The Queen is in France celebrating the centenary of the Entente Cordial, the 1904 agreement by which France and England quit their endless warring in favor of gassy diplomacy, traducement, finger-pointing, and barefaced loathing.
This, of course, was progress.
With a succession of wobbly Third Republic governments, the arrangement soon became a mésalliance cordiale with France as the second banana. Today France holds the EU trump (after a grudging act of noblesse oblige in 1973 allowing Britain a tuffet at the EEC tea party). For its part, Britain makes little secret that its affinities are with America. There's little love lost between the two.
Although the Queen put on a brave face, the thrill is noticeably gone. Addressing a state banquet in Paris, she pointedly remarked:
We have both made the choice of Europe and the European Union as a principal vehicle for our economic and political aspirations. For both of us this does not, nor should not, in any way weaken our strong ties of friendship to the United States.[Emphasis added.]
This spoiled Jack's nice crème brulée. But missing an excellent opportunity to shut up and ever the self-advertising host:
[I]n an apparent veiled reference to Britain's decision to go to war in Iraq without [sic] a United Nations resolution, [Jack] said:[Emphasis added.]"As founding members, we see the United Nations as the source of international legitimacy.
"As permanent members of the Security Council, we would like it to be strengthened and enlarged to take on the prime responsibility for international peace and security conferred upon it by the UN charter."
Oh, Jack, put a sock in it. Why hasn't France taken the lead to induct Japan and India as perms on the Security Council? Hhmmm, well that would complicate the Borgia formularies and reduce France's veto a full 5%. Naaa, didn't think so. Just Jack flacking for Jack.
The Guardian (moonbat approved) does the usual roundup of French opinion and kvetching.
A special Hat Tip to Carine, who has posted on this from the page six angle (lots of pix).
I am torn here. I agree with the French. Baked beans for breakfast? From a can? English coffee: 1 scoop of instant coffe, English espresso, 2 scoops.
Not to mention that the royal family, like all royal families, should have met their comuppance in the 18th century. Nothing steams me more than to see one of our finest atheletes bow and scrape to the inbreds in the royal box at Wimbledon, on or about the July 4th weekend no less.
I haven't been watching TV that much recently, but yesterday night, I caught TF1 evening news and, not surprisingly, only part of what Queen Elizabeth said was reported.
They did report that the Queen asked that differences, including those that came up just before and during the Iraq war, be put behind us, in this spirit of entente cordiale.
No word about the Queen mentioning the US though. Nothing yesterday night on TF1.
Misinformation continues over here.
What was Bernadette thinking? Trying to outdo the Queen?
DGB,
You have to think more along the lines of blood pressure cuffs, sweating foreheads, and pounding keyboards. Instead, you give is a gentle float down the Loire, with some mildly insulting jabs, that in any case, are far too subtle for your targets.
Zoomer,
Good to see you back. I really mean that. Go over to the next thread to witness the 'new tone'.
Everybody :
Meanwhile in Iraq : ...
I guess that everyone knows what's happening (and I'm not pleased about that), I'm wondering if there is any reasonnable solution to that mess ?
When there is no solution, it's because there is no problem.
I have been thinking some of the policys of the interim government need to be reviewed. The main one being the policy of open borders with Iran.
Hello coalition forces? Have they not heard that Iran is a totalitarian state? One of the corners of the axis of evil, remember? Working feverishly to gain a nuclear weapon? The home of Sadhr. The Home of Sistani. Paying unemployed Iraqis to join with Sadhr.
The coalition keeps this border open to show how wonderful freedom in Iraq is compared to Iran. Shiite pilgrims cross at will. While it is a nice thought, in practice it is disrupting the main objective, to establish a real democracy in Iraq.
The coalition is trying to take on too much all at once. First lay down the ground work. Iraq is the focus and you can't have Iraq as model for the Iranians to admire if your letting the thugocracy of Mullahs destroy it just as the garden is being seeded.
Another thing I have read is that the Iraqi GC and officers of government are hampering our military in their attempts to defend themselves. Do not allow them to be in a control situation. Calls for resupply of ammo and air support should not be at the whim of shiia governors, who might or might not be on the side of the coalition.
You're right Papertiger.
By the way, some newspaper claim that the BBC got information which prove that Saddam Hussein had been caught before the 13 December 2003 and it wasn't in Tikrit etc...
I don't know what to think about that, did someone hear about ?
I'm wondering if there is any reasonable solution to that mess
Well 'reasonable' is one of those words that mean one thing to you and another to me. This is a difficult patch, but it is not a nationwide uprising, no matter what you want to believe. It has always been inevitable. The Sunnis never felt defeated, they felt sold out. Now they need to be defeated. It is going to be much harder for them to sustain their low level attacks on coalition forces now they they have exposed themselves to conventional force.
My idea of a 'reasonable' solution is this: The militants have revealed themselves. Kill or capture as many as possible. Prevent a militant minority, willing to use indiscriminate murder to gain power, from controlling the country.
