Shark and Gull - The World Struggle Between France and the United States (Babette Humanities Press)

Author: De Villiers
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Shark and Seagull is a new book written by the former French Foreign Minister and current Interior Minister, De Villiers. In this book, De Villiers discusses the ideological and historical foundations for France's future actions and dedicates considerable space to analyzing the Iraq crisis. Using the metaphors of "shark" and "seagull," De Villiers attempts to find a middle ground between opposing forces. Beyond exploring topics such as power and law, national identity and globalization, and human rights and the economy, the book also devotes 70 pages specifically to the Iraq crisis.
De Villiers believes that in a world where many countries (not just France) reject the high-pressure policies of the superpower—America—the Iraq crisis reflects the complex relationships between nations. In this book, De Villiers uses the metaphors of "shark" and "seagull" to explain the differences between American and French political thinking. He argues that American thinking is based on Darwin's theory of biological evolution, advocating violence and hegemonic logic—the "shark" spirit. In contrast, France takes the opposite approach, promoting the "world spirit" and advocating for global stability, which is the "seagull" thinking De Villiers advocates. These two ways of thinking are bound to clash in the real world—whose thinking will ultimately dominate the world?
In the end, the author declares: "The first globalization of the Renaissance was led by Spain; the second globalization triggered by the Industrial Revolution was led by the Anglo-Saxon nations. Can we not bet that the third globalization, which is centered on identity, culture, and symbols, will once again ignite France's ambition?" Clearly, De Villiers holds high expectations for France (or Europe) to lead the world's future trends and has set a direction for France's future foreign policy. The lever in our hands can lift the heaviest burdens and break down the walls of belief. We are at a critical juncture, where authoritarianism and tolerance, the sky and the sea, the shark and the seagull, all show the faint possibility of reconciliation. This...