopher Dunlap United Launch Alliance, USA Naval Postgraduate School, USA James Armor Paul Eckart ATK, USA Boeing, USA William Barry Andrew Erickson NASA Headquarters, USA Naval War College, USA Daniel Blinder Joanne Gabrynowicz UNSAM-CONICET, Argentina University of Mississippi, USA Robert Callahan Jason Healey NORAD-NORTHCOM, USA Atlantic Council, USA James Cameron Stephen Herzog Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Brazil Yale University, USA Robert Carriedo Theresa Hitchens U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S
    China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress Ronald O'Rourke Specialist in Naval Affairs December 10, 2012 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33153 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress China Naval Modernization Summary The question of how the United States should respond to China’s military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort, has emerged as a key issue in U.S. defense planning. The question is of particular importance to the U.S. Navy, because many U.S. military programs for countering improved Chinese military forces would fall within the Navy’s budget. Two DOD strategy and budget documents released in January 2012 state that U.S. military strategy will place a renewed emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region, and that as a result, there will be a renewed emphasis on air and naval forces in DOD plans. Administration officials have stated that notwithstanding reductions in planned levels of U.S. defense spending, the U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region will be maintained and strengthened. Decisions that Congress and the executive branch make regarding U.S. Navy programs for countering improved Chinese maritime military capabilities could affect the likelihood or possible outcome of a potential U.S.-Chinese military conflict in the Pacific over Taiwan or some other issue. Some observers consider such a conflict to be very unlikely, in part because of significant U.S.-Chinese economic linkages and the tremendous damage that such a conflict could cause on both sides.
    [Show full text]
  • Background Briefing
    Battlefield update - BIg wins 05.20 CLEARED FOR RELEASE 05/19/2020 [Economic Battle PlanTM points: 100) Background Briefing We often talk about the challenges we face. Take Heart! We are making progress in some very critical areas. We built the Economic War Room® to be your War Room and equip you to take on critical issues that threaten America’s national security and economic liberty. While Kevin and his team have been battling some of these topics for years, we recognized that awareness and the rallying support of the American public is what is critical to making a difference and creating change. Many of you have stood up, contacted your representatives and taken time to be educated on critical topics that impact your money, your way of life and your livelihood. Thanks to your support your briefing today will review four key areas where significant progress has been made: 1. Chinese economic warfare has been exposed. 2. The deep state rats in the Intelligence Community (IC) have been outed. 3. President Trump is addressing the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). 4. A new grid protection Executive Order. Your Mission: To understand the areas where we are making progress and to be encouraged to press forward to victory. page 1 Battlefield update - BIg wins 05.20 CLEARED FOR RELEASE 05/19/2020 [Economic Battle PlanTM points: 100) BATTLEFIELD UPDATE: 05.20 (OSINT) Open Sourced Intelligence Briefing: This includes quotes, excerpts and links from an Economic War Room® Special Report with Kevin Freeman. Here are our four areas of significant progress we have made in the Economic War Room® with your support: I.
    [Show full text]
  • Declaration of William Gertz Is Hereby Submitted To
    Case 8:05-cr-00293-CJC Document 764 Filed 07/22/2008 Page 1 of 2 1 Siobhan A. Cullen (Bar No. 179838V DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP 2 333 South Grand Avenue, Suite 1700 Los Angeles, CA 90071-1504 3 Telephone: (213) 253-2300 Facsimile: (213)253-2301 4 Allen V. Farber (Counsel Pro Hac Vice) 5 Charles S. Leeper (Counsel Pro Hac Vice) DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP 6 1500 K Street, N.W., Suite 1100 Washington, D.C. 20005-1209 7 Telephone: (202) 842-8800 Facsimile: (202)842-8465 8 Attorneys for Non-Party Witness 9 WILLIAM GERTZ 10 11 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 12 CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 13 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Case No. SACR05-293-CJC 14 Plaintiff, RESPONSE OF WILLIAM GERTZ 15 TO JULY 14,2008 ORDER vs. 16 CHI MAK, et al., 17 Defendants. 18 19 20 21 The accompanying Declaration of William Gertz is hereby submitted to 22 provide information responsive to the July 14, 2008 Minute Order, in which the 23 Court identified two of the topics it expects will be addressed at the July 24 hearing. 24 The Gertz Declaration is being provided at this time so that the Court may have an 25 opportunity to consider this evidence in advance of the hearing. Mr. Gertz will, of 26 27 28 LAW OFFICES DRINKER DIDDLE & LAI\297464\1 RESPONSE OF WILLIAM GERTZ TO REATII LLP Los Angeles JULY 14, 2008 ORDER Case 8:05-cr-00293-CJC Document 764 Filed 07/22/2008 Page 2 of 2 1 course, be in attendance at the hearing and available to confirm this information.
