Novice to FR perhaps, but no novice with the feuilleton.
What is happening to France is a true tragedy. But we ought not to forget that it was the support of Royal France that made our own independence possible. Washington's army carried French muskets, firing French powder and shot, backed up by French Artillery. Many continentals wore French overcoats, slept on French blankets, carried French knapsacks, and if they were lucky, wore French boots. The Army of Rochambeau and the fleet of DeGrasse maneuvered the British into position for Washington's (few) final victories.
France is the country Freepers love to hate. It is understandable to dislike the French for what they have become, but remember what they were.
Je vous pinguerai, mes amis.
There is a lot of wisdom in your words. And in every nation, I suppose, there are those abberations, those throwbacks, who still retain a spine.
If I thought that the French were truly on the side of George Washington and the birth of a new republic, rather than simply cultivating surrogates who might eventually serve a a counterweight and a stick in the eye of the British, (much like the Soviets cultivated and underwrote Castro), I would be more circumspect in my criticisms of them.
But you are right in that, regardless of the "big picture" in Paris, those individual frenchmen who fought beside us didn't risk their lives for 'global counterweight'.
Even if part of it was seething dislike for the British- to fight as well as they did required that something extra which has been quite literally biologically selected out the French race after the best of them died in countless battles on the continent. That something extra, that innate need for man to drag himself out from under the throes of the Royals, of whatever line of succession, I think may be faith itself. Faith that meaning exists, faith that honor exists, faith that if enough of us stand and die under the hooves of the mongols, that yet the village may live.
Because back then, "village" meant a collection of families protected by the best of the men. Much like our Marines and soldiers today. Before courage became a dirty word, and "village" became corrupted by the Hillarys of the world to mean instead the collective council, and the one world mentality.
Rather than ramble on, obviously you know what we mean. Let's hope we win. Let's hope the rest of the villagers finally understand what we have been saying... that surrender is not an option.