French Claim US Campaign Is Failing

Newsday ^ | 11/4/01

[11th Earl of Mar]

PARIS (Reuters) - Nearly half the French public believes the four-week-old U.S. military action in Afghanistan is failing, a poll released Sunday showed.

The survey by pollsters Ipsos for the Journal du Dimanche weekly showed 47 percent thought the campaign was failing, with just 17 percent confident of success.

The remainder of the 969-head sample, interviewed on November 2, gave no response or said the outlook was unclear. No definition for what constituted success or failure was given.

[ScreamingFist]

"I learned German, English and French in school as a matter of course, as did my parents, my grandparents, my great-grandparents etc. A relatively normal state of affairs."

I'm guessing you're not stateside. If you are, I would consider you quite the exception. America seems to be the only country in the world where the average person doesn't speak at LEAST two languages.

[GVnana]

drop some boxed California wines on Paris if you really want to get their attention.

Oh don't tell me you're one of those "I only drink French" people!

[1rudeboy]

I hope you're satisfied. For anyone who cares here is the real headline:

French Faith in U.S. Action Dwindling, Poll Shows

The same headline could be written with "U.S." in the title. But don't let that stop you or anyone else for having some good, clean, fun sitting around on a Sunday afternoon trading "my d*** is bigger than yours" insults. Pathetic.

[NewAmsterdam]

If you are not part of the solution, YOU are part of the PROBLEM. The French are arrogant jerks that can't get the job done, and will have to decide...are you with US, or the terrorists? I hope they/YOU choose wisely.

This, in itself, is such an arrogant comment. How come you feel perfectly happy accusing others of arrogance while displaying it so blatently yourself? Double standards?

[tillacum]

Lest we forget, the Book of Galantry in Wartime for the French section has many pages.........and they are blank, so what else can we expect. The only time the French thought America could do anything is when we freed them from the Nazi regime and later fed them. Since then they have kicked us in the shins.

[CWOJackson]

No way! There are plenty of domestic wines just as good as anything France has ever produced. The only thing unique about French wine is the arrogance.

[hgro]

Those excretory orfices would love to see the U.S.A. fail. They have a history of throwing in the towel when the going gets rough. The U.S. have saved their sorry butts too many times.

[One4Indictment]

It must be terrible to be sooo...Les Miserables

[BARGE]

Another generation wants to surrender. Cowardice seems to run in French genes.

[Moto]

The French le suck. Next... Oh, and to "Ms. Bumpersticker view of history," If we hadn't bailed there asses out, then propped up their economy afterwards, we wouldn't be having this conversation as the France you seem to glorify would most certainly not exist. Put that on your bumpersticker, cuz that's a fact

[GVnana]

Ok. Just checking. :)

[NewAmsterdam]

You are correct. I am a Dutchman living in Britain, at the moment. I was wondering what that economic law was called again, basically explaining how an advantage can become a disadvantage. After all, English is the lingua franca of the modern world; everyone needs to speak it. Thus, there is less incentive for English speakers to learn another language, which then turns into a relative disadvantage.

[1rudeboy]

In my experience the Americans can live very well without confrontations with the French.

What about your experience on this thread? The poster coins a misleading title, and provides nothing but a banal comment about "saving their ass." I could make a strong argument that the poster is trying to provoke a "confrontation." (Using a "poll" to boot--what a bonus).

[horsewhispersc]

It "will" be a long war, maybe longer then Viet Nam, are we prepared in a mindset to handle the ugliness of terrorism on the home front which could get out of control, families, businesses h#ll anything and everthing. Thots anyone?

[tillacum]

Hey Moto, I don't like their outlook of us either. I agree with you, if we had not taken care of them, where would they be?

[BigWaveBetty]

Arrogant?! I think it was extremely arrogant of Jackie Characie to come to our country within the first week after the attacks, the first "leader" to visit with President Bush and tell him that he didn't like the word WAR. That sir/madam is the height of arrogance!

I'm just postive if France had been attacked and President Bush met with Jackie he would have never said such an idiotic arrogant statement.

[AmishDude]

Could the fact that both France and the USA are countries born out of a revolution have anything to do with it?

The French revolutions were largely failures and led, in the immedate aftermath, to some of the worst despotism that western Europe had ever seen to that point.

Or that French political thought was implemented better in the US then in France itself?

Say no to Rousseau!

Seriously, the British enlightenment thinkers were much more influential on America than the French were. "Liberty, equality, fraternity" laid the groundwork for socialism, IMHO. Plus, it's really ideological claptrap when compared to "Life, liberty, property."

[CaptSkip]

History can be painful...esp. for the French.

Choose wisely for the future.

[grammymoon]

You are right, my rudeness is more a natural talent.
It usually occurs when I come across snide, arrogant, ruder than me, unwashed fools.

As far as hate, no, I don't hate the French.
They are a pipsqueak to me. A small, inconsequential thing.
I pay no mind to the French.