Give Pres. Macron credit.  In his speech, he praised America, covered our shared history, mentioned George Washington and Lafayette working together, said Voltaire and Benjamin Franklin hugged and shook hands, and reminded us that Alexis de Tocqueville inspired the French to want democracy while their nation was still embroiled in a struggle between monarchists and the bourgeois.  He even quoted Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt.  Especially poignant in the section of his speech about worldwide fear and anger was his quotation of F. Roosevelt: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

But a few themes made the news media to go all aflutter with how he apparently rebuked Trump's policies ("a rousing rebuke"), took "subtle swipes" at Trump, "resisted" Trump's America first – that is, nationalism – and "critiqued" Trump's policies.

Those brief sections of his speech may have registered disagreements, but at least Trump, knowing their differences, invited Macron to the White House anyway.  And give Paul Ryan credit to invite him into the hallowed chamber.

However, here is where Macron was misguided: reducing carbon emissions, as if slowing down industrial economies will make a huge impact.  Clever: "There is no planet B."  Next, he seems to believe that enlarging the Iran nuclear deal to include kicking Iran out of Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon can really be done.  What are the incentives for Iran to give back the $150 billion?  Why give up its influence? 

Meanwhile, French businesses and finances were knee-deep in Iran's economy soon after the deal was signed.  So says the Financial Tribune, the first Iranian-English-language economic daily.

Following the conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – the formal name of the nuclear deal Iran signed with world powers in July 2015 and implemented in January 2016, France has arguably been the most proactive countries in the European Union to resume business ties with Iran.

Soon after the nuclear deal, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani went to Paris. Afterwards, two foreign ministers, Laurent Fabius and Jean-Marc Ayrault, as well as ministers of economy, transport, foreign trade, agriculture and higher education, traveled to Tehran.

The biggest contract was signed by the oil giant Total: a more than 50% stake in an investment of about $4.8 billion for the development of an offshore gas field in the Persian Gulf.

The French company has agreed to collaborate with China National Petroleum Corp and Iran's state-owned firm Petropars to produce 2 billion cubic feet, or 56 million cubic meters per day of natural gas from Phase 11 of the gas field, which is shared by Iran and Qatar.

If Macron can really re-negotiate with Iran and his words are not mere rhetoric to placate the American administration, then he will be a magician. 

I like Macron, and his call to multilateralism in the region was right on.  His praise of French and American soldiers was perfectly appropriate.  But when the honeymoon trip ends, expect no substantive change.

James Arlandson's website is Live as Free People, where he has posted Evolution = Intelligent Design = God's Design and Adam and Eve-olution: Five Options.

Image: Kremlin.ru via Wikimedia Commons.