How good are McCain’s chances of winning on November 4th? It’s a question on the lips of many – and not only in the United States. French author and political scientist Nicolas Lecaussin makes a persuasive case – chock full of the latest economic and war statistics – to show that the chattering classes and “the Left” couldn’t be more wrong – and that between the two candidates, it is McCain that has the wind at his back.
“At the root of this inadequacy is a profound ignorance of the facts. Take the American economy, the object of mockery by the French left which has predicted its imminent collapse for more than 25 years. … The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 2.2 percent between 2001 and 2008, despite the attacks of September 11. Under President Bush, the economy expanded by about 19 percent (as a comparison, that of France has grown by only 14 percent over the same period).”
“The situation on the ground has changed significantly in recent months and there is a very good chance that America will win the war. Whether opponents of war like it or not, the facts are stubborn and the statistics cannot be appealed … since June 2007, terrorist attacks have dropped by 60 percent, losses in the ranks of Iraqi civilian are down 70 percent since July 2007, as are American military losses (down 72 percent over the same period). Sectarian violence has witnessed a drop of 90 percent in one year and there are only a quarter as many daily attacks against coalition forces. … The economy is nothing to sneeze at. Over 30,000 foreign companies have invested in Iraq over the last three years, inflation has fallen by 65 percent in 2007 to less than 5 percent in July 2008; and the Iraqi federal budget doubled in three years, reaching $41 billion thanks to oil production that has surpassed that before the war. The Chinese have understood these changes well: they just announced a $3 billion investment in Iraq.”
Quite a piece of work by Frenchman Nicolas Lecaussin.
By Nicolas Lecaussin*
Translated By Kate Davis
September 9, 2008
France – French – Original Article (French)
It has become a ritual. In each American election, analysts and much of the media rush to remind us that the poor state of the economy will play a fundamental role in the decision of voters. The famous phrase that was uttered by Bill Clinton has become a slogan, “It’s the economy, stupid!” – but it seems to have more of an effect on these Cassandras than on American voters. Because despite the excellent state of the economy during the Clinton years – the latter chose a Republican in 2000. And in 2004, they decided to triumphantly reelect the incumbent President – despite the “catastrophic situation” in which America found herself: in the midst of an economic crisis and mired in Iraq.[Editor’s Note: The God Apollo is said to have given Cassandra [daughter of the king of Troy] the gift of prophecy. But because Cassandra rejected Apollo’s romantic advances, he cursed her by making it so that no one ever believed her ].
At the root of this inadequacy is a profound ignorance of the facts. Take the American economy, the object of mockery by the French left which has predicted its imminent collapse for more than 25 years.
The latest figures show that in France, second quarter growth was 3.3 percent, and according to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , over the next year it could exceed 2 percent, which would be stronger than any of the G-7 member countries. We are therefore far from the previously announced recession and also very far from the grave crisis that U.S. Democrats are invoking to justify political and economic change.
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