[MattAMiller]

May I be allowed to kind of defend the French for a moment?

We do not have any need for subservient allies. I don't expect the French to help us with everything just because we say so.

I do expect the French to help us in Iraq because it's the right thing to do. And that's where I begin to have problems with France's preening.

[John Lenin]

Did you take back the nukes you sold Iraq yet ?

[Leisler]

So, after 58 years, the French have decided that they prefer Vichy after all. It's hardly surprising. When the Vichy regime was in power, one could pretty much do what one wanted when it came to those troublesome Jews. Yes, there were shortages and lots of Germans around, but that's not much different from the present. Plus, just like today, the truly intellectual could take pride in the notion that they were part of something larger than a piddling little nation state. And really, "Liberté, égalité, fraternité!" is just so passe. Vichy knew that too, which is why they were replaced with Travail (work), Famille (family), and Patrie (fatherland).

Not that those are any better. The modern Vichian motto might as well be ignorez, retarde, apaisez. Ignore, delay and appease describe the French character as well as anything else, excepts perhaps "Unions, Vacations and Occasional Showers!".

You can hardly blame the French. France is example number one when comes to natural selection of a nation's character.

Gallic Wars - Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.
Hundred Years War - Mostly lost, saved at last by female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare; "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchman."
Italian Wars - Lost. France becomes the first and only country to ever lose two wars when fighting Italians.
Wars of Religion - France goes 0-5-4 against the Huguenots
Thirty Years War - France is technically not a participant, but manages to get invaded anyway. Claims a tie on the basis that eventually the other participants started ignoring her.
War of Devolution - Tied. Frenchmen take to wearing red flowerpots as chapeaux.
The Dutch War - Tied
War of the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War - Lost, but claimed as a tie. Three ties in a row induces deluded Frogophiles the world over to label the period as the height of French military power.
War of the Spanish Succession - Lost. The War also gave the French their first taste of a Marlborough, which they have loved every since.
American Revolution - In a move that will become quite familiar to future Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists saw far more action. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads to the Second Rule of French Warfare; "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."
French Revolution - Won, primarily due the fact that the opponent was also French.
The Napoleonic Wars - Lost. Temporary victories (remember the First Rule!) due to leadership of a Corsican, who ended up being no match for a British footwear designer.
The Franco-Prussian War - Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunk Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.
World War I - Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like to not only sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline.
World War II - Lost. Conquered French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish learning the Horst Wessel Song.
War in Indochina - Lost. French forces plead sickness, take to bed with the Dien Bien Flu
Algerian Rebellion - Lost. Loss marks the first defeat of a western army by a Non-Turkic Muslim force since the Crusades, and produces the First Rule of Muslim Warfare; "We can always beat the French." This rule is identical to the First Rules of the Italians, Russians, Germans, English, Dutch, Spanish, Vietnamese and Esquimaux.
War on Terrorism - France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to Germans and Muslims just to be safe. Attempts to surrender to Vietnamese ambassador fail after he takes refuge in a McDonald's.

Let's face it. When it comes to war, France gets rolled more often than a Parisian prostitute with a visible mustache. They've been beaten so many times there's no fight left in them. There's no national anthem in the world as ludicrous as France's

To arms, to arms, ye brave!
Th'avenging sword unsheathe!
March on, march on, all hearts resolved
On liberty or death.

Oh liberty can man resign thee,
Once having felt thy gen'rous flame?
Can dungeons, bolts, and bar confine thee?
Or whips thy noble spirit tame?

Can dungeons, bolts, and bar confine thee? Or whips thy noble spirit tame? Yes, demonstrably. The question for any country silly enough to count on the French should not be "Can we count on the French?", but rather "How long until France collapses?"

You should keep that in mind, Herr Schroeder.

[Colorado Doug]

Israel in Palestine?

Interesting. The French only want peaceful sovereignty but what about those Jews. Have they NO land? Do they deserve less then the French?

In the land of Palestine indeed. Would you then welcome the Jews to a portion of France or should they just be pushed into the sea? There are Arab lands all over the Middle East but there is no Israel?

[JudgemAll]

I am very shocked by the current propaganda against France and, in a minor extent, Germany and the EU, which is developing on the American web and media.

Oh naive people, just look accross the Mediterranean and you will be amazed at what real propaganda is, vs. open discussions and rants about France.

Fools, little Napoleonic fools, your country is no more France but Napoleonia.

[JudgemAll]

Hugo said:

without losing your distinct qualities and your glorious individualities,

so why do you give up your individuality for such hubris and paranoia about propaganda in free nations?

[JudgemAll]

They have succeeded in being hated by the whole Moslem world - which owns the main oil reserves.

Just as the Jews succeeded in being hated by Germans? When did America attack the muslims specificaly? Or the muslim religion? And why blame the victim for attracting crimes upon itself? Isn't it pagan superstition?

[JudgemAll]

"French people know they have lost their weight in international politics. "

Ah! and so it is, about sheer power hunger, this addiction to this welfare, this farce of communist power struggle, this nationalism, this national socialism, this loss that the French crave for now..

But as for truth, genuine truth, the Know thyself Socratic civilization, no, that the French renounce, and they accuse America of not having it, accusing America of France's own urges for power, for greedy selfish power and popularity, this weight in international affairs...

That is not France, but Hitlero-Napoleonic view of "France" and "Europe" that you have here. ....

[JudgemAll]

[Chancellor Palpatine]

To Pierre, I say this: "Blow Me".

[Drango]

It's wrong to be French.

[Eva]

Most Americans feel that France is trying to cover up their own selfish instincts with their cowardly phoney morality. There is much evidence that France has been selling Iraq banned merchandise, including materials which could be used for weapons of mass destruction. The French haven't considered anyone but themselves since Lafayette helped George Washington.

[Pagey]

"...But with the future Anglo-Saxon crusade against Bagdad..."

I really take exception to this french piece of dirt alluding that action in Iraq is equivalent to the Crusades.If he learned anything in school, he'd know that it was 'Muslim Aggression' that created the Crusades. Contrary to Most Leftist Historians Drivel, the Crusades to the East were in every way defensive wars. They were a direct response to Muslim aggression—an attempt to turn back or defend against Muslim conquests of Christian lands. So get that fact straight in your head, you leftist skunk.We're not trying to throw religion down anybodys throat.The fact that you think that we are, is simply asinine.Submitting an article such as this, w/out regard to the facts,appears to be consistent with your countries weak past behavior.

[HamiltonJay]

But they don't want to abandon their sovereignty to an other organisation than the European union

That statement alone shows just how pathetically lacking in sovereignty you are.... please rationalize your cowardice elsewhere.

[Johnny Gage]

You and all your EU butt buddies can go to H3ll!

Nothing but a bunch of cheese eating, wine sippin, beret wearin, smelly, showerless, surrender monkeys.

I've got a gift for ya Pierre ol' buddy:

[TigersEye]

All Frenchies should be required to memorize this thread before gaining admittance to the U.S.