I spent quite a while looking for figures on the foreign legion to confirm my #20 post. Turns out, 70% of all legionaires, and 90% of legion officers are French-born.
Does Mr Guinta really thinks what he says, is it really what mainstream America is thinking of us ? in this case I feel desperate but I understand why when I call my family in law in the US they refuse to talk to me because of those kind of comments that have been widespread in US neo con media
I know that Mr Guinta uses rethoric that we’ve seen over and over but this one thing about Jerry Lewis… that amazes me all time ! I never heard of the guy until I read on internet that we French love him (at most I thought he was a trompet player). Ok I’m not that old but still. I don’t think I ever saw one thing with J Lewis in it… not one and it is the same for the vast majority of the (french) people I know.
What does it say about all the other stuff in Mr Guinta’s comment… LOL (and thanks for the figures André)
Peter Guinta #6 – “the French government has acted consistently against the interests of the U.S.”
Yes, Lafayette was sent to act against the interests of the US. Geeesh!
This is always the same old arguement. What I find ironic, is that it proves General de Gaulle’s prophetic statement that nations have no friends, only interests – to paraphrase. It explains some of the the “Us against the world” symptoms we see in America, that of an America that allegedly acts in the “interests” of the world. Tell us Mr. Guinta, could we Frenchies (and most other nationalities) have the right to say that the US has also consistently acted against the interests of France for much of the past 60 years? And what “interests” are we speaking of? The right to throw one’s weight around the world without consequences? Is increased world terrorism in the interest of France or the US? The weak US dollar, soaring oil prices, faltering economy, loss of international credibility – are all those things (among others) in the interest of the USA? Is it so hard to imagine that America has put herself in this position, not because of France, Germany, or anyone else?
A propos de l’article du Times : oui, c’est de la francophobie… Comme on en trouve sur la quasi totalité de la presse Britannique… Quant à Charles Bremner, je pense qu’il adore la France, vraiment… Mais il nous hait profondément et affecte de mépriser notre culture sous couvert d’articles : Love France, pity the French…
Rien de nouveau sous le soleil (de France, parce que celui de l’Angleterre… Mais pas d’anglophobie primaire : après tout, les British adorent les Fro…er… Frenchies et moi j’adore les rosb… euh… les mangeurs de pudding !).
According to what I heard from American conservatives, Fox News is appreciated for its “fair and balanced” news coverage. According to them, that motto applies only to their news reports not their shows like O’Reilly’s. But since guys like O’Reilly’s are promoting rightist points of view I suppose that’s not a problem for a mostly rightist audience. They also told me that FoxNews’audience is about one million people, It’s not that important in a 300 millions people nation. Anyway don’t forget that people like O’Reilly, Leno, O’Brian, Stewart are charismatic people boosting audience, they are closer from medieval baffoons then brillant philosophers. I’m far more concerned by anti-French racist comments made by USGov officials than some poor joke cracked by a TV host.
Don’t get me wrong : I think he’s a very funny guy ! You gotta have some nerve to play a clip in your own show without understanding what is said in it… he’s got some balls I tell you.
Clearly, La France was asking for it…and the free world gave it to them.
And now, France is held in utter contempt by Americans of all backgrounds.
I won’t try and speak for you lot, but in retrospect, was it wise to provoke the eternal wrath of America?
You, and the generations of frogs to come, will now see in no uncertain terms how badly your “Americans had it coming” running commentary over 9/11 will haunt you and France for decades to come…
First of all, a few chickenwaks and cowardly extreme right wing pundits do not and will never represent the “free world”.
Secondly, not to burst your bubble my francophile friend but the only “punishment” France received for opposing the war in Iraq (which a majority of your compatriots now also oppose) was a few tough guys behind their computer screens insulting our history. While thay may be unpleasant, we can live with that.
The damage to your country’s reputation however will take decades to fade away.
And about our “Americans had it coming” running commentary, do you have any evidence to back that up ?
First that that any French media outlet ever made such a claim and secondly that it was a “runing commentary”.
Finally, since your contribution on this thread and the stuff that comes out of my butt bear a striking resemblance to each other, why don’t you go back to that anti-French site which is full of that stuff you obviosuly like.
You know the site I’m talking about.
Peter Guinta (Giunta):
Your bashing sounds like a lot of sour grapes; for, what did fascist Italy accomplish during World War II ? We need to recall President Roosevelt’s statement about these people –shortly after Germany had invaded France– with Italy invading across it’s border to take hold of French territory:
That nation, holding a dagger at it’s
neighbor’s throat, has stabbed it in
the back !
Keep this in mind when something within tells you to act as an aggressor.
The US has been bullying the world & when the Iraq war took place i totally agreed with the French point of view, not to invade!. the Afganistan & Iraq wars are about oil & controlling it and this is not over because Iran is next. I have lost a lot of respect for the US government & will forgive but won’t never forget how they treated France & Americans who opposed the war here at home. A good book to read by Noam Chomsky, “Failed states” , great book to read.
Also a lot of Americans cannot think for themselves & are like parrots repeating everything they hear, but they are great Americans who know better!. I agree with the person who moved to LA, they are more open…
@Anne Suire
I don’t think you should mix the war in iraq and the war in Afghanistan, this is exactly what Bush’s propaganda is doing. And the war in Afghanistant has hardly anything to do with oil. Afghanistan has no oil. The interference of the US in the Afghan civil war in 2002 was simply motivated by Bin Laden. And it was a success since the Talebans were defeated. But Iraq is something completely different.
@anne suire & peamak
So what? This is NATURAL GAS pipeline, this is not oil. And it is still a project. Do you suggest that the war in Afghanistan was made to build it? This is ridiculous.
Thanks Bandini – I Left a comment – To the rest of the community, please leave one as well if you wish. I am currently on vacation in St Pierre et Miquelon, so no editorials for another week unless something really ridiculous appears on the horizon.
[…] “Ask Yahoo!” claimed in one his responses that “the French have 50 different words for “surrender”. When contacted by Miquelon.org and the community of French Expatriates, Yahoo promptly edited […]
Right wing bloggers are lapping this up. The Yahoo post however has become a pit of mud slinging with the usual jabs about Lafayette, World War II, saving asses, Anti-French vitriol and Anti-Americanism.
Franchement je ne sais pas, je pense que ça tient plus d’une forme extrême d’autodérision, et en somme, c’est une moquerie du stéréotype… Ou bien une des forme les plus abouties du mépris : faire de l’argent avec la bêtise des autres.
I read the column before I found this website (thanks, Metafilter!) and the post that discusses it. Frankly, as a native American, it embarrasses me because unfortunately, too many will take it to speak universally for all Americans. It doesn’t. As a member of a family whose provenance is French (I am a part of the first American generation) I am insulted. A swimmer talked some trash, but was gracious in defeat. To me, it represents nothing more than that…but those that make noise and controversy for a living are trying to grow it into something else. Why do people even waste their time listening?
About that arrogant french swimmer trash tlking the US team does anyone has the original quote ?
The source are as precise as ” journalists” “some media reports that” and such ( Fox news -some people say – style .
Doid he said he would “smash” the US team in english ?
– I really don’t think so , someone would have had the audio on a constant loop .
or did he said it in French ?
I sure can’t find any trace of such a thing.
Maybe he just revealed his true nature and said it in Klingon…
The France televisions commentators who know the french team better than any US journalists just alluded to how unfair the US press was , trying to stir up emotions by totally fabricating quotes.
Bernard is not exactly the kind of big mouthed jerk he’s now portrayed in all the anglo world.
Bandini – I am beginning to suspect the same…I cannot find a direct quote, or where it originated. I think this should be investigated to find the origins of this story and see if it is a hoax.
In response to Charles Boyer, it is a little tiring! to read or hear stupid comments regarding the French surrender. I am American (French born) & i have always heard stories about French surrenders. Americans like to put people down but they are the first ones to be offended if someone challenges them. They did not accept the fact that the French government did agree with the illegal war in Iraq ( America is not the only country in the world), other countries have a right to disagree. Since that illegal Iraq war the US government has been hit in the guts & has kept insulted France & putting it down. In some ways it shows that the US ‘ ego got bruised badly. Instead of admitting to it they keep putting the French down. I am not to proud to be a US citizen right now because of the Bush administration’s ignorance as well as bullying people but they act like idiots & throw insults!. They are great people everywhere in this world & morons & it is hard for A lot of Americans & French to have to be exposed to other people stupid comments.
I too wrote to Yahoo! I had read the comments from Chris Chase about the French and the more recent article about Alain Bernard. I must say that the comments on his blog were encouraging, a lot of Americans are telling him what an idiot he is and how shamefull his comments were. I hope what Barack Obama said will get people like that Chris Chase to think: “It’s like these guys take pride in being ignorant”.
I wrote to Chris Chase as well & got really pissed off. I will agree with Fraderic that quite a few Americans were not too pleased about the comment. Anne
Expect more surrender ‘jokes’ after the Llodra/Clement defeat. It was the longest game of the olympics. 5 hours.
And in the end of course, the French surrendered.
I saw “Derailed” a while back but i don’t think that it was anti-French. Actually Jennifer Aniston was a villainess since she was the French guy’s girlfriend in the movie. They were after Clive ( cannot remember his lat name). I liked the film & did not see anything anti -French. The French actor always chooses nasty roles, he was not long ago in a movie with viggo Mortensen “Eastern promises” and he was BAD…………
Senator Obama is stating it exactly as the far right is selling it. I find no fault with his honesty. I do fault the far right for consistent patterns of ignorance!
This is priceless, and perhaps, the sign that tides are turning. French bashing is not what it used to be though we can expect some nasty small skirmishes, like the one you could find on SuperFrenchie. Nothing of consequence per se, but it reveal that anti-french sentiment is only seriouly weakened and not on the spotlight anymore, but we should still be on guard.
Peter Guinta – you’re wrong. In fact, except for Irak and the Suez Crisis, France is the nation that has sided most often with the US at the UN. This fact was again pointed out by Richard Pearle (one of the architects of the Irak war who owns a residence… in France) in an interview before the war.
This is obviously a satire, the purpose being precisely to ridicule francophobia. I see nothing wrong in this.
Respirez les mecs ; c’est une bonne chose que de lutter contre la francophobie mais si ça dégènère en une posture rigide, braquée, et sans discernement, ça le fait moins !
To Electraviper. You are the worldwide archetype of the ignorant – American. Do you know the term ” the ugly American”, It fits you well. I am embarrased to be American.
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