"The most succinct essay on American and European differences and its wonderfully written!" is a fair review for this very interesting article.

Still, behind the easy pleasure of poking fun at European pretensions, there are serious - and hardening - differences between Americans, who embrace the future, and the French or Germans or Belgians who cling to the past.

None of those differences go so deep as our opposing concepts of freedom.

Check it out. Thanks to Cozmogirl.

i just read this in the morning paper:

-{PARIS (AP) - Gravediggers were called back to work on a national holiday Friday to deal with the grim aftermath of a heat wave that left up to 3,000 dead in France. With morgues full, authorities took over the vast storeroom of a Paris farmers' market or kept bodies in refrigerated tents - as temperatures subsided throughout Europe, ending one of the most severe periods of intense heat on record across the continent.}-

Heres another difference between Americans and French. If we have refrigerated farmers markets and circus tents they would be filled with live people. How stupid can you be? If Bush unfurled a refrigerated tent to house heatwave victims bodies We Americans would skin him alive.

If Bush unfurled a refrigerated tent to house heatwave victims bodies We Americans would skin him alive.

These tents are usually only used in case of plane crash to house dead bodies.

I wonder what you would have said if the blackout had been in Paris and not in New York. Something like "it would not happen in the US" probably...

By the way, this "New York Post" article is a full load of stereotypes and simplistic aphorisms. But then, the author has not probably spent more than half an hour to write it.

Strangely, the article covers 4 centuries of history but not a single mention of slavery.

The American Revolution was entrepreneurial and constructive. The French Revolution was vengeful and destructive.
Wasn't the destitution of saddam vengeful and destructive? US had the luxury to start their own constitution from scratch and not with a millenium of monarchy behind it.

American is the land of second chances. And of third, fourth and fifth chances, if only we have the gumption to seize them.
Strangely enough, America is as well the land of death penalty. Probably the second chance he's talking about.

Strangely, the article covers 4 centuries of history but not a single mention of slavery.

You mean the way Europeans organized the trade of slaves? Do you need to be reminded what was the triangular trade exactly and from where the ships departed?

I'm always amazed at the way the French are quick to remind Americans about slavery and always seem to forget or at least allude what they were themselves doing...

And I won't even talk about the colonial empire where the French were more than happy, still some 40 years ago, to have "boys" to serve them.

Wasn't the destitution of saddam vengeful and destructive?

What is this stupid amalgam, worthy of a 3 year old?

How many people have been coldly beheaded by Americans so far? Or even Iraqis. Americans fought to topple a bloody regime, and when they had to defend themselves, they did. There have been no execution the way they took place in France. The people who died died during the war. So far, no revolutionary tribunal is condemning to death penalty (remember Monsieur Guillotin papafrench?) men, women and children because of their social class or because of their opposition to the regime in place.

Oh, wait a minute, Saddam Hussein did that! Now I understand why many French felt compelled to support him.

US had the luxury to start their own constitution from scratch and not with a millenium of monarchy behind it.

So what? You'd think you'd have learnt something. You know, with all that history you have behind you that enables you to give advice to everyone, especially the young USA...

Strangely enough, America is as well the land of death penalty. Probably the second chance he's talking about.

What the hell are you talking about? You're mixing everything. Are you that utterly stupid? Is that what they teach you at Centrale? Phew...

As always, your comments are completely irrelevant. Nothing to do with the article. But thanks anyway papafrench, since your comments partly confirmed the accuracy of Mr. Peters' article:

Life may not be predictable, but Europeans are. If we criticize them publicly, they splutter, outraged that we don't recognize their perfection. They can dish it out abundantly, but continental Europeans can no more take criticism than their welfare armies could have taken Baghdad.

All of that said, I'm not surprised you didn't understand anything.

You mean the way Europeans organized the trade of slaves? Do you need to be reminded what was the triangular trade exactly and from where the ships departed?

Carine, You forgot the role that the Arabs and the Africans themselves played. Also, what we consider slavery today is the Arab and African form of slavery. European slavery, thralldom, was practiced in a modified form in the US as indentured servitude.

US had the luxury to start their own constitution from scratch and not with a millenium of monarchy behind it.
BS Papa French. The "Americans" were British. They had British citizenship, British ideals and British heritage and history. They formed The Constitution and threw off British government even WITH "a millenium of manarchy behind it." They did it without going on a brutal killing spree the way the French did, and they didn't throw it all away the way French did.

Strangely enough, America is as well the land of death penalty. Probably the second chance he's talking about.
Yes it is. So what is your point? Do you have a problem with democracy when it doesn't agree with your own subjective moralism? That's pretty judgemental and intolerant of you. You must be a right-wing Republican to show such intolerance towards the cultures and beliefs of other people.

