Inset: Hitler in Paris
When I ask a waiter for ice in my coke, I expect it to be done. I don't expect debate. That a French waiter would find conflict in such a request is certainly one reason why some American travellers might find the French obnoxious. Adding insult to injury, last time I checked, the tips in France are included automatically. I cannot withhold my tip as an indicator of my dissatisfaction. I am FORCED to tip that jerk.
Because they killed the Templars and obliterated the Order!
Inset: Hitler in Paris
I work with the French - they are arrogant pricks.
Because they SUCK!
Knocking the French: Why?
Because they invite abuse, and it would be impolite not to provide it.
"I do not dislike the French from the vulgar antipathy between neighbouring nations, but for their insolent and unfounded airs of superiority."
Horace Walpole
Why knock the French? hmm...maybe because they dropped out of NATO during the cold war then came back when it was over and safe to go "back in the water", not letting us fly over their territory to bomb Libya (so sorry about your embassy being bombed Pierre but the boys were tired from that L O N G flight), screwing us at the last minute by now backing us in Iraq and my personal "favorite", making a cop killer an honorary citizen of Paris and naming a street after him!! (Mumia Abu Jamal).
Just a few reason to knock the frogs!!
The French Betrayal of America
by Kenneth R. Timmerman
http://www.nrbookservice.com/products/BookPage.asp?prod_cd=c6481
Last year Americans watched with revulsion as French President Jacques Chirac sought to rally an international coalition to oppose the U.S.-led war in Iraq. At the same time, a French public opinion poll showed that fully one quarter of the French population actually supported Saddam Hussein at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Since then, new stories have emerged almost daily of how the government of French President Chirac has sought to undermine the U.S. war on terror -- publicly sniping at America and inciting other countries to do the same.
Now, in The French Betrayal of America, bestselling author Kenneth R. Timmerman reveals why Americans can no longer trust the French -- especially when our national security is at stake. He also raises some very serious questions: Should the United States depend on France for its defense in the event of a nuclear strike from a rogue nation? Should we continue to share our nuclear weapons secrets with a country that has increasingly declared itself to be America's enemy? As an investigative journalist who lived and worked in France for eighteen years, Timmerman got to know virtually every French arms merchant who was selling weapons to Saddam Hussein. He also interviewed participants in several top-secret nuclear exchanges between the U.S. and France, and had exclusive access to Iraqi documents now in the possession of the UN. Among his disturbing discoveries -- many revealed here for the first time:
How Chirac lied to Bush and to the public about the war in Iraq
Incredible new evidence of France's duplicity during the war -- including how they stood to gain $100 billion from secret oil contracts they had concluded with Saddam Hussein
Irrefutable evidence that French defense companies were key partners in helping Saddam Hussein perfect the long-range missiles that killed U.S. soldiers in Saudi Arabia in 1991 and rained terror onto Israel
The top-secret missile defense cooperation between the United States and France that has taken off at precisely the same time the Chirac government has been undermining the U.S. on Iraq
Documented in detail: the "paper trail" of recent French assistance to Saddam's clandestine nuclear weapons program
How, despite France's nuclear assistance to our enemies, U.S. and French nuclear weapons designers continue to exchange secrets about maintaining our respective nuclear arsenals!
Exposed as a fraud: the French claim that they were "shocked to learn" that the Bush administration was preparing for war in early January 2003
How French influence and oil interests were behind Saddam's genocidal campaign against the Marsh Arabs in southern Iraq
Revealed for the first time: how arms dealers made cash payments in Switzerland to French politicians on behalf of Saddam Hussein, in exchange for their support
How France's top counterterrorism judge was ordered to stop cooperating with the United States in the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui, the alleged 20th hijacker -- despite mounds of documents that would have helped the United States to convict Moussaoui of conspiracy to commit mass murder
Revealed: how President Chirac personally told President Bush well ahead of time that France would be at America's side
How French news coverage of the Iraq war was not merely one-sided, but viciously inaccurate and openly anti-American
The prominent French defense company that shipped U.S.-designed laser designator pods to Iraq in the 1980s, compromising the most high-tech weapons in the U.S. arsenal
The dirty-tricks campaign against Timmerman himself that included wire taps, accusations of espionage, and even death threats conveyed by French counter-espionage officers
Revealed for the first time: the surprising extent of French strategic and intelligence cooperation with the United States at the peak of the Cold War
Inside the French corruption scandals: How Chirac cut an immunity deal with the head of the French Supreme Court, former Socialist foreign minister Roland Dumas
Should nuclear cooperation agreements still in force with the French today should be canceled in light of France's behavior?
Because we can.
Apologies to my French friends who knock the French as well.
The author speaks of activities 229 years ago. For most all of us, our parents birthed us about 20 years before us, their parents birthed them about 20 years prior and so on, back and back and back. 229 years ago = about eleven generations prior.
During that time, the French had the French Revolution when, they themselves, saw the major flaw in their elite, invented the guillotine and executed Marie Antoinette and many other high fallutin' jerks.
They, then, grew another big crop of the same.
There's nothing about the She racks of the world that a sharp blade can't fix!
"It's good to hate the French."
I just got my new Lexus RX400H and returned to the dealer the next day complaining that I couldn't figure out how the radio worked. The salesman explained that the radio was voice activated "Watch this"! He said "Nelson"! The Radio replied "Ricky or Willie?" Willie"! He continued. and "On The Road Again" came from the speakers.I drove away happy, and for the next few days, every time I'd say "Beethoven" I'd get beautiful classical music, and if I said "Beetles" I'd get one of their awesome songs.
One day , a couple ran a red light and nearly creamed my new car but I swerved in time to avoid them. I yelled "ASSHOLES!".
The French National Anthem began to play, sung by Jane Fonda and Michael Moore, backed up by John Kerry on guitar, Al Gore on drums, Bill Clinton on sax and Ted Kennedy on booze.
Damn, I LOVE this car!
Hitler visiting Napoleon's tomb.
some historical black holes have developed about the first world war in particular; the french certainly fought as bravely as the germans and british and were essentially in a multi-year standstill when the US got involved; the refusal-to-charge mutinies occurred in all armies, not just france, once their casualties had reached around 100% of original strength. i am not sure why anyone here would condemn this given the history of the war and this tactic in particular after the years it had been used. freepers who actually think the french suffered from anything other than poor military leadership should really read John Keegan's book on the first world war or some other similar competent text before spouting off on this.
Regarding the second world war i think the vichy government and collaboration on jewish deportation is far more shameful than being taken out by german blitzkrieg (no country on flat terrain did well against this, russia gave up more territory than france had in total) and the failure of belgium to allow allies to deploy in their territory as had been planned as the north part of the maginot line defense system.
Hank: "Hey, Homer. I'm keeping two of my fingers crossed that you're gonna have that nuclear generator up to full power by tomorrow."
Homer: "Uh, yes, sir. No problemo."
Hank: "Good. By the way, which is your least favorite country? Italy or France?"
Homer: "France."
Hank: "Heh, heh, heh. Nobody ever says Italy."
Because their greatest soldier was a woman, their greatest General was an Italian, and their graditude is as good as their memory?
