Eiffel Tower Illuminated in Red to Honor Chinese

[kskiska]

Stunning!

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-01/25/xinsrc_2701012411382343134118.bmp

PARIS, Jan. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The Eiffel Tower, one of the great symbols of France, is bathed in scarlet red lights for the first time in its history on Saturday evening and will sparkle red for the next five days in honor of China.

The red color, which symbolizes happiness, joyful festivities and prosperity in the Chinese tradition, is also a color loved by the French people, said Chinese Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng at the "light-on" ceremony.

The event is part of the French and Chinese governmental initiative to promote bilateral cultural exchanges, which "marks the entry into a new phase of the partnership between our two nations," said Sun.

more pictures…http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-01/25/content_1288014.htm

[sushi]

1. Sensational

The Eiffel Tower is already impressive, but now, bathed in red, it's absolutely fabulous. Thank you for posting the pictures. Wish I was in Paris now.

[lebkuchen]

2. France leads by example in demonstrating good foreign diplomacy

In the states, the rightwing whackos would be demonstrating in front of the Chinese Embassy, yelling "Commies go home!"

[Muddleoftheroad]

28. Yeah, whoring out your national landmarks is always diplomatic

The French, who helped us win our freedom, should be turning over in their graves.

Lafayette, we are whores.

[Forkboy]

32. Empire State Building doing the same thing

[Muddleoftheroad]

34. Not even close to similar

The Eiffel Tower is THE symbol of France. America has several -- Washington Monument, Statue of Liberty, etc.

[Democat]

3. China is a hard one for right wingers to figure out

When Clinton didn't hate China, the right wingers went crazy. Now that Bush doesn't hate them either, right wingers don't know what to do. Was Clinton right all along or is Bush wrong now?

[kskiska]

4. I wonder if they blame Nixon?

Maybe he should have left it alone?

[fujiyama]

7. Actually some...

do. I understand why...and I don't really view it as the "great achievement" everyone claims it is. It was simply one more part of Kissinger's cold realpolitics. Nixon and Kissinger were scum and I have no reason to heap praise on a few policy initiatives whether they seemingly led to good consequenses or not.

[lebkuchen]

6. Which is not to say the Parisians won't protest China. They will.

but on the basis of the human condition, not on some broad reactionary notion of red-baiting, which is so imbedded in US culture.

[non sociopath skin]

10. I think to the Cons it's OK...

... if you "DO BUSINESS" with the Chinese but it's suspect if you LIKE, RESPECT or - God help us - try to UNDERSTAND anything about them.

BTW I like the way that Chinese New Year is becoming more and more of an "event" in the UK these days.

The Skin

[chenGOD]

30. I'd just like to point out that it's not only China that celebrates

New Year at this time. Korea, Vietnam and several other Asian countries also celebrate Lunar New Year.


Just my effort at bringing insane PCness to the world... ;)

[dArKeR]

5. Chinese tourist destinations #1-#2 are France and then Spain.

France is for sure #1, I might have #2 wrong. Isn't it amazing what can happen when the world respects your country.

Why don't they come to the USA?

[lebkuchen]

8. I'd be interested in seeing the tourist stats for the US these days

esp. for Florida.

On CNNI, tourism is promoted on most commercials. The country with the most enticing media blurb is Egypt's "Riviera," the Red Sea. Friends have gone there and loved it. Malaysia is also well promoted. No mention of the U.S. that I can recall.

[SidDithers]

9. We're going to Florida in April...

Disneyworld with the kids, but I've got mixxed feelings. It's a gift from the Grandparents to our kids, not something I would have chosen to do on my own.

Then again, it's like -30C right now, and warm weather and sunshine is looking awfully nice :)

Sid

[komplex]

27. Despite the Xenophobia of the Bush Admin

The b*tch-slapping the dollar has been getting from the Euro has been encouraging the British to take Shopping Trips to the United States.

[curse10]

11. It's so beautiful!

:-)

I collect eiffel towers, never seen it looks so pretty at night!

[LostInTheMaise]

12. France. Red. China.

Is this a sign that perhaps France may be starting to embrace the ultimate leftward border...Communism? Will most of the citizens of France agree with this leaning if true?

Can anyone from France here comment?

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Occulus]

14. see, what the Freepers don't understand

is that the concept of communism works very, very well for small, closed communities in which all members share the work and the rewards.

However, it becaomes inherently faulty when applied on the scale of an entire nation. A small town of hundreds of people could easily and successfully embrace communism; a large nation of millions cannot hope to succeed in doing so.

No, I'm no communist; I merely recognize some ways in which it can be successfully implemented.

[LostInTheMaise]

15. Oh please.

I'm medium left and asked a polite question. Your "freeper" charges are out of line in my opinion. Can you just answer the question without the freeper baggage. I am not a "freeper" and would like you to retract that knee-jerk response.

[Flagg]

17. fair enough

but you haven't denied being a France basher

[LostInTheMaise]

18. Thanks and I am NOT a France basher

I agree with their mild left culture and only wanted to get a feel for how her citizens greet the embrace of China.

I work with several professional people in France on a weekly basis and depend on good relations in our high tech contracts.

Sorry for the confusion but I am open to most all countries and whatever their people desire.

[Flagg]

19. then you must know the answer to your question

[LostInTheMaise]

21. Somewhat

Two out of three French I work with are angstful with some of the social direction that has transpired. I don't consider a sample of twelve to mean a whole lot and that is why I asked here.

If my question was out of line then please tell me now so I can delete it before the timer expires.

[Occulus]

23. I never said you were a 'freeper'

nor did I imply you were. My post was regarding how so many of them just don't get it. I never said you didn't. I never even referred to you, personally.

I will not retract something I never said. That was your insinuation. Now, take a deep breath and move on, before you make a further fool out of yourself.

[LostInTheMaise]

24. apology accepted

Everytime I see the word "freeper" I cringe. My whole point in this thread was innocent and have now learned to not ask questions.

[kskiska]

22. U.S.A. = Red, White, Blue

Maybe we should remove the red from the U.S. flag?

[NickB79]

25. Which would be really odd, because China is starting to embrace capitalism

Private businesses are booming, trade with the rest of the world is rapidly creating an affuent Chinese middle class, and the Chinese courts recently recognized the right of Chinese citizens to own private property. I doubt China will still resemble anything like a true Communist society 20 yrs from now, and would also seriously doubt France would convert to communism.

[ozone_man]

26. We had better hope that their brand

of capitalism is more benign than ours, otherwise the world will be in deep yogurt. IMO, China is the next world power and with a billion people I hope they can arrive on a political and environmental philosophy that is more friendly than the model that the U.S. has created.

[Muddleoftheroad]

29. It's not

Slave labor -- worse than anything we've seen in decades. And then there are the tanks that squash opposition thought.

[NickB79]

33. Environmental philosophy from China? Sadly, I doubt it

Their massive reliance on coal to generate power, and the resulting smog, CO2 and toxic coal ash generated. Their ever-increasing amounts of oil imported to fuel more cars as the Chinese embrace American culture. Their creation of the Three Gorges Dam that's destroying millions of acres of rare wildlife habitat. No, it looks like China is on the fast track to emulate the US (unfortunately).

[mumon]

16. Actually, Red isn't just for Communists in China...

It's a color traditionally associated with celebration, good fortune, and honor (whereas blue, for example, is traditionally associated with death.) That's why in Chinatown the NY Times newspaperboxes aren't blue, they're red.

But I'm sure that the right-wing wackos would spin this into commie-loving anyway.

[sam sarrha]

31. Red can also represent the blood spilled from the Genocide of 1.6 million

Tibetans thru murder forced labor death camps, starvation and destruction of housing in winter... since the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959..

[llmart]

20. China may, in the near future,

surpass the US as the world's economic superpower, but we'll be too busy fighting our neocon vendetta wars to see it coming.