Congressmen: France and Germany 'Beneath Contempt'

NewsMax.com ^ | Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2003

[nickcarraway]

Saying that phony "allies" have betrayed the United States, lawmakers are outraged that France, Germany and Belgium would let genocidal Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein attack Turkey.

The House International Relations Committee's top Democrat, Rep. Tom Lantos of California, said Tuesday he was "particularly disgusted by the blind intransigence and utter ingratitude" of Paris, Berlin and Brussels.

"If it were not for the heroic efforts of America's military, France, Germany and Belgium today would be Soviet socialist republics," Lantos noted. "The failure of these three states to honor their commitments is beneath contempt."

The committee's chairman, Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., said, "America has fought distant wars to defend whole continents from a succession of aggressors, but the beneficiaries of the safety we have ensured often devote their energies to impeding our efforts to help others."

Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that if the United States is forced to bypass the alliance, "NATO will quickly atrophy."

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Congress could consider reducing financial support for NATO.

Sure, the greedy "Axis of Weasel" wants to prop up Saddam because of the billions invested in his abusive regime, but the New York Post's Steve Dunleavy today suggested an economic response: a boycott of all things French and German.

"Let's see how fast Jacques Chirac, the president of the whine and cheese club, and Gerhard Schroeder, the German leader whose people enjoy a united Berlin thanks to President Ronald Reagan, react to that one," Dunleavy wrote.

[Long Tall Texan]

"New York Post's Steve Dunleavy today suggested an economic response: a boycott of all things French and German."

To my great embarrassment, someone at lunch today pointed out that Perrier water was from France (which I already knew, just hadn't focused on). I've purchased my last bottle, although I love drinking it. Jerks...

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

"...They could at least say Thank You and help us out the one time we've asked for it....

In fact, the continental Europeans have been very helpful in going after Al Quaida.

Remember "Al Quaida"?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Try Ozarkia Water. I think its bottled in Texas...

[ffusco]

If I saved a person from drowning I world expect to have a friend for life. What if I saved a whole continent from fascism? All Europe has done for 50 years is take, take, take. The Europeans all take 2 month vacations, have free health care and complain about Americans while we provide an entire fleet to defend them and the world order to allow them to prosper. Was it France or germany that won the cold war? No, they are the ungrateful recipients of American sacrifice. Only New Europe has shown any gratitude, not in words, platitudes (like the French) or empty gestures (like the Germans). When was the golden age of gratitude? What have they EVER doen to repay us? The Germans have decided that they no longer have to feel ashamed of their atrocious behavior in WW2, like its ancient history.It was their fathers and grandfathers that killed all those millions. Hey you blood thirsty savages: You could never repay the USA in a thousand years. Germany by rights should have been ostracized by the civilized world after WW2. Like we did to Libya in the 80's. Germany is responsible for something like 50,000,000 deaths in Europe and Russia. The French are completely self -serving. It's been hundreds of years since any French blood was spilled helping anyone else. They are despicable, selfish, arrogant, ingrateful, cowardly bastards. I will never travel to France or Germany as long as I live, nor would I EVER buy anything from France or Germany.

[biblewonk]

It seems like the whole face of the world is changing.

[syriacus]

The House International Relations Committee's top Democrat, Rep. Tom Lantos of California, said Tuesday he was "particularly disgusted by the blind intransigence and utter ingratitude" of Paris, Berlin and Brussels.

Any word on the behavior of Germany and France from
Dennis Kucinich, Barbara Lee, Jesse Jackson, Jr, Bernie Sanders, John Conyers, Chaka Fattah, Barney Frank, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Jerry Nadler, Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Mel Watt, Henry Waxman (or anyone else who is on the Congressional Progressive Caucus with Lantos)?

It would be great to hear similar expressions from Lantos' cohorts.

[ffusco]

Try San Pellegrino bottled sparkling water.

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

"...Blue monkeys are flying out of my butt....

That's a common syndrome in countries whose populations expect their butt to be kissed by the grateful populations of countries who have been liberated by the former.

I believe it's called "Monkey Butt Syndrome". Blue monkey butt occurs, according to experts, when the syndrome is well advanced.

There is no known cure.

[newgeezer]

It seems like the whole face of the world is changing.

All it takes is a close shave to see what it really looks like.

[syriacus]

In fact, the continental Europeans have been very helpful in going after Al Quaida.

Thank heavens for that! Imagine the damage AlQaeda could do to the average-Joe European, after the terrorist cells have so firmly established themselves in Hamburg, Paris and other cities.

Does Europe still insist that the US promise not to seek the death penalty for terrorists that are handed over to us?

[Long Tall Texan]

Excellent post, I heartily concur.

[ffusco]

Thanks, and greetings from Houston.

[Centurion2000]

Kewl ... looks like Congress is starting to grow a spine.

[syriacus]

What do we call the syndrome where NATO countries help Europe solve its "Yugoslavia" problem and fairly shortly thereafter NATO refuses to protect Turkey?

[XJarhead]

Lantos is on our side on this one, and I thank him for it.

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

If it were not for the heroic efforts of America's military, France, Germany and Belgium today would be Soviet socialist republics

Maybe that's what the pinkos are mad about

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

"... Don't forget, they wanted us to bomb the native Serbs out of Europe, and we obliged. And we still have troops there doing NATO's bidding...."

I don't forget. I don't forget that all these "peace lovers" in Europe and America didn't let out a peep when the Serbs were being demonized and bombed.

Instead of disbanding it, we turned NATO into an offensive machine against the Serbs in the wake of the end of the Cold War, NATO was cursed at that moment. The chickens are flocking home to roost. (I hope.)

[IncPen]

OK. How long do they have to kiss our patootie in gratitude? How long? Forever? For two-hundered years? One-hundred years?

Considering that my father and grandfather took up arms to defend France and defeat Germany not once but twice in the last century, they can kiss my ass, sans gratitude, for the duration of my stay on this mortal coil.

And if those two petulant child-states keep it up, I'm not opposed to us seizing them in the name of those who fell at Normandy, for starters.

[The South Texan]

Maybe France, Germany, and Belgium should committ "SUICIDE."

Good for Congressman Lantos. For once I agree with LANTOS.

[XJarhead]

I agree that the French are not obligated to support us on this. However, the timing and tone of their comments and statements have been designed to undercut our position as much as possible. The jumped the gun and announced their opposition within NATO to the Iraq operation even before the NATO ministers met in January.

They are intentionally being difficult to assert their vaunted French independence. "See? We can spit in the faces of the Americans because we are just as good as they are." That's been their attitude. Being different just to be different

That is not the attitude of an ally who reluctantly cannot support you becuase of an honest difference of opinion. It's an attitude of a supposed friend pissing on your shoes because he know you won't do anything about it.