Posted on 04/10/2002 12:31:59 PM PDT by Korth
Sad that one has to go back 13 centuries to find a French moment to be proud of. There certainly haven't been many of those in the last 200 years.
Again, you're going back quite a ways there, whereas Britain--who helped us save France's sorry ass in WWII--makes me proud over and over again. Tony Blair's support for Bush's Iraq policy, despite fierce oppostion from the EU and his own party, is truly a profile in courage, despite some recent wobbling. When push comes to shove, France--who's colonial debt we have repaid many times over, in blood--has shown it's disloyalty to us again and again.
And it's appeasement of Arab criminals and tyrants is truly revolting.
I don't know how that is actually done. If you can explain it to me, I will.
Yes, if someone will explain the process to me.
Again, another person who has to go back two centuries to find a French moment of pride. We have repaid that colonial debt many times over, from Meuse-Argonne to Normandy to Saigon. France was Hitler's handmaiden, gleeful turning over Jews to be slaughtered, and now they are at it again, salivating at the prospect of Holocaust II at the hands of their Muslims, all while they have opposed striking back at terrorists from Libya to Iraq, West Bank to Afganistan. The appeasement and surrender disgraces go on and on.
Leni
This is one of those histoical myths right up there with "Hilter had been a house painter" and "Marie Antoinette said, 'Let them eat cake.'"
Truth is the for his time and place Napoleon was a man of average heigh, coming in at about 5'4" tall. At that time the French army had a minimum height requirement of 4' 10", and a good number of recruits were turned away b/c the failed to met the minimum height.
The idea that Napoleon was a shrimp one part propaganda, one part due to the fact that it was not until his death that any real measurement of him was taken (for his coffin, etc.) and by that time his remains had shrunken somewhat; which is typical since the human body is 70% water.
He was not unusually small for a Corsican, that's true. But he was noticably shrimpy compared to other Frenchmen. We know this because many contemporary commentators and diarists, male and female, noticed and commented upon it.
Average height statistics do not always give a realistic view because the tallest and shortest are allowed to skew the acutal view. In fact, the French, especially in the North, and especially among the well-fed etats, were generally "tall".
It is also interesting to note that most French leaders in history--ancien and modern--have been tall in the context of their age--as have been the majority of American Presidents. I think it's Richard Brookhiser in Founding Father--Rediscovering George Washington who has some very interesting thoughts about the profound importance of the physique of a Leader in a Republic; also, the relationship between a culture's beliefs about paternity and the health of the Republican form of government.
Many people think that, although Japan had technically thrown in the towel in the wake of Hiroshima/Nagasaki, any idea of resistance dissappeared completely when newspapers published the photo of the diminutive Emperor standing next to the giant McArthur.
I'm not sure where this is going. The Czar who neutered Nappy was (inevitably I wonder?) tall. Many of the commies who destroyed the czarist system were shrimps.
The role of diet in class conflict. The role of size in forming personality. The role of pesonality in directing actions. The role of actions in human history.
Should short men or women be allowed to hold offices of power in a country that values liberty?
Funny you should bring this up. I read an interesting little item in The Economist a few weeks back. The setting is China and the government was looking to hire clerks for its one of its main banks. One of the requirements was that the applicant be more than 5' tall.
Well, it turns out that one fellow is (was?) sueing the government on the grounds of discimination. He met all the other qualification but the one on height. This is blanent (sp?) discrimination because, he declared, pointing out that nearly one half of the population of China is 5' or less in height.
In response, it seems the government came down with hammers and tongs on this guy. The reason, the magazine went on to say, was not the discrimination suit itelf, but b/c this..this..."person" had actually questioned / defied/ objected/whatever a decision by the government. And the boys in Peiking were determined to squash that notion like a bug. You know, as a warning to others who might get "crazy ideas" in their heads
"...Of Talleyrand and The Directory's not-so vague threats against President Washington and the Congress?..."
I love Talleyrand. What a survivor! The look on his face in the painting of Napoloeon's coronation--and I have no doubt David actually saw that look many, many times--is one of the great looks in history. How I wish Washington had agreed to meet him while he was on "vacation" from the Terror. I admire both men so much I would have loved to read their opinions of one another--especially since their personalities wouldn't have been particualrly well suited but both were gentlemen. What a missed opportunity.
Nothing but cheese-eating surrender monkeys.
He was born of a distinguished family and early entered the army. Enthusiastic over the news of the American Revolution, he evaded all obstacles set in his way by the officially neutral French government and left France to join George Washington's army. He arrived (1777) in Philadelphia, where Congress appointed him a major general. He quickly won the close friendship of Washington, was wounded at Brandywine, shared the hardships of Valley Forge, and obtained a divisional command. After a trip to France (1779-80), where he negotiated for French aid, he distinguished himself in the Yorktown campaign .
Also, the French fleet's presence at Yorktown which helped corner Cornwallis in the trap laid there by Washington sealed the the victory over the British.
Sadly, France as a nation has not shown the courage of Lafayette in all its dealings in the world. But, still, there are people of courage who love freedom in every country, including France. The Resistance comes to mind!
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