The US has a history of supporting dictators against their common enemy, but at least we don't support enemy dictators against our "friends" like France has done for the last half century.

Kal

What is this stupid amalgam, worthy of a 3 year old?

I just point the fact, that violence has sadly to be part of the process when you have to destroy a regime deeply rooted in a country.
New York Post editor has no problem with the violence in Iraq, but still seems to think that French revolution was too destructive.

And if one speaks about French revolution, there is 1789 and 1793 where idealists like Robespierre went on a killing spree to create a republic as pure as possible. Idealists become very often radical, call them Enjolras or Aliocha Karamazov, It IS the human nature.

As for slavery, well, the same French revolution and the jacobins (with whom carine compares strangely cowboys in one of her numerous pointless posts) forbid it the 4 fevrier 1794 (to be reinstalled in 1804 and definately forbidden in 1848).

Robespierre in 1791:
"L'intérêt suprême de la nation et des colonies est que vous demeuriez libres, et que vous ne renversiez pas de vos propres mains les bases de la liberté. Périssent les colonies ! (il s'élève de violents murmures) s'il doit vous en coûter votre bonheur, votre gloire, votre liberté ! Je le répète : périssent les colonies si les colons veulent par leurs menaces, nous forcer à décréter ce qui convient le plus à leurs intérêts ! Je demande que l'Assemblée déclare que les hommes libres de couleur ont le droit de jouir des droits de citoyens actifs."

USA: 1865 and hundred more years for black people to have the same rights...

Well all that to say, that this new york post is quite funny in the way it depicts the USA immaculate and Europe all wrong. Both share their part of atrocities and splendid action of course (and USA have a long history of that). Just that seeing oneself too pretty is the best way not to move forward...

Papa Froggie!
Man your an imbecile. And I can say that if I want and I want!
The word Moron in the English dictionary has you and pea brained faced posted by it so all know what to look for when they wonder what a moron looks like.
Taking down a brutal dictator is vengeful? I didn't know taking down a filthy pig and his sado masochistic brats was vengeful. Of course Euro trash like Papa Froggie has always liked Sado Masochism, the film Quills and its popularity there on the Continient proves it. (If you haven't heard of Quills it was a sympathetic portrayal of the life of the Marquis De Sade..need I say more? NOT!
Here is my opinion: Euros as Mr. Peters stated like the Status Quo...we call it nmp here in the USA..short for Not My Problem. So what if Uday raped little girls..we admire men who do that: Example of course being polish hottie Roman Polanski who is not allowed to step foot here in the USA as he would be arrested for rape...because thats what he did, he raped a 13 year old girl. But as usual in Europe he is celebrated as some sort of tortured artistic genius.
So what if Qusay lined up four hundred Shiite's and shot 6 of them and then had the rest of his thugs take down the rest. From what I have heard about Paris, the catacombs beneath are filled with bones and dead bodies.....so.....here we have an example of the French petit armour with mass graves.....I don't think a Frog could walk straight if he didn't have a mass grave to step on occasionally.....Frogs visiting in Iraq must have simply been head over heels when realizing that Saddam didn't forget that splendid touch of mass graves..."Pierre Bagdad is just like home!"
And then of course the French and well European love of poision gas etc. Yes of course the German's were the first ones to use it...and they used it well...but the tradtition seems to be accepted in most parts of Old Europe. I mean...so what about the thousands of Kurds murdered by Saddam and his little buddy Chemical Ali? What were they after all. They weren't Bosnian Muslims so there fore they weren't politically correct enough for Europe to get off its big whore ass to do something about? Yeah...sure....
Papa Froggie your a fraud and you have no values period! NONE! Your sympathy for Saddam Hussien shows a lot of nerosis as far as I can gather. Its disgusting and disgraceful and hardly humane. For a person who seems to have some sort of perported sympathy for the Iraqi people the fact you and your ilk (Non humans as I will now catergorize anyone who opposed the removal of Saddam) never showed the slightest interest in the lives and misery being foisted upon the Shiites, Kurds, and Marsh Arabs while Saddam was there proves one thing to me: You didn't give a damn and Europe is still ruled by a class system. Your still ghettoized...and it shows in your blatant and unabashed narcissism, and insecurity when faced with evil. And it makes me wonder. Is your loathing for the masculine virtues of a MAN like George W. Bush a projection of your own effeminate weaknesses...hate to tell you PAPA FROGGIE women fall in love with the Alpha male....
and you and your froggie brothers are definetly far down the packs pecking order..Your hatred proves you know it to!

Cozmogirl,

Forget about papafrench. I thought it was mainly hypocrisy and bad faith but actually it's just stupidity. Not even just ignorance. Plain idiocy. And a lot of arrogance.

And to answer your interrogation, yes, certainly a lack of manhood.

