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The French PR Machine Crashes
Laura's Weekly E-Blast! ^ | 03/03/03 | Laura Ingraham

Posted on 03/03/2003 12:32:57 PM PST by FBD

Laura's Weekly E-Blast! http://www.LauraIngraham.com

The French PR Machine Crashes

(San Francisco, CA) Even out here in peacenik-land, one senses that patience is wearing thin for the French. After watching the French Foreign Minister Dominque De Villepin on ABC’s This Week, one Democrat friend asked: "Was he trying to win us over or insult us?" My brother, who speaks fluent French, and is a self-avowed Francophile, has cancelled his trip there this summer. Suddenly Evian costs the same as Poland Springs in the grocery stores.

As US authorities continue to pick off top al Qaeda operatives, it’s time we really start to focus on another threat to our national security —the French. Maybe that’s a slight overstatement--but not by much. Day by day we are learning more about how little we have in common with the country whose people were liberated by our soldiers almost 60 years ago. De Villepin, in the much-heralded interview with George Stephanopolous, unwittingly exposed this growing divide, and his country’s feckless, hypocritical stance against a brutal, dangerous Iraqi regime.

After this Q & A (which was more like Q & Q since he failed to answer Any of the important questions about Iraq), there should be no dispute About the following:

* France prefers an Iraq with Saddam in power.

* France thinks 1441’s "serious consequences" means permanent inspections.

* France thinks 1441’s "immediate compliance" mandate means Iraq should cooperate when it feels like it.

* France doesn’t regret its past role in helping Iraq build a nuclear reactor.

* France thinks Americans are stupid.

Stephanopolous later said he believed De Villepin was attempting to "go over the heads of the US government and speak directly to the American people." Did De Villepin really believe our citizens would suddenly Find the French position credible when he claimed that Iraq was now cooperating "on process and substance"? (Something even Hans Blix does not claim.)

George might as well have been interviewing Tariq Aziz. "You cannot say that a country should disarm and when a country agrees to disarm…that it’s nothing," De Villepin said of Saddam’s last minute decision to destroy his Al Samoud missiles. "He is, we are in the process of being able to disarm," he insisted. So from the warped French perspective, UN weapons inspectors are not only detectives, they are enablers.

Confirming the worst American stereotypes of France’s appeasement mentality, De Villepin warned of "a burst of terrorism" if force is used "prematurely." This illogical thinking would prevent us from ever Acting preemptively, and keep our country locked into a never-ending defensive crouch. It may be the French way, but it’s not the American way.

As exasperating as De Villepin’s answers were, so was Stephanopolous’ failure to press him on his country’s Iraqi oil interests. No matter How many times De Villepin invoked the "world community," we know that France is only concerned with one thing in this debate—France. Its economic interests, its standing in Europe, its ability to stand up to the world’s cowboy superpower—this is what motivates France’s refusal to force Iraq’s disarmament.

What the French may never fully comprehend is that none of that will ultimately matter in a world where weapons proliferation goes unchecked, where dictators are able to manipulate democratic leaders like marionettes. Memo to Jacques: If you want to be considered as a 21st century authority on the perils of war, why not starting spending some money on your own military? But that’s right, De Villepin reiterated that "France is not a pacifist country."

French eateries in San Francisco conspicuously fly large American flags as if to assure prospective customers that "we’re still with you." Yes we remember that after September 11th, France said "We are all Americans." That was a warm and welcome gesture. But today we need more than gestures, we need action and real commitment.

Word of the Week

Penitent adj. Feeling or expressing remorse for one's misdeeds or sins. As in-- De Villepin wasn't the slightest bit penitent about France's role in helping Iraq build a nuclear reactor before the last Gulf War.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: devillepin; france; french; iraq; saddam; sanfrancisco; steponallofus
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To: majordivit
Superb documentation and photos!
41 posted on 03/03/2003 1:57:31 PM PST by Grampa Dave (Stamp out Freepathons! Stop being a Freep Loader! Become a monthly donor!)
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To: FBD
Fight the fight fer FReedom...help force Clinton down...
Righteous Lord shall guide us through...PROSECUTION NOW!!!
RIGHT must fight fer FReedom...tear Left's Stonewall down...
Countrymen, Right calls on you...DEMAND JUSTICE NOW!!!!

FReegards...MUD
42 posted on 03/03/2003 2:01:58 PM PST by Mudboy Slim (The A.N.S.W.E.R., my FRiends..."KorruptKlintonKlan DemonRATS LOATHE America and Liberty!!")
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To: majordivit
Great Post!
43 posted on 03/03/2003 2:04:22 PM PST by CyberCowboy777 (In those days... Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.)
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To: FBD
Good stuff! Thanks for posting it. I agree, boycott all things French, including French words. Whoreduvores, my arse! ;^0

Just deliberately mispronounce it..That drives them NUTS.

I recall having a French Teacher who lived in the fantasy that French would become a World Universal Language. Snicker. The Internet took care of that. It, and English, are the two control tower languages at present. But if I were to talk to a tower in French right now, I would not be too surprised to find myself vectored into thunderstorms.

Let's play a game:

Limousine: "Limwasinay"

Souvenier: "Swavinyay"

Grenuoille: "Frog"

Champaigne: "Champagnuh"

Fromage: "Frommij".

44 posted on 03/03/2003 2:11:30 PM PST by Gorzaloon (Contents may have settled during shipping, but this tagline contains the stated product weight.)
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To: gridlock
Wasn't it the french judges who sold their votes in the Utah Olympics or am I thinking of someone else?
45 posted on 03/03/2003 2:13:51 PM PST by anoldafvet (Free Miguel Estrada)
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To: FBD
I prefer George Steponphallus myself.
46 posted on 03/03/2003 2:19:17 PM PST by 6ppc
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To: js1138
The Rainbow Warrior was a floating shield. The French merely proof-tested it using a little C-4 or Semtex.

They performed a service to Greenpeace in that Greenpeace was able to determine beforehand that the vessel would not protect them from thermonukes the French were testing in Polynesia.

Seriously, though, sorry a man died in the exposion.

47 posted on 03/03/2003 2:32:19 PM PST by TFMcGuire
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To: FBD
I'm sure all ten people who watch Steponallofus were incensed...
48 posted on 03/03/2003 2:43:07 PM PST by Wil H
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To: Izzy Dunne
We retired rangers are also sick of the French.

French Survival Knife

49 posted on 03/03/2003 2:44:00 PM PST by rangerX
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To: FBD
French military victories
50 posted on 03/03/2003 3:03:54 PM PST by Heartlander
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To: Mr. Mojo
Evian is far and away the worst tasting bottled water I've ever had.

When I was in Paris last summer, the French weren't even buying it. Vittel was the bottled water of choice.

51 posted on 03/03/2003 3:06:13 PM PST by CholeraJoe
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To: FBD
VeniVidiDidi

(I think that's right :-)
52 posted on 03/03/2003 3:11:29 PM PST by VeniVidiVici
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To: river rat
Naive to pay so much for so little - that can be had by adding a little flavor to tap water...

You don't believe that Evian water is actually spring water from the Alps, as stated?

53 posted on 03/03/2003 3:18:42 PM PST by SunStar (Democrats Piss Me Off !!)
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To: FBD
Poland Springs is owned by Perrier.

As is:
Arrowhead
Dear Park
Calistoga
Zephyrhills

and:
Aberfoyle
Acqua Panna
Vittel
S.Pellegrino

http://www.perriergroup.com/waters
54 posted on 03/03/2003 3:45:18 PM PST by Paul_B
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To: SunStar
I don't dispute the source of their water.. nor does it impress me sufficiently to give them $1.50 per quart to buy it...

However - French bottlers of wine are notorious for "doctoring" their wine with ethylene glycol (anti-freeze) on several occasions in past years..
Should you have any more faith in the water bottlers?

If you still insist on paying $1.50/qt for water -- buy a good American water, and stop financing those back stabbing bastards...

Semper Fi
55 posted on 03/03/2003 3:53:43 PM PST by river rat (War works.....It brings Peace... Give war a chance to destroy Jihadists...)
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To: Born to Conserve
"De Villepin... How is he related to Cruella?"

He's her twisted little sister, I believe...

56 posted on 03/03/2003 4:42:01 PM PST by FBD (French Basher Dude)
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To: gridlock
...travelled to a castle....

I saw an arial shot of the castle...... was it the same place Fox rented for Joe Millionaire?

French Chateaus all look the same to me.

57 posted on 03/03/2003 4:52:01 PM PST by bert (Don't Panic !)
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To: river rat
"However - French bottlers of wine are notorious for "doctoring" their wine with ethylene glycol (anti-freeze) on several occasions in past years..
Should you have any more faith in the water bottlers?

Is that right? wow...I'd seen something about that in some satirical spoof about French wine, but I didn't know it was factual...are you sure it's ethylene glycol?

58 posted on 03/03/2003 4:58:49 PM PST by FBD (French Basher Dude)
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To: Paul_B
Thanks for that link. Good for folks to know what products have a "french connection"

Filtered tap water for me, thanks.

FRegards
59 posted on 03/03/2003 5:03:21 PM PST by FBD (French Basher Dude)
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To: js1138
Stephanoupolos should have asked Monsieur De Villepin about the scores of French military interventions in Francophone Africa none of which were sanctioned by the UN and all of which were directed toward securing preferential access to natural resources in these countries for France.

It is a shameful record.
60 posted on 03/03/2003 5:11:52 PM PST by ggekko
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