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| Europe | |
| Barnier appeals for end to 'French-bashing' in US | |
| 2004-11-09 | |
Quit the French-bashing and let's get to work, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier told Americans Monday in an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal, titled "Letter to America." The sweeping appeal for greater political cooperation between the United States and Europe came a week after the candidate clearly favored by the French lost his bid for the White House, and two years after French opposition to the war on Iraq soured relations between the two historic allies. "I am writing to you as a friend of America," Barnier began, evoking historic and economic ties between the two nations dating back to the US war for independence.
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| Posted by:tipper |
| #37 "Today, in a world that has become more unstable and more dangerous, our alliance is more necessary than ever." Ok. The first part I can kinda agree with you. But the second part about the alliance does not tie in with the first. There is no connection. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-11-09 10:38:22 PM |
| #36 bar: #33 We're "friends". That's one of the biggest lies the Phrench will ever tell. Kinda sounds like "France is the Ally of Peace", doesn't it? |
| Posted by: BH 2004-11-09 5:41:22 PM |
| #35 Never told you about the time, in france, I got butter in my coffee when I asked for milk. Wasn't sure if it was a slight or the waitress was just an idiot. Wasn't sure. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-11-09 4:35:37 PM |
| #34 Prime Minister Raffarin, to the editors of Le Figaro: "The Iraqi resistance are our best allies." End of story. Time for us to realize that 1) in the middle east, France is on the other side; and 2) beyond the middle east, France is completely irrelevant to us. Time to recognize that India's more important to our security and propserity than France. Look eastward, Americans. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-11-09 4:26:10 PM |
| #33 We're "friends". That's one of the biggest lies the Phrench will ever tell. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-11-09 4:23:45 PM |
| #32 "Are their waiters gonna treat us like shit?" Geeze, like it will be hard to tell when that happens! |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2004-11-09 4:02:42 PM |
| #31 What happens if we don't? Are their waiters gonna treat us like shit? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-11-09 3:43:13 PM |
| #30 Nope, Desert B., you're not missing any nuance, and yes, it is more of the same--- just with a look of gently cultured concern, and a little bit of hurt in the voice. |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2004-11-09 3:38:49 PM |
| #29 Ok.....maybe someone can explain this to a stooopid Bush voter from a Red state..... First I see that Zapatero wants to form an alliance with Germany and France that will be a counterweight to the US. Then, I see this about how the French want us to unilaterally knock off the insults. We're "friends". Am I missing some nuances here, or is this more of "you dumb Americans, obey your betters"? |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2004-11-09 2:18:46 PM |
| #28 As FZ put it so well: "There is no Hell, there is only France." |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2004-11-09 1:44:31 PM |
| #27 LOL Lucky! PD on a bicycle? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-11-09 12:24:55 PM |
| #26 French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, build a new UN complex in France and do everything in your power to promote the transplanting of the UN to European territory and we'll talk. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2004-11-09 11:40:25 AM |
| #25 Brit Hume had this yesterday. Barnier wrote an article for the European press, too. It wasn't the same. More destroy America. A poster at No Pasaran wrote that the Chicoms have frog vine clippings and their soil is better than Burgundy. The frogs aren't drinking as much whine and neither are we drinking as much of theirs, other than champagne and burgundy. |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2004-11-09 11:30:43 AM |
| #24 I agree w/BH. Just ignore the pricks. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-11-09 10:47:23 AM |
| #23 Well, I might reconsider AFTER they apologize for their opposition to the liberation of Iraq, AFTER they find and punish those who trafficked billions with Saddam, AFTER they quit supporting Paelo-Arab terrorists who want to destroy Israel, AFTER they let go of blocking the reform of farming subsidies in the EU and WTO, and AFTER they put Chirac in jail for his crimes. Then I might. |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-11-09 10:46:44 AM |
| #22 Dot, look for an Italian lugged Columbus steel tubed machine. Like a DeRosa and the like. A bit heavier but unless your racing WGAF. They ride like sex with a graduate coed. In fact look for a completely Italian machine and make sure it fits. Four" of seat post showing or so and your toes barely able to touch the ground while sitting on the seat. Stem should be average for your body trunk. Once had a buddy who went to the Olympic traing camp and famed cycling coach Edddie B told all the guys to get the longest stem they could and shove the saddle all the way back. That takes strength bro. As for our gallic friends, could we start with a conversation regardin french "oil for food" back stabbing as well as arms sales. Could we start there? |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-11-09 10:37:43 AM |
| #21 Dot, look for an Italian lugged Columbus steel tubed machine. Like a DeRosa and the like. A bit heavier but unless your racing WGAF. They ride like sex with a graduate coed. In fact look for a completely Italian machine and make sure it fits. Four" of seat post showing or so and your toes barely able to touch the ground while sitting on the seat. Stem should be average for your body trunk. Once had a buddy who went to the Olympic traing camp and famed cycling coach Edddie B told all the guys to get the longest stem they could and shove the saddle all the way back. That takes strength bro. As for our gallic friends, could we start with a conversation regardin french "oil for food" back stabbing as well as arms sales. Could we start there? |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-11-09 10:35:29 AM |
| #20 Okay, I'll stop French-bashing. Will a prolonged period of silent boycotting be acceptable to you? It will? Super. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-11-09 10:13:08 AM |
| #19 hmmmmm how about arresting and prosecuting those who trafficked with Saddam over the dead bodies of teh Iraqi citizens? Non? Then go fuck yourself....and especially that arrogant puss DeVillepin |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-11-09 9:59:53 AM |
| #18 This clown has it backward, of course. It's time for you frogs to kiss W's ass. The best part of this load of crap is: He called for formation of a high-level group of independent figures from both sides to explore ways to deepen political cooperation across the Atlantic. What a perfectly French solution! Maybe they'll issue some sternly-worded memos:) |
| Posted by: Spot 2004-11-09 9:33:28 AM |
| #17 Frog bashing is a well respected , aged long past time within the British Isles , am glad to see USA has taken a liking to it . Great hobby enjoyed by all . |
| Posted by: MacNails 2004-11-09 9:30:48 AM |
| #16 "...But the important thing now is to turn Iraq into a real success story. France has no other aim..." Sorry, I just can't get past that clump of dung. I've boycotted France for almost two years and I'm not stopping now. It looks like a life-long proposition. The next frog/liberal that urges cooperation and then defines it as MY shifting MY values half way toward theirs had damn well not be within MY reach. |
| Posted by: Tom 2004-11-09 8:52:06 AM |
| #15 Back in the 80s, there was a lot of opposition to the construction of the tunnel under the English Channel. Chunnel-bashing was, in fact, something of a growth industry, supported by a veritable zoo of activists, ranging from fanatical monarchists and nationalists to communist eco-wackies. During an interview with an anti-Chunnel activist, an American reporter remarked that the group's material seemed to go out of its way to incorporate anti-French sentiment, such as "the tunnel will allow French rats and armed French policemen easy access to British soil." The activist responded, "We are not anti-French. We like French food, French architecture, French wine, French literature, French tradition and culture. It's just the goddamned French people we can't stand." |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-11-09 8:07:43 AM |
| #14 I hope their bikes are better built than their cars |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-09 8:04:57 AM |
| #13 And German and Belgian and Spanish and Russian (*snicker*) and Chinese. When Shroeder's gone, I'll look at that BMW K 1200 S shaft drive touring bike... Until then, no bike, nor bon-bons, nor wