We shall be the next America without all of its racism, That's pretty funny from Europe's leading exporter of anti-Semitism.
Posted on 07/16/2004 2:27:11 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
PARIS (AP) - The spotlight shines more brightly each day on Nicolas Sarkozy, France's rising political star, who has picked a very public sparring match with President Jacques Chirac.
The focus on Sarkozy sharpened further Friday with the resignation of the chairman of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement - a job the ambitious finance minister sees as his stepping stone to the French presidency.
As finance minister since April, Sarkozy has challenged Chirac with growing frequency on issues ranging from defense spending to labor market reform - a trend that prompted Chirac to use a television interview Wednesday to remind the public that "I make the decisions and he carries them out."
Sarkozy responded in a speech to UMP members Friday, pledging not to divide the party but adding: "I won't do things I don't believe in."
Sarkozy also has spoken in favor of what the French call "positive discrimination," a policy similar to affirmative action in the United States, to give minorities help in advancing in society. Chirac opposes that policy.
Sarkozy's poll ratings show he poses a real threat to 71-year-old Chirac - who hasn't yet said whether he plans to run for a third term - or whoever he backs to succeed him as UMP candidate for the 2007 election. Party boss Alain Juppe looked set to win that endorsement until January, when a conviction for illegal political funding forced him to announce his planned resignation.
The government has twice been hammered at the ballot box by the Socialists in recent months - first in March regional elections and then in June's European poll - while Chirac's personal approval rating slid to 34 percent in July from 43 percent at the start of the year.
Sarkozy's rating has meanwhile held steady at 51 percent, confirming his status as the government's most popular figure.
French voters have been falling steadily out of love with their dusty "enarques" - graduates, like Chirac, of the elite Ecole Nationale d'Administration - who still dominate the top levels of the political class.
Born in Paris in 1955 to a Hungarian immigrant father, the young Sarkozy trained as attorney. He joined the UMP's forerunner, the UDR, while still a teenager and became France's youngest mayor at 28, for the chic suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine.
Today his trademark outspokenness seems to offer an antidote to the more literary style of Chirac and other senior government figures, as well as being better suited to television sound bites.
Sarkozy was seen as Chirac's protege in the 1980s, but backed the wrong horse when prime minister Edouard Balladur unsuccessfully challenged Chirac - then Paris mayor and a powerful party figure - in the 1995 presidential election.
"That's a crime that will never be forgiven," said Philippe Chatenay, journalist and commentator for the French magazine Marianne. When Chirac let Sarkozy back into the fold, first as party spokesman in 1997, then as interior minister in 2002, it was an acknowledgment of his support, not a pardon, Chatenay said.
Sarkozy's time as interior minister, when tougher policing achieved apparent improvements in crime and road safety statistics, won him more popular support.
In three months as finance minister, Sarkozy has engineered a state-backed bailout for engineering giant Alstom. He has gotten price cuts from consumer goods makers under threat of legislation and forced an all-French merger between drug companies Sanofi-Synthelabo and Aventis.
Chirac confirmed Wednesday that he would not allow Sarkozy to stay on as finance minister if he was elected party chairman in November. The change of role would give Sarkozy more freedom to campaign among the party faithful for the presidential nomination.
"France doesn't fear change, she's waiting for it," Sarkozy told newspaper Le Monde in a wide-ranging interview last weekend that threatened to upstage Chirac's traditional July 14 interview.
Say what?
France will be the next Argentina; the EU will be the next OCED. And you French are perhaps the most racist people on the planet - certainly the one of the mostmost antisemetic. America is the least racist country on Earth, and you would know that if you knew anything about America. But you do not. You have your silly little French head full if the propoganda of your socialist masters. What self deluded idiocy.
America will be the next America, and we will enjoy watching the EU fail and take particular relish as France finally see that it is a fifth rate country.
And as for musicals, you people have not made a contribution to music since Debussy, and his contribution was in spite of the vile tastes of the French not because of it.
We shall be the next America without all of its racism, That's pretty funny from Europe's leading exporter of anti-Semitism.
