THE NEW REPUBLIC SAYS that it’s time to boot France from the Security Council:

In truth, France’s fantasies of grandeur–fantasies that are decades, if not centuries, out of date–would be laughable, except that they are taken seriously in Turtle Bay. And so the Bush administration must endlessly negotiate with a country whose Iraq policy is motivated by petro-dollars and anti-American resentment, particularly the anti-American (and anti-Western) resentment of its Muslim immigrant masses. Why not stop the charade and let France veto the Iraq resolution? The United States and its allies could, on their own, eliminate the unconventional weapons of that most unconventional tyrant, Saddam Hussein. And, as a side benefit, the United Nations would suffer a humiliation so profound that it might force some long-overdue reconsideration of the Security Council’s anachronistic composition. For international organizations to be relevant, privilege must follow power, and for them to be admirable, privilege must follow decency. Nothing would more dramatically further both goals than dethroning France.

Yep. As I said before, crossing the United States in matters like this should be expensive. Sadly, there’s every reason to think that Foggy Bottom is as behind the times in this matter as Turtle Bay.