Desperate case.

carine and cozmogirl

I have no sympathy for saddam hussein, i won't cry on his grave. I was one of the few ready to support this war. That's always funny this inclination of the weak, to put false words in the mouth of one's adversary...

That plus several insults randomly choosen, I'm fully convinced of your argumentation.

carine,

You could do an effort, at least, when cozmogirl is writing, it's funny to read.

OH yes it is ignorance and malignant narcissim. Certain people have a condition that causes them to project their own self loathing on other people, to control these people and to look to manipulate other people. Perhaps certain societies have this problem as well? I am certain though that this is a condition that is so deeply embedded in the entitlement mentality of not merely France but in all of Old Europe that it cannot be dismantled without a major earth shaking event.
We here in the USA have our own malignant narcissists running around, they are named Babs Streisand, George cLooney and most of the Hollywood elite, many people on the democratic side are that way as well, Rep. Barney Frank who flaunts his effeminate sexuality in front of everyone and then dares people to make comments..(Dick Armey former Majority Leader of the US House called Mr. Frank, Barney Fag on the floor of the House..it was beautiful) People who disapprove are caste aside or vilified and called Homophobes...
This only goes to prove that the only people insecure with homosexuality are homosexuals. The straight people I know don't care either way, they don't approve because its not normal by any means and don't feel "Special Rights and Guarentees" are appropriate for Gays and Lesbians not to mention "Transgendered". (God I hate this new speak)Why should someones mental illness suddenly become de riguer and the stylish thing when most people don't want to see it. But they shove it in people's faces enough it gets to where we are desensitized to it. Well I for one am not. PERIOD!
Anyway maybe France is suffering from Malignant Narcissism. And maybe Germany is to(That would explain alot...Hitler etc.)
Could there be something to it?
I don't know.

Really I am funny...its funny but my heroine, Ann Coulter is also a funny person. She also goes right to the jugular..I try to as well.
I must have really gotton your goat Hey Pappie?
Now that is funny. Perhaps you could explain to me when you were in favor of going after Saddam? Maybe when the honorary French man, Bill Clinton was President? I have to tell you I have seen nothing you have offered that proves you ever wanted to get off your lazy butt to do anything about Saddam unless it was in France's interest or you were going to practice surrendering...
So tell me Pappie just when were you enthused by going after Saddam.
What I think is your intimidated by the USA, your intimidated by President Bush and Don Rumsfeld. You don't give a horses ass about what Saddam did to his people or you would have been there with us saying its time to take out the garbage. You decided a long time ago that somehow the USA was being power hungry in wanting to remove Saddam so you decided like all morons that we would have to go through the UN...well...what has the UN done for me lately? What did the UN do for Rwanda? the Christians being slaughtered in the Sudan and Indonesia? Your cynical approach to human rights and liberty is as ridiculous and as irrational as your hatred of Americans.
You really need to take a good hard look at yourself once. Or are you capable of that?

By Papa French: "And if one speaks about French revolution, there is 1789 and 1793 where idealists like Robespierre went on a killing spree to create a republic as pure as possible. Idealists become very often radical, call them Enjolras or Aliocha Karamazov, It IS the human nature."

Now I understand why the French Love terroism. Really, I didn't understand what motivated them. They really think its OK. My God, What kind of people are they!?!?! They believe radical Islam is human nature. They believe blowing up building and killing children is just boys will be boys?!?!?! The response is predictable... "But don't the US kill children with their bombs?" They really don't understand the difference between accidental civilian deaths and purposefully target children. They don't recognize the difference between a terrorists looking in a mother's eyes while she holds her child and then kills them, versus soldiers fighting a cowardly enemy that shoots from behind a shield of women and children.

John,
You have to remember this is a country that during its revolution viciously beheaded a King, a Queen and anyone else they deemed an enemy.
Instead of having a revolution in the name of real change and individualism they did it out of spite. "I don't have bread so therefore I will go n kill a Duke".
John Adams was against regicide and for the rule of law. You must have rule of law if Liberty is to prevail. Thomas Jefferson being more extreme was for it. However in hindsite, Adams was correct. If a leader did something so badly that the general feeling towards him is murder then a court should decide that, not a mob. I think France has terrorism in its blood because of the revolution. They equate Madam DeFarge with freedom and all she was was a butcher.

Cosmogirl,

A court has judged this king and queen whose you are talking about. Robespierre was thinking that by executing the king, the monarchy supporters would have no opportunity to put him back on the throne. And he had been declared a traitor to the republic (by fomenting a war with the help of other monarchic nations to get back his power).

And to come back to Iraq, I think that the US need to realise that they have to come back to the UN and ask for help, at least to remove this tag of "army of occupation". And I hope that my country and others will help as much as they can to resolve this current mess.

By the way, I know Ann Coulter, and as you can guess, I'm not really a fan. :)