Sarkozy also has spoken in favor of what the French call "positive discrimination," a policy similar to affirmative action in the United States, to give minorities help in advancing in society. Chirac opposes that policy... The government has twice been hammered at the ballot box by the Socialists in recent months - first in March regional elections and then in June's European poll - while Chirac's personal approval rating slid to 34 percent in July from 43 percent at the start of the year... Born in Paris in 1955 to a Hungarian immigrant father, the young Sarkozy trained as attorney. He joined the UMP's forerunner, the UDR, while still a teenager and became France's youngest mayor at 28, for the chic suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine... Sarkozy's time as interior minister, when tougher policing achieved apparent improvements in crime and road safety statistics, won him more popular support. In three months as finance minister, Sarkozy has engineered a state-backed bailout for engineering giant Alstom. He has gotten price cuts from consumer goods makers under threat of legislation and forced an all-French merger between drug companies Sanofi-Synthelabo and Aventis.Sounds like an American success story, right down to becoming an ambulance-chaser. Politically, he could be a populist (in the mold however of Huey Long) or wind up chasing the opinion polls (iow, no underlying fundamental principles).
Dangerous Liaisons
starring John Malkovich as Vicomte De Valmont
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per centposted to:
Vicomte de Valmont Since Jun 22, 2004 Vicomte de Valmont hasn't created an about page.
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per centNOT A PING LIST, merely posted to: Almondjoy; atomicpossum; CasearianDaoist; GSlob; gatorbait; NormsRevenge; ValerieUSA
Just promise you won’t do away with the French government funded mimes!
Welcome to Free Republic.
France is going to do, or be, nothing of consequence.
The enlarged EU will not allow France to be the ruler of Europe and it only stands to reason that France’s permanent seat at the UN will be moved to the governmental seat of the EU, Belgium.
France’s liberal socialism will continue to impoverish your nation. Liberal socialism needs a constant supply of other people’s money. That’s why Chiraq and France were forced to stand by the rich madman and brutal dictator Saddam Hussein… For the money! France’s UN veto was the most valuable thing France had to sell to Saddam and when that veto power shifts to Belgium, France will lose, or will at least have to share the incoming bribes with Belgium.
Because it’s much easier to bribe a dictator than an elected representative government, France will be forced to remain down in the gutter with every two bit thug and dictator in search of huge amounts of easy money to fund it’s liberal socialism.
There is a saying in America “lay down with dogs, wake up with fleas”. The corruption of the third world has already taken hold in France; it’s widely believed that Chiraq would be in jail except for the immunity from prosecution his position grants him. Chiraq and France are also neck deep the UN “oil for food” scandal. How much of the $10 billion stolen from the sick and starving Iraqi people did France keep?
As the Muslims slowly take power in France it’s going to be great fun watching the Muslims decide that Pierre and Yvette’s retirement is far too generous and telling Pierre and Yvette to get their asses out on the street and make their own retirement money.
Of course, the US, France’s generous friend and ally for 228 years will always be there for France, just as you were there for us. If you need any help we’ll be glad to send inspectors to France for 12 years, longer if needed, and they will be only too happy to constantly tell you that you are doing it wrong and why you deserve whatever befalls you. We will also be very happy to return the knife you left in our back.
That's very jingoistic of you!!
And I suppose you also mean that a frenchman will actually win the tour again.
By the way have you guys figured out yet that Jerry Lewis isn't funny?
Lance Armstrong
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
Ooh la la, regardez ce que vous avez fait encore... (L'humour ne se traduit pas!)
Racontez-moi un peu, êtes-vous amateur de la cinema? Litterature? D'où vient toutes vos connaissances dans les arts?
Sarkozy is shaking things up. The Jews of France seem to appreciate his support (and vice versa).
"We shall be the next America without all of its racism, bible-thumpers, jingoism and stupid Broadway musicals!"
It was a joke ?
France would quickly regret any such actions by a President Sarkozy.
Another French Leftist.
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