I Couldn't Resist Posting This, Apologies to those of French ancestry

I know this may irritate the Froggy-philes among us but I couldn't resist!!


"... going to war without France is like going deer hunting without an accordion. You just leave a lot of useless noisy baggage behind."
--Jed Babbin, former deputy undersecretary of defense in the first Bush administration



For even more "Frenchisms" see this webpage: http://www.chuckstraub.com/frenchisms.htm

This post has been edited by MacEoghainn on 22-May-2005, 03:44 PM

Even though I think the war in Iraq is wrong, I do think France should've been on our side.

The last time they wanted more proof, they got it when Panzers were rolling down the Champs-Elysses.

FOR SALE: USED FRENCH RIFLES, NEVER FIRED, DROPPED ONCE....CHEAP

Rhone Dragungnan cemetery France: 1155 American soldiers buried

Lorraine Cemetery France: 10,933 Americans buried

Meuse-Argonne cemetery France: 15,200 Americans buried

St. Mihiel cemetery France: 437 Americans buried

Surenes cemetery France: 998 Americans buried

Normandy cemetery France: 10,94 Americans buried

WHO NEEDS FRANCE!!!

Politic is one thing, humour is another, but I can't accept racism.

???

OK, where is any racism? There is no discussion of race here. Racism - another of those "buzz words" that gets thrown about with no regard as to what they really mean.

The French were a strong military force up to the 1800's After then their national strength has diminished (for whatever reason).

In WW2 Germany knocked on their door, and the Vichy government was established ("You can take whatever you want, just don't shoot me!").

Many American lives were lost trying to free France from the German occupation.

These are facts, not any "belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities".

Brother Fiddler's numbers are factual as well.

Today France has one of the fastest growing Muslim population. France is in serious danger of losing its historical heritage (which is/was very rich) and becomming the first Eurabian country, at which point they will either struggle to regain what it once was, or "go Vichy" once again and surrender itself to its occupiers. Either way I hope the US doesn't lose any more of our citizens in their defense.

I did not mean to sound racist in my posts. If I did I apologize. I also did not try to interject any humor as there is nothing funny about the american lives lost saving a nation of thankless cowards. The only thing my father had after his oldest son was killed in france was part of a dog tag. If there is something racist or funny about that I am also sorry.

Come on, guys, I think you're being rough on Celtica! She has been a member here for a long time and is a personal friend of mine. You are doing the same thing to her that we accuse the rest of the world of doing to us... Judging an entire country by the actions of one part of its people. I don't know what Celtica's thoughts on the war are and personally it is irrelevant. I judge her by her OWN actions, and she is one of the nicest people I have ever met on CR. I am proud to call her my friend, French or not.

Lighten up, okay?

Just as every society is made up of all kinds of people the french are no different. I am not singling out one individual. Nor should everyone be held accountable for the actions of their government...Or maybe they should! After all, consider all the great people living in the US even when Clinton was president!

Celtica, I would like to personally apologize for any hard feelings you may have as a result of what has been said here. This war has caused a lot of tensions between lots of countries, but I see no need to let those tensions interfere with our enjoyment of CR. I hope that you will continue to visit CR.

This thread started out with humor, and even an apology to those of French ancestry and has turned into a France-bashing party. I know that this is the Politics forum and that anything goes here, but blindly lashing out at an entire country without thought or care for the feelings of people from that country who may visit here is just plain rude. If there were a large French contingent here, and they were sitting around having a large US-bashing party, you guys would be all up-in-arms, ready to go to war with France.

I don't suppose that you guys will even care if you have offended Celtica so badly that she never comes back to CR.

Thanks for reminding me why I stay out of this forum.

I'm sorry Celtica took personal offence to anything posted in this thread but the closest anyone came to saying anything "racist" was my "Froggy-phile" comment. Since I have ancestors with names like; Fortineux, Menton, Louys, Gallihue..... I must be at least part Frog (French) and can use that slang (or slur) when speaking of the French in general (just like Americans of African descent can use the N-word, the Irish can tell bad Irish Jokes: Did you hear about the Irishman who...).

The nation of France has taken positions on important world events (I believe they are wrong on a number of them) and the French people need to expect to take criticism on these decisions (even the occasional bad joke).

There is a reason this is an unmoderated forum, hardball politics are discussed here (well, maybe more like fast-pitch softball) and if you're timid or easily offended you may not want to venture in.

[/QUOTE]There is a reason this is an unmoderated forum, hardball politics are discussed here (well, maybe more like fast-pitch softball) and if you're timid or easily offended you may not want to venture in. [QUOTE]

Politics are a full contact blood sport, I regret that anyone out there may get their feelings hurt. I am offended myself when those on the other side of the aisle suggest that my taxes should be increased to fund a needle exchange program for gay welfare cheats. However we do need to be able to speak as directly as we can, it will be offensive at times, it may show ignorance on the part of the speaker, but if I accuse the French of being "cheese eating surrender monkeys"it does no good to accuse me of being racist. Fire back with the facts of the French during the resistance, or operations of the French foreign Legion. Knuckles will get skinned and noses bloodied but at the end of the day we may learn a new respect for each other that can not happen if we get in a huff over hurt feelings.

I think people should be very careful about how they comment on other countries and cultures. Many nations do not take kindly to being fun of. Wales among them. You may think it's OK to comment on other countries, but then you lack any vision of sensitivity and cultural awareness. To banter about our nations is a personal attack on our pride and identity... our very existence. To us, THIS IS RACISM.

If I recall, the USA doesn't like to be made fun of.

Sorry Siarls, nationality is not a race, and the confusion over this issue is why the French are most likely going to reject the European Union's constitution (the fact that it's about 300 pages long is also a very good reason to reject it). This confusion about race and nationality is also why the European Union will probably ultimately fail. The nationality and language of the peoples of Europe is just too big a hurdle to overcome.

Do Americans like being called names? No, but we know it goes along with being the big "Dawg" on the block. People are going to be jealous (though most European jealously seems to be displayed in the form of arrogance). We don't call just anything "racist" (though the President of our neighbor to the south pushed up to, or even over that line with his statements about Americans of African descent recently).

I doubt I have to remind you of the Scottish independence movement or the Welsh insistence on use of the Welsh language as examples of how fragile the Union called Great Britain is on that island where you live. Our neighbors to the north are always one election away from the disintegration of Canada due to 300 years of French-Canadian intransigence about language and culture. If the Left and the Multiculturalists (here's an interesting commentary on multiculturalism: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/736142/posts) in this country have their way the U.S. will also eventually split along cultural lines. They don't understand, nor subscribe to, one of our two national mottos: E Pluribus Unum {"From many, one" or "Out of many, one."} (of course most of them don't like our other national motto either: In God We Trust).

That's the opinion of this American mongrel (Descended from Scot, Irish, Welsh, English, French, German, Dutch, Swiss, native American, and probably some other nationalities and races I don't even know about, also known as a "Human Being" or "Homo sapien")!

What he said!!