Axis of weasels
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The phrase axis of weasels is a Republican derogatory term for certain European nations that did not support the United States, the United Kingdom and their allies in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, specifically France, Germany, Russia and Belgium.[1] [2] [3] It is controversial, particularly in those countries that feel maligned by it.
The phrase is derived primarily from France's actions during United Nations debate on the threatened U.S. invasion of Iraq. In American slang, a weasel is a person who acts duplicitously or hypocritically. France promised to consider a new U.N. resolution against Iraq, then worked behind the scenes to prevent its passage, even threatening to veto the resolution if it were voted upon. Belgium and Germany joined with France and thus were included in the group.
The term is a conscious pun made on President George W. Bush's term "axis of evil", which he used in the 2002 State of the Union address to decry Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. "Axis of evil", which was coined partly by Bush speechwriter David Frum, has now become a contemporary meme and is used in a wide variety of contexts. The word "axis" itself comes from the World War II term "axis powers", which were Germany, Italy, and Imperial Japan.
The phrase originated in a satirical item titled "Rumsfeld Sorry for 'Axis of Weasels' Remark"[4] written by Scott Ott for ScrappleFace, his satirical blog, on January 22, 2003. Two days later, the New York Post used it in the main headline: AXIS OF WEASEL - GERMANY AND FRANCE WIMP OUT ON IRAQ. Ott's satirical item was spread widely via email, misleading some readers into believing that US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had really referred to France and Germany as an "Axis of Weasels."[5] Ott later used the phrase as the title for a book (ISBN 0-9761414-0-X).
The French media translated the phrase as "axe de faux jetons" (literally, an "axis of fake gambling chips", though its figurative meaning is "axis of devious characters").[6]
