Deadbeat France--The U.S. was never repaid for saving the French in World War I.

Wall St Journal ^ | November 4, 2003

[SJackson]

Not only has Old Europe refused to ante up for Iraq's reconstruction, France and Germany in particular have been resisting calls for a radical write-off of the country's crushing debts. The two countries were major financial backers of Saddam's war machine. While lenient repayment terms may be considered, they have suggested, they're intent on getting the bulk of their money back.

[AdmSmith]

Payback time.

[RiflemanSharpe]

Lets do it, we need the cash, with the national debt as high as it is.

[Rhetorical pi2]

EXCUSEZ-MOI!!!! Le check is in the mail!!!

(Didn't know how to say "Don't hold your breath" in French.
:o)

[mtbopfuyn]

France isn't the only one owing a great debt to the US.

[el_texicano]

And this surprises us how????

[DeuceTraveler]

If my history knowledge is correct I do believe Alexander Hamilton managed to pay back our war debt after the American Revolution. Or was it just part?

[XJarhead]

Maybe we just transfer the credit on that debt to the Iraqis, and then have them transfer it to the French as payment for their current debt. The French can then pay themselves.

[AdmSmith]

This could at least set the Iraqi dept to France to zero.

[presidio9]

And this surprises us how????

Surely you don't think French opposition to the war was driven by our "unilateralism?"

[KarlInOhio]

The French can then pay themselves.

That's not what I have invited the French to do to themselves.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[kylaka]

The French were never paid for saving the colonies butt during the American revolution. The knife cuts both ways.

[kylaka]

The French were never paid for saving the colonies butt during the American revolution. The knife cuts both ways. Nobody should be required to keep a scorecard in order to do the right thing.

[XJarhead]

This could at least set the Iraqi dept to France to zero.

Heh. That was the point. It would be fun to listen to the French argue their way out of that one.

[Agitate]

The French were never paid for saving the colonies butt during the American revolution. The knife cuts both ways.

So then the French shouldn't keep a scorecard and demand payment from Iraq then, right? They should forgive the debt and help the Iraqi people right?

[SJackson]

The French were never paid for saving the colonies butt during the American revolution. The knife cuts both ways.

So then the French shouldn't keep a scorecard and demand payment from Iraq then, right? They should forgive the debt and help the Iraqi people right?

The article is referring to loans which were neither forgiven, nor repaid. I don't think that was the case during the American revolution, so I assume you're referring to the direct financial and human costs to France incurred in saving the colonies butt .

That's a legitimate point, however then the direct American costs, financial and human, incurred for saving France's butt twice in the last century come into play. I doubt that calculation would accrue to Frances benefit.

Cheaper for the French to just offset the Iraq debt to France with theirs to us.

[Agitate]

The article is referring to loans which were neither forgiven, nor repaid. I don't think that was the case during the American revolution, so I assume you're referring to the direct financial and human costs to France incurred in saving the colonies butt .
That's a legitimate point, however then the direct American costs, financial and human, incurred for saving France's butt twice in the last century come into play. I doubt that calculation would accrue to Frances benefit.
Cheaper for the French to just offset the Iraq debt to France with theirs to us.

Well said.

France liked us fine when we were small and weaker than them, but now that we're bigger and stronger than they are they just can't stand it. They will do anything to oppose us now just for that reason, IMHO.

[LexBaird]

people often bring this up, but they also forget ot bring it up that our troops were deployed after quite a bit of french lone participation, with millions dead. perhaps the french are going to pay us back in kind -- joining the war on terror after a few million of ours die. and then wanting most of the credit for coming in at the end and tipping the scales.

1: The French were never in WW1 or WW2 as "lone participants", as the Poles, Brits, Italians, Belgians, Greeks etc. can readily attest.

2: Much of the blame for the rise of Nazi power can be traced to the unwillingness of the French to relieve Germany of crushing reparations debt.

3: The USA was not the country being invaded; France was. It is only natural that they took more casualties. Next time (and history shows there WILL be a next time), I suggest France hold the war someplace else than France if they want to avoid mass casualties.

4: We deserve the credit for "tipping the scales", because we did. France was obviously unable to do so on her own. In WW2, she barely even tried.

5: The French may think they can sit this war on terror out, but they are incredibly stupid in their arrogance to think so. I guarantee the Muslim Radicals haven't forgotten the Song of Roland, even if the emasculated metrosexuals in Paris have. They will be back to France, and she will again suffer mass casualties because she refuses to deal with reality. Just as she did in the two wars with Germany last century.

At the basis of "sophistication" is "sophistry".