I guess that in South Africa, for example, you would have thrown up your hands and turned the country back over to the whites if they came out with AK-47s and bombs and said that they were worse off than before? That would have been the reasonable thing to do?
I am the very model of a modern left wing democrat.
I vent my spleen and prattle in forums on the internet.
I can’t hold long a single thought. I need to take my Ritalin.
Now what was that you asked of me? Did I just take my vitamin?
I cannot lose an argument, so why don’t you get used to it.
I won’t concede a single point, even if there’s no truth in it.
No matter what you say to me, I’ll post back an ad-homenim.
Regardless of the things you do, you’re all BushHitler’s supermen
They call me Post-It Note’s bleat boy, and I post crap like it was true.
On all the countless websites that my drivel is cross-posted to.
Via Steven Den Best Sounds like some whackos we have known around here. There's more, and its funny too.
Here is another article from our old friend Timmerman. Looks like Jack had his fingers in the cookie jar to the tune of 72.2 million barrels of oil, through his old friend.
Among the revelations at the April 22 hearings, Insight has learned from investigators directly working on the case, will be new details of oil vouchers allegedly granted to Patrick Maugein, a prominent crony of French President Jacques Chirac, said to total 72.2 million barrels.
What are a few torture rooms and mass graves next to the lure of filthy lucre? No, France only acted in the best interest of the world..... Bwahahahahahahahaha!
I wondered why the frogs have been soooooo silent lately......now I think I know why.
Can you say FRAUD?
Can you say BORED?
It turns out that "surrender monkey" was too kind after all.
Just curious Max, has this been covered in your French 'Free Press'. Incidentally, for you non native speakers of English, the 'scare quotes' can be understood to mean 'so called'.
true, it's boring: surrender monkey, frog, jack the worm( le ver), forg again...frog frog frog...
it's look like Cyrano de Bergerac's nose speech, i know you can do better than this...
I wondered why the frogs have been soooooo silent lately......now I think I know why.
Can you say FRAUD?
-Andy
I knew you like the french you can't live without them!
yes, it's like Batman who needs Joker to exist.
I've a friend coming back from NY, he tells me that there is no problem with the french there, so where do you come from, all?
Max, since you are bored, go to this site and put in France in the drop-down box at the top. You can check out the economic freedom, or lack thereof, in France.
The results:
Canada 8.1 6th out of 123
France 6.7 44th out of 123 same as Uganda
US 8.3 3rd out of 123
Max, if you are REALLY bored, keep putting in countries until you find out which is number 1 and 2.
I put in Canada for our North of the border hose-head Adam, and the reports are from Canada’s leading economic think tank, the Fraser Institute.
You know, Adam, while you are there, check out the “Economic Freedom in North America” report. Frogs, you can check out the “World” report.
So, there are a lot of liberal Democrats, and Adam here, who think that Canada is a more “ideal” society that the US, and our government should try to emulate them. They do not want France’s socialist economy, with its stagnant growth and high unemployment, but these folks would like a bigger government that provides more services than the US government. In short, Canada has achieved a level of government that many of these liberal Dems say they would like.
But is it really better up there as Adam tells us? Starting in the 1980s Canada and the US started to run opposite economic models. The US under Reagan reduced taxes and governmental restraints. Canada did the opposite; higher taxes, government spending and regulations. So now we have Canada that spends 40% of GDP at federal/provincial(states in US) levels while the level is at 30% for the US. And, the US GDP per capita is $34280 while the per capita level in Canada is $26530. I think US is ahead at this point. MAX WAKE UP I see you sleeping out there!!!!
This means higher incomes, better housing, more economic opportunity and LOWER unemployment than Adams hose-heads up North. If you look at the data in the reports mentioned above, all US states except for West Virginia have higher levels of income with the exception of Alberta and Ontario. So, the poorest US states are about on par with the richest Canadian provinces.
OK, since I know all you frogs are STILL bored, and Adam and his fellow hose-heads are still trying to figure out what I just said, I’ll try to wrap this up…..Oh, Adam, the Fraser Institute also has another report out called “Government Failure in Canada,1997-2004” which reports on “extensive waste, misrepresentation, red tape, incompetence, program failure….” of the hoser government.
It also knocks your health care system: “extensive waiting times, limits on treatments, massive shortages forcing tens of thousands of Canadians each year to go the US for needed medical treatment.”
Lastly, crime rates have risen in Canada compared to the US. Must be your oppressive gun control laws!
So, if we had followed the Canucks, US would have a bigger, less effective government, higher unemployment, lower real incomes, less freedom and higher crime rates.
French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte on defending France against accusations of the corruption in the UN oil-for-FRAUD, darn I keep typing that, I mean FOOD, program:
“flourish again in the media….spread by a handful of influential, conservative TV and newspaper journalists in the US”.
Well, that settles it for me. France must be innocent. You know how those darn conservatives are, don’t you? Why next thing you know, one will probably end up Miss America or something…..(please see e-nough for more on this!)
