ucbesvax.turner@ucbcad.UUCP (08/16/83)
#R:ubc-visi:-42600:ucbesvax:7500031:000:1234 ucbesvax!turner Aug 16 00:23:00 1983 Re: "weakness" of France under Mitterand The Economist, a London monthly, has a good bit on the subject, if anyone is interested. A recent issue (cover story "Destabilising Southern Africa") goes into some detail on the nationalization of a half-dozen major corporations, only one of which was turning a profit when the socialists came to power. Another was headed for outright bankruptcy. As for the "weakness" of the French brand of socialism, Mitterand is starting to look more like Mrs. Thatcher. He recently said in a radio interview that his only regret about the current austerity program is that he didn't embark on it much sooner--like, day one. Note also their recent involvement in Chad. This is ironic in that, last year, the French defense minister, Claude Cheysson, was photographed with a high Libyan military official, and offering "peace" and Phantoms to the Libyan government. It seems that their foreign policy is starting to turn around as well. And, of course, their nuclear reactor program proceeds apace. In this light, French "socialism" looks like a photographic negative of the U.S. D.S.A. platform, or (more to the point) that of the German Green party. Michael Turner ucbvax!ucbesvax.turner