Is France 'withering on the vine'?

In this Frontpage Mag Syposium on the The Death of France most of the discussion - which is full of good points - revolves around the quickening Islamification of France and France's current world view. A good read but I want to know when France forgot Pepin.

Tours, 742

France now is so enthralled with getting praise - and contracts - from Muslim world that I am certain the Franks that died defending France and all of western culture against the invading Muslim armies are turning in their graves. How France has fallen, from the Defender of Christendom against the Armies of Mohammed into the Ax of Islam that is trying to split the West into pieces I wish I fully understood.

They had it easy in WWII.

Victor David Hansen worries that the recent fight in Iraq was over so fast, with so little 'collateral damage' that the Iraqis will not act as they should, as a conquered people, because they won't realize that they've lost. While this French soup we have today has been a long time in making I feel most of their troubles stem from never feeling they lost WWII. Most of the damage in France was caused by British and American planes and tanks trying to free them from the Germans. Everyone thought France a world power when the lights went out in 1940 and the French still believed they where a player in 1945. De Gaulle leading them in their delusions of power. Getting The Bomb and joining in the Nuclear Club. Their permanent seat on the UN Security Council. All reinforcing their view that they matter.

The Napolionic Dream.

After WWII when the Brits realized that Rule Britannia was at an end they mourned the loss, accepted it and moved on. They ruled the world for a solid 200 years and where ready to let go. France has never ruled. They came close. Fighting it out with the Brits but the loss of the French Indian war to their nemesis England chaffed and knocked them into "also ran". They have spent the last 250 years trying to get back on top. They still want it. They thought they might have found a backdoor with the French culture and French language. 100 years ago, 50 years ago even as recently as 25 years ago if you wanted to be in world diplomacy, international business, etc. the language to speak was French. Ah! But in one blink of the eye French became nothing more than another European tongue, no more important than Italian or German. The language that supplemented theirs on the world stage? English.

It was their turn.

Why the anti-American hate coming from France? Didn't they help us against the British? Didn't we help them twice with the Germans? Don't we like French food? Don't they like Jerry Lewis? Why the sudden hate? What, one too many Texas loud mouths on holiday in Paris saying, "Hiyou!" at the top their lungs make them all snap? I think not. I say we aren't experiencing any anti-Americanism but rather anti-english sentiments. The French spent two centuries waiting to the sun to set on the British Empire with the belief that they would take over. Instead the Americans stole in and took the day. So we have simply replaced the British as "Those English speaking dogs we must defeat in order to rule the world" in their minds. Their courting of questionable leaders (re: Muslim despots) to gain support and a bit of wealth, their knee jerk opposition to almost everything America says or does. It's just like when they where vying with the Brits 200 years ago.

We Americans are a reluctant Imperium while the French salivate at the thought of power, however I fear they are blazing a trail to their own destruction.