French Statue of Liberty Replica Torched

3/26/2003

[Nouge]

BORDEAUX, France - Vandals in this southwest Bordeaux torched a replica of the Statue of Liberty and cracked the pedestal of a plaque honoring victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

The crowned head of the 8-foot-tall statue was blackened by fire and its eyes were marked with red paint, apparently to symbolize tears of blood, an official at the mayor's office said.

The statue and the Sept. 11 plaque are beside each other in a square near the city center.

The mayor of the southwestern city, Alain Juppe, condemned Wednesday's pre-dawn attack, saying the statue's message is especially pertinent in wartime.

"At a time when the world is living a major conflict, it is more important than ever to remain watchful of the values of peace and liberty," said Juppe, a former prime minister.

The Lady Liberty standing in New York Harbor was a gift from France to the United States commemorating freedom and friendship between the nations. It was made by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated in 1886.

Today, tensions between France and the United States have flared over the war in Iraq (news - web sites). French people overwhelmingly oppose the U.S.-led conflict and President Jacques Chirac angered many Americans by trying to slow the U.S. drive to war.

In France, vandals have ransacked McDonald's restaurants in Paris and Strasbourg, targeting the fast food chain as a symbol of American influence.

Cafeterias in the U.S. House of Representatives subsequently changed their menus to read "freedom fries" instead of French fries and "freedom toast" instead of French toast.

Lawmakers also introduced bills preventing France from participating in any postwar reconstruction projects.

[You Dirty Rats]

The French Government is not (nominally) socialist. Chiraq is (incredible, but true) a man of the Right in France.

I would be surprised if support for the US policy in Iraq is as high as 10% in France. Only a few Atlanticists in Chiraq's party have spoken out in support of the US. The press on the Right and Left both oppose the war.

Having been in both France and Germany two weeks ago, I know this to be true. Colleagues of mine who are usually pro-US have their panties in a bunch. There is a significant rift in the West right now.

[faithincowboys]

what peace-loving people! The french will get theirs!
They better hope that anti-Saddam Iraqis don't practice terrorism.

[the_doc]

The right and the left in France are both on the left in this mess.

[mountaineer]

fyi

[xrp]

Why don't we just return the Statue of Liberty then? We could go ahead and just build our own new Statue of Liberty. We could use the ultra-beautiful Salma Hayek as a model for it.

[Teacher317]

Trade it for the 75,000 graves. Those great men made that ground hallowed, but I will not stand idly by while the *spit* French desecrate and dishonor their sacrifice. It's time for them to come home where they are treasured.

[wastoute]

That was what I was about to ask, we should send 'em their statue back.

[Grampa Dave]

[Grampa Dave]

How to $crew the slimey frogs!

Here is a list of French companies and their products to avoid for the rest of this decade. Please keep this list and send it to your relatives, friends and fellow conservatives via e and snail mail!

*New additions to the list thanks to Freepers. If you have an addition, Freepmail me with the URL showing French ownership.

Air France

Air Liquide

Airbus

Alcatel - Based in Paris France, Provider of communications equipment, including ADSL equipment, terrestrial and submarine optical networks, public switching, fixed wireless access and intelligent networks.


Allegra (Allergy Medication) - Produced by Aventis Pharmaceuticals based in Strasbourg, France

Aqualung (Including: Spirotechnique, Technisub, US Divers, and SeaQuest)

AXA Advisors

*Bacou-Dalloz-Makes Industrial protective devices

Bank of the West - Owned by BNP Paribas

Beneteau (boats)

BF Goodrich - Owned by Michelin

BIC (Razors, Pens & Lighters) - Started in 1945 by Marcel Bich. Originally based just outside of Paris. Began trading on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1972. 40.5% Publicly traded. Bich family still owns 33.5%.

Biotherm (Cosmetics)

Black Bush

Bollinger (Champagne)

*Browning Firearms**

Car & Driver Magazine

Cartier

Chanel

Chivas Regal (Scotch)

Christian Dior

Club Med (Vacations) - Owned in part by Paris based CDC (Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations)

Culligan (owned by Vivendi)

Dannon (Yogurt & Dairy Foods)

*Danone -Lea and Perrin, Evian and other food/water

*Decatholon Super Sport Stores or MVP Sport Stores*

* Dassault Systemes-(CATIA design software)*

DKNY - LVMH acquired 100% of Gabrielle Studio Inc., the privately owned licenser of Donna Karan trademarks back in 2001.

*DMC THREADS

Dom Perignon

Durand Crystal

Elle Magazine

*Emile Henry French Cookware

*Enertec makes high speed recorders used in Recon aircraft p>Essilor Optical Products

Evian

Fina Oil - Billions invested in Iraqi Oil fields

First Hawaiian Bank

George Magazine

Givenchy

*Grey Goose Vodka

*GroupeSEB owns Krups, Moulinex, Roweta and Tefal Cookware

*Groupe Shneider, owner of Modicon and Square D

*Guerlain Fragrances

*Hachette Filipacchi owner publisher of many magazines sold in the USA. See the list below:***

Hennessy

Houghton Mifflin (books) International Herald Tribune - 181 ave Charles-de-Gaulle - F-92521 Neuilly - FRSource:World Business Council for Sustainable Development '00 [Domain Registration], [Corporate Profile]

Jacobs Creek - Owned by Pernod Ricard since 1989

Jameson (whiskey Owned by Pernod Ricard )

Jerry Springer (talk show)

Krups

****Lagardere****

Lancome

*Lea & Perrins a product of Danon

Le Creuset (Cookware)

L'Oreal (Health & Beauty Products)

Louis Vuitton

Marie Claire

Martel Cognac

Maybelline

Méphisto (Footwear & Apparel)

Michelin (Tires & Auto Parts) - Their phone number is: (33) 1 45 66 15 53 in France

Mikasa Crystal and Glass (purchased by ARC int'l in 2001)

Moet (Champagne)

Motel 6 - 33, Avenue du Maine- 75755 Paris Cedex 15 France

Motown Records

MP3.com

Mumms (Champagne)

Nissan (Cars) - Majority owned by Renault

Nivea

Normany Butter

Parents Magazine

*Perrier

Peugeot (Automobiles) - Pronounced "Pooh Joe", must be French

Pierre Cardin

Playstation Magazine

ProScan - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France

Publicis Group (Including: Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising)

RCA (televisions & electronics) - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France

Red Magazine

Red Roof Inns - Owned by the Accor group based in France

Renault (Automobiles) major owner of Nissan

Road & Track Magazine

Roquefort Cheese - All Roquefort cheese is made in France

Rowenta (Toasters, Irons, Coffee makers, etc)

Royal Canadian

Salomon (Skis)

Seagram's Gin

Sierra Software and Computer Games

*Sodexho Alliance* French Food Caterer for the US Marines

Sofitel (Hotels) - Owned by the Accor group based in France

Sparkletts (Water) - Owned by Danone, based in France

Spencer Gifts

Sundance Channel

Taylor Made (Golf)

Technicolor

T-Fal (Kitchenware)

The Glenlivet (Scotch) *Top Tobacco - Dist. by Republic Tobacco L.P., Glenview IL, made in France

UbiSoft (Computer Games)

Uniroyal

Uniroyal Tires - Owned by Michelin

Universal Studios (Music, Movies & Theme Parks) -

Universal Studios is owned by Vivendi-Universal, headquartered in Paris France

USFilter

Veritas Group

Veuve Clicquot Champagne

Vittel

Vivendi - Vivendi Headquarters, Paris France

Wild Turkey (bourbon)

*Winchester Firearms (US Repeating Arms)**

Woman's Day Magazine

Yoplait - France-based Sodiaal owns a 50% stake of Yoplait

Yves Saint Laurent

*Yves Rocher Cosmetics

*ZigZag (tobacco papers and roller products)*

Zodiac Inflatable Boats

*New additions to the list thanks to Freepers. If you have an addition, Freepmail me with the URL showing French ownership.

** Sad news but these two companies are owned by the Belgian Company Herstal, (French Light)

***List of 18 magazines sold in USA by Hachette Filipacchi with an estimated 50 million readers: American Photo, Boating, Car Stereo Review's Mobile Entertainment, Cycle World, ELLE Decor, ELLEgirl, Flying, Home, Metropolitan Home, Popular Photography, Premiere, Sound & Vision, Travel Holiday, Woman's Day Woman's Day Special Interest Publications.

****Lagardere owns the Virgin Megastore group in France, which it bought from Richard Branson three years ago. Its Hachette media division publishes a battery of magazines including Elle , see *** Hachette Filipacchi above. Lagardere also has a stake in the Airbus manufacturing operation. The company is capitalised at over €5bn based on last week's closing prices.****

[Mister Magoo]

The French are worthless, and have always been worthless. Even Churchill knew this. He tried in vain to have the French leadership flown to London to form a government-in-exile. They refused, allowed the traitor Petain to run the country, and, as a result, the British were forced to attack French warships to prevent them from being turned over to German control. And, even though the BEF was in France to defend it, the French Navy tried to repulse the British attacks. The French are lower than low.

[winner3000]

Selma Hayek as Statue of liberty?? You must be joking! Didn't she play Frida the communist recently? Communism and liberty don't exactly jive!

[SpyGuy]

"The French Government is not (nominally) socialist"

Perhaps not in the strict definition of the term. (And I admit to not following French politics too closely lately.) But I believe that the French government is still dominated by members of the French Socialist Party.

"Chiraq is (incredible, but true) a man of the Right in France."

Calling him a "man of the Right in France" doesn't say much: he is still a lefty on the absolute political scale. The problem today is that the relative scale of politics have shifted so far to the Left, that the terms left, right, liberal, and conservative have virtually no valid meaning in the political arena. Look at America's own two primary political parties. Most so-called "conservative" Republicans today would have been considered way-left of the Democrats of forty years ago. Many of today's Demoncrats, would have been (correctly) prosecuted for un-American activities fifty years ago.

Even President Bush, who is denounced by the left as an extreme right-winger, is in fact a moderate liberal when judged by the whole of his policies. While I voted for Bush (considering the alternative was Gore) and I strongly support his position on Iraq and Al-Qaeda, I find his domestic--and much of his foreign policy--to be right out of the DNC playbook.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Grandpa, add Prive to the list. It is made in Biarritz, France.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

By the way, Prive is a hair product.

[SpyGuy]

You are wrong on both counts:

1. "Why don't we just return the Statue of Liberty"

Because the Statue of Liberty was given to us by the French of yesteryear, not the French of today. Her purpose was to celebrate America's love of liberty and freedom from tyrannical governments. Today--with French AND American politics being dominated by socialists and globalists--the ideals she symbolizes are more important than ever! If anything, we need to raise up the Statue of Liberty on an even higher pedestal.

2. "We could use the ultra-beautiful Salma Hayek as a model for it."

Put your hormones on hold for a moment and consider the following excerpt from an AP "news" article:

"Earlier, in West Hollywood, celebrities picking up their Oscar gowns and jewelry at the Sunset Marquis Hotel were greeted Thursday morning by the anti-war group Artists United to Win Without War.

"Actor Mike Farrell handed out small green-and-blue peace pins and asked celebrities to wear them to the Oscars.

"Actors who promised to wear the pins included Julianne Moore, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Affleck, Salma Hayek, Jim Carrey and Michael Moore."

[lodwick]

bttt

[Timeout]

Zut alors!

I don't know how to say "I spit ze French".

[HOYA97]

France has been conquered by its 10% Muslim population.

Actually, the muslim population is nearly 20%.

[Charles Martel]

It's time for them to come home where they are treasured.

Agreed. Not just the men buried at Normandy, either. There are Americans in smaller cemeteries scattered all over Europe. Some were executed by our own military for crimes such as murder and rape, and in the case of Eddie Slovik, desertion. Those men did not merit burial alongside those lost in combat, but they should be returned to rest in American soil too. Even our criminals are too good for French soil.