    [Show full text]
  • Spying on Friends?: the Franklin Case, AIPAC, and Israel
    International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, 19: 600–621, 2006 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0885-0607 print=1521-0561 online DOI: 10.1080/08850600600829809 STE´ PHANE LEFEBVRE Spying on Friends?: The Franklin Case, AIPAC, and Israel On 4 August 2005, U.S. Department of Defense official Lawrence Franklin and former American–Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC) staffers Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman were indicted on one or several of the following counts: conspiracy to communicate national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it; communication of national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it; and conspiracy to communicate classified information to agents of a foreign government, publicly identified as Israel. Franklin pleaded guilty and cooperated with the authorities, and was subsequently sentenced to a 12-year prison term. As of this writing, Rosen’s and Weissman’s trial was scheduled to start in August 2006. When the story of an investigation into Franklin’s communication of classified information to Rosen and Weissman surfaced, the immediate widely held assumption was that Israel was the ultimate beneficiary. This belief was reinforced with the disclosure that the compromised classified information was related to issues of immediate interest to the Jewish state, including Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the situation in Iraq. But doubts were expressed, to the effect that the cozy relationship between Israel and the United States would hardly necessitate such an intelligence-gathering operation on U.S. soil. Nevertheless, the question of Israel’s precise role in the affair remains unanswered, but for the exception that Franklin told the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • The Evolving Israel-China Relationship
    The Evolving Israel- China Relationship Shira Efron, Howard J. Shatz, Arthur Chan, Emily Haskel, Lyle J. Morris, Andrew Scobell C O R P O R A T I O N For more information on this publication, visit www.rand.org/t/RR2641 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available for this publication. ISBN: 978-1-9774-0233-2 Published by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif. © Copyright 2019 RAND Corporation R® is a registered trademark. Cover: Photo by esfera via Shutterstock. Limited Print and Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute www.rand.org Preface Since the early 2000s, relations between China and Israel have expanded rapidly in numerous areas, including diplomacy, trade, investment, construction, educational partnerships, scientific coopera- tion, and tourism.
    [Show full text]
  • AMERICAN FRANCOPHOBIA TAKES a NEW TURN Justin Vaïsse
    03-Vaïsse 6/14/03 4:37 PM Page 17 AMERICAN FRANCOPHOBIA TAKES A NEW TURN Justin Vaïsse Center on the United States and France, Brookings Institution At the dawn of the 21st century, something new may be happening in the heartland of America: the spread of a negative image of France.1 Traditionally, a mostly positive image of France linked to its reputation for good food, high fashion, and sophisticated tourism, coexisted with a somewhat negative image in some elite circles. But the most important factor was definitely a lack of knowledge and the fact that above all, indifference reigned supreme. (See Body-Gendrot in this issue.) “Francophobia” (not a very satisfactory term2) does not constitute rational criticism of France. It expresses a systematic bias against this country, the way anti-Americanism does against the United States. It is based on a set of stereo- types, prejudices, insults, and ready-made judgments. Moreover, like anti- Americanism it deliberately conflates what a country is and what it does. Negative stereotypes about personal characteristics of the French, (for exam- ple, they are lazy, immoral, or arrogant) are combined with stereotypes about French society (elitist, unwilling to modernize, or anti-American) and stereo- types about French foreign policy (allegedly based on purely commercial inter- ests or nostalgia for past glory) to produce a complete, if sometimes self-contradictory, discourse of disparagement, what Jean-Philippe Mathy calls in this issue a “system of Francophobia,” a web of loosely related clichés that can be mobilized at will—especially, of course, when a diplomatic crisis erupts.
    [Show full text]