Anything in the frog papers about the Bush visit to France for the D-Day events?
I've a friend coming back from NY, he tells me that there is no problem with the french there, so where do you come from, all?
Posted by Max at April 14, 2004 05:37 PM
M. Max,
Your friend is wrong. You are his credulous dupe.
I live in NYC. There is a problem with the French. They are considered frauds and worse than frauds.
Americans are suckers for hospitable politesse. It is also true that France is back-page news in America, when it makes the news at all. However, when France is brought to America's attention, America is not indifferent.
Perhaps it is one of these two possibilities that your friend has facilely generalized and you have elevated to a truism.
Not keen on being disabused by the facts when a comfortable French notion is at stake, I don't expect my incontestable authority in this matter will much impress you. But, now you're onto the problem.
DGB
I'm wondering if there is any reasonnable solution to that mess [the recent events in Iraq] ?
Posted by Stéphane at April 9, 2004 03:32 PM
Stéphane et al.,
It apparently needs remarking that the recent events in Iraq are but the latest instantiation of the continuing war on terror.
The business of war is bloody. The enemy –- most especially this enemy -- will not be beaten down by posies. Nor does superior technology render real war innocuous, risk-free, less tragic. War cannot be transformed into a bloodless contest on the gameboard of some geography. Once the terrible decision for war is made, blood and treasure are as good as spent.
If you think that Al Qaeda and the will-die-for-virgins crowd can be mollified by a little pattycake, well, Islamofascism is in the business of trashing that notion. Unless you are hot to pronounce the shahadah, some Islamofascist group will eventually get around to blowing your ass off. It's not a matter of "maybe", only a question of your place in line.
For those of you losing heart from the sensational headlines, here is a tonic to right the picture. For those of you who have thrown in with Chicken Little, well, here's that clubhouse.
Regards,
DGB
So how has Osama's kind offer of a truce with Europe being received? Funny I didn't know Osama was at war with Europe. Does this come as a shock to our French allies?
ouuuu do you really want to talk about gun control, sorry but our children don't shoot at each other like yours with GUNS. Check the quality of life! i'm in Vancouver(3) and you!
that's progress andy, better condition!
Adam: I know that English is your second language, and lord knows my second language would hardly be recognized by any native speakers, so I’ll explain my meaning.
My line about “oppressive gun laws” was an attempt at humor, ironic humor. See, Gun control folks say that owing guns actually causes more crime. Here is the irony: you guys have fewer guns but more crime.
Glad you are happy being in Vancouver. Stay there.
OHHH there I go again.... Adam, before you go off your rocker, that last line, again, was humor.
does this come as a shock to our French allies?
Not at all papertiger. It seems that Bin Laden is more informed than the average American. Al Quaeda cells were known and prosecuted by French authorities before the CIA decided to step down their pedestal and take French, German, even Phillipines intel seriously. France is still assisting the US in Afghanistan but who gives a shit, right? In that respect, Damian Bennett is right to say France is back-page news in the US. That's precisely the problem with the US maintream media.
I have been thinking some of the policys of the interim government need to be reviewed. The main one being the policy of open borders with Iran.
You're not alone. Lots of people (Iraqis included) have wanted the borders closed for a year now. All of these people forget that keeping borders closed is not something we're famous for being good at, and something our troops probably have zero training in. But yeah, it's disappointing that there appears to be almost no border control.
By the way, some newspaper claim that the BBC got information which prove that Saddam Hussein had been caught before the 13 December 2003 and it wasn't in Tikrit etc...
I don't know what to think about that, did someone hear about ?
This isn't really new, I think - the day he was captured, claims started that he hadn't been captured when we said he was. He wasn't captured in Tikrit, it was a small village near Tikrit. I'm not sure what information the BBC thinks it has, but I'm sure it isn't anything that hasn't already been presented (and debunked) by the arab press - they had a field day with the conspiracy theories.
Your friend is wrong. You are his credulous dupe.
I think you're dismissing the possibility that his friend is coming from upper Manhattan. I don't think it would be wrong for him to interperet non-stop fellating as "have no problem with".
Al Quaeda cells were known and prosecuted by French authorities before the CIA decided to step down their pedestal and take French, German, even Phillipines intel seriously. France is still assisting the US in Afghanistan but who gives a shit, right?
Don't make me laugh. You say that with the assumption that we don't know how duplicitous the French really are. A bunch of traffic cops directing traffic in Kabul and a bunch of advisors do NOT constitute "assistance". They're just there for window dressing. The real work is being done by trained soldiers spending weeks at a time in the rugged mountains, night and day, surviving harsh conditions. Hard core muthafuckas who sign up for this kind of work. Targeting the scum who prey on Americans. Now that's progress.
The French: Anti-American; Anti-Freedom; Anti-Liberty; Pro-Terrorist; Jose Bove; Wacko Lefties.
I rest my case.
