Are You Sick of the FRANCE Bashing?

[Placebo]

Poll question: Are You Sick of the FRANCE Bashing?

This president likes to talk about candidate Kerry insulting and diminishing our allies by calling them a coalition of the bribed and the coerced, and how that doesn't qualify him to be commander-in-chief.

What about a president who bashes one of America's longest and strongest allies, France, just because they didn't support his illegal war for corporate profits in Iraq?

What about a president who speaks of France about as harshly as he speaks about Al Qaeda?

What about a president who disgraces the name of the second biggest contributor of forces on the ground in Afghanistan, just because it may score him some ignorant faggot-hating points with rednecks around the nation?

[Parche]

1. france

WE WE

[salinen]

2. faggot haters

his biggest contributors.

[CarolynEC]

3. What did France ever do for us?

Oh... yeah. That whole fighting the British thing. Heh. Forgot about that... heh. Um... carry on.

[Minimus]

4. So many forget that if not for France we probably would have lost

the American Revolution.

[Shoeempress]

5. Since it is my favorite place on earth, YES. And their rep for hating us,

is a lie. They hate folks like Chimpy, and so do I

[spooky3]

14. it's a great culture with wonderfully warm and kind people.

[Shoeempress]

24. And great food & wine. Mon Dieu, I want to go back

[mairceridwen]

6. head scarves

i'm not liking the france these days, but i loathe the RW for their mischaracterization of France.

Over the summer I saw the following the billboard:

9,300 GI’s BURIED AT NORMANDY; THINK ABOUT THAT AND BOYCOTT FRANCE.

Is it me, or are right wing attempts at inspiring activism, not only insipid and obtuse, but somewhat confusing in that regard?  I mean, I get it…but is this really the best that right wing activists can do?  Beyond the simplistic argument that France should be obliged, because of WWII, to help us in Iraq, what on earth does Normandy have to do a present day boycott of France?  It wasn’t the French that killed our soldiers.  Should we give back the statue of liberty as well?  And exactly how does one boycott France?  I find it very hard to believe that the rednecks who swallow this tripe (with apologies to the cow) enjoy cheese and champagne from France or read any French writers…so what are they going to cease to use…what else is there, really?

[yardwork]

10. The very wealthy (W's base according to him) buy a lot of French products

Designer clothing, Hermes scarves (spotted on Lynne Cheney with frequency), designer jewelry (Condi Rice), weddings at Versaille, winters at St. Tropez, shopping trips in Paris (Laura Bush - God knows what she bought, she certainly never wears it). My point is that the wealthy and privileged in America think nothing of spending their tax breaks on foreign goods.

[mairceridwen]

11. yes, but this was in

assbackwards tennessee or kentucky. not even a starbucks nearby. and no wealthy people either, at least not in the area I saw the billboard.

I wasn't being that serious anyway. and I know that the wealthy and privileged buy foreign goods. What the fuck? the point was you can't call for a large scale every day american boycott of french goods, the way that you can for goods from other countries. it's not like foreign cars or sweatshop products from around the world.

why do people here treat all sarcasm and spirited posts like the poster is either a. stupid? or b. Conservative?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

7. VIVA LA FRANCE!

[SoCalDemocrat]

8. CNN did it again today

They made it out that the debates were a tie. They said only France and Arab nations supported Kerry. They even found some whacko Financial publication in Britain that called it a tie.

[LynnTheDem]

9. Most rightwingnuts think only France opposed invasion of Iraq

They don't know that Canada opposed...Mexico opposed...over 160 out of 190 nations in the entire world opposed the invasion.

And the 30 nations who "support" the invasion had VAST MAJORITIES of their citizens who opposed the invasion...INCLUDING THE UK.

NO NATION had a population majority that supported invading Iraq.

But by focusing all the blame on France, bushCartel FOOLED and DUPED and CONNED the rube rightwingnuts into thinking it was ONLY FRANCE who opposed bushCartel's War of Lies.

EVEN AMERICA had a majority that OPPOSED invading Iraq, until the bombs were actually dropping on Baghdad.

The EASIEST people in the entire world to FOOL and CON and DUPE are rightwingnuts. Dumber than frigging dirt.

[hippywife]

12. I'm guessing France

is pretty glad all those rednecks won't be coming for visits anymore. They are maybe finally rid of the ugly American tourist.

[Massacure]

13. Yes, I can't stand France and Canada bashing.

[cire4]

15. Doesn't France have troops helping us fight in Afghanistan?

RW French bashers are such idiots....

[MnFats]

16. I know a cop who recently got back from Afganistan...

...a reservist called up to active duty; served a year as an MP in Kabul area.
/....he is very pissed about the France-bashing. France has troops in Afghanistan, working to haul in Al-Queda suspects. He assured me they were some of the toughest soldiers he'd ever met. Professional, responsible and dependable, too. THEY stuck with the original mission fighting terrorists in Afghanistan and when they declined to go along with Bush's reckless adventure in Iraq, * pissed all over them.
"Nobody better bash the French while I'm around," he said.
Bush, Rumsfeld ("Old Europe," my ass) and the rest should be ashamed. Their behavior is despicable.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

17. Chirac was the FIRST foreign leader to visit New York after 911

"French President Jacques Chirac has become the first foreign leader to survey New York's devastated World Trade Center"

"...I want to tell President Bush, who is my friend, that we bring the total solidarity of France and the French people, it is a solidarity of the heart..." "...We are completely determined to fight by your side this new type of evil, of absolute evil, which is terrorism, and France is prepared and available to discuss all means to fight and eradicate this evil..."
http://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/09/19/ret.bush.france/

AND GEORGE BUSH PRACTICALLY IGNORED HIM.

The Neocon influenced Bush Administration had a plan from the moment they came into office to initiate a political and economic war against Europe and the Euro. This predates 911 and Afghanistan. One of the early signs was the effort by Bush to sell fighter jets to the Polish Army, outbidding French and Swedish aircraft manufacturers and making it a virtual gift as a result of very favorable loans to the Polish government. Bush has never invited Chirac to his Texas Ranch, although he has invited the heads of all the other permanent members of the UN Security Council. This may not at first appear to be significant, but I think that Bush meant it as a major slap at France and an attempt to isolate them from the very start of his Presidency.


****************************************
French Military Contribution to the Operation "Enduring Freedom" May 17, 2002
http://www.info-france-usa.org/news/statmnts/2002/sfia/fight1.asp

#French airspace, air bases, and harbors opened to US military aircraft and warships

#Liaison team at the US Central Command (Tampa, FL) since October 9, 2001
#WARSHIPS (1 Frigate, 1 Oiler) in the Arabian Sea for Leadership Interception Operations
#Sharing of Military intelligence
#Intelligence gathering airbone assets at an early phase of the operations (1 Transall C160 G ; 1 Transall C 160 Tanker)
#Strategic reconnaissance
(2 Mirage IV P-Recce from October 2001 to mid-February 2002)
#Air Refueling Aircraft (2 C135 FR Tankers) for French and U.S. Navy Aircraft. From December to April
#Maritime Surveillance Aircrafts (2 MPA Atlantique 2, based in Djibouti, to monitor Aden Gulf)
#Maritime intelligence
(1 LPD, 1 Frigate, 1 Corvette, 1 Support Ship, 1 Support Ship Jules Vernes). From the beginning of May
#Mine sweeping - Maritime survey
(2 Minehunters - 1 Support Ship FS Loire). From December to April

*"CHARLES DE GAULLE" aircraft carrier - 28 aircrafts
TASK GROUP :
- 1 Guided Missile Destroyer
(3500 men)

Deployed from 18th of December to beginning of May in the Arabian Sea. On high readiness status
within two days of operational flight above Afghanistan since then.
*1 Oiler - 2 Frigates - 1 Nuclear Attack submarine (800 men)

Deployed at Manas Air Force Base in Kirghisistan:

450 men to support the operations of the following air assets:

*6 Mirage 2000D (Precision Strike Aircraft)
* 2 C135 FR (Tankers)

Airlift Transit Center of Douchanbe in Tadjikistan:

Presence of air assets including C130 Hercules and C160 Transall seployed at Douchanbe to provide airlift support of the French Components of Enduring Freedom and ISAF (100 men).
Embassy of France in the US - May 31, 2002

[Zorbet55]

18. I have been sick of it from the start. Yea France!

[JohnKleeb]

19. The irony is

that the French were one of our first allies to answer our call for help after 9/11 in Afghanstan, that their resistance and I quote General Eisenhower did the work of four divisions in WWII. Another funny thing is, the French American population is concentrated in republican areas like lousianna and some parts of new hampshire.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

20. I'm so pissed

I'm moving there if he wins! I love France!

[gardenista]

21. Bien sur! Les Bushistas sont une brochette de cons!

Et il faut que Bush Ferme sa gaule! Kerry est le meillieur!!!!

Translation, I hope, is:

The Bushistas are a shiskabob of idiots (bad idiots), and Bush should shut his (snout-like) mouth. Kerry is the best.

Also, Bush, I fart in your general direction! I don't know how to say that in French.

[Annette]

22. bush jr est une tête de merde

[BonjourUSA]

23. Bush, je te péte au nez, je te pisse à la raie, je te conchie,

je t'emmerde, je te chie dessus...............

[BonjourUSA]

25. the funniest picture was this asshole dropping French wine

into a street gutter.

I hope it was cheap bottles or this wine had turned into vinegar