Posted on 10/25/2004 9:24:51 PM PDT by crushelits
The French government said yesterday that it would seek a "new alliance" with whomever won the US presidential election next week.
A diplomatic chill has characterised exchanges between Paris and Washington over the past two years as a result of French opposition to the war in Iraq. But the French foreign minister, Michel Barnier, said that the two countries needed to forge a new alliance. This alliance "must be based on mutual respect, which is not allegiance", he said.
Mr Barnier declined to express a preference between President George W Bush and his Democrat rival, Senator John Kerry. His brief remarks on French television indicated both the importance Paris attached to building a better understanding with America, and the likely limitations of any immediate improvement.
Relations between President Jacques Chirac and Mr Bush in particular have been described as beyond repair. A book by two French journalists, published earlier this month, claimed that the French president's telephone calls were regularly bugged by the CIA.
The Left-wing newspaper Libération yesterday said that victory for Mr Bush would maintain America as an arrogant, imperialistic super-power guided by "a handful of ideologues hungry for adventure but deaf to the planet". Putting Mr Kerry in the White House would "perhaps" mean a more multilateral approach.
A Kerry win would be overwhelmingly welcomed in France, even though he often seems at pains to play down his French connections: fluency in the language, family links and memories of childhood summers in France.
Aliiance- ah-LIE-ants
French for "you kiss my ass"
is Jocko gettin' squirmey?
is we gettin a bit to close, hummmm?
WE HAVE SOME SCORES TO SETTLE WITH THESE BRATS...
The french don't know the meaning of it.
Dear France,
NOT INTERESTED.
Quick, look for the white flag . . . they are about to surrender!
And we need France for what exactly..unshaven smelly women..no, already have Helen Thomas
Food...No our chefs are better..
Wine..we make better wine in Texas and that leftward state CA.
Army; yeah, please..
No, can't think of a reason at all..Bye, Bye..now.
They know Bush is going to win.
Let them eat shit and die.
Frew Scrance.
France is usefull... they sell inferior fighter planes to our enemies.
I would like to second that motion.
The French need to take a bath and scrub well. If sKerry is elected he will be kissing their arse.
Didn't we have an up-and-down relationship w/ DeGaulle? Point being, the French have never been our ideal allies. I'd rather have an occassional ally or fair weather one than none at all. One can never have too many. So, if they're looking to tone down the rhetoric, let's do so, and eye them warily. BTW, the language here is devolving to Democrat Party stuff. I thought we were better than them?
Let's not be hasty...
Chirak peut embrasser mon âne rouge attrayant.
But I'm thinking of having this put on my ass:
THIS SPOT RESERVED
FOR FRENCH LIPS
Hadn't considered that angle. I think you have a point.
We don't need a dang thing from the Frenchies, although it would be nice if they would just shut up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.