President Bush’s vision is one of a world of democracies not at constant war. Jacques Chirac’s vision is one of a world in which the United States is kept in check and thwarted.

His speech in Istanbul called for the EU to accept Turkey as a member, as it would prove that a Moslem nation could join with non-Islamic nations and that the “clash of civilizations [is] a passing myth of history.”

Chirac told the President to shut up, “none of your beeswax.” He said that Bush “not only went too far but went into a domain which is not his own.”

He does not want the United States to exert its influence, even if it is working towards a world without recklessly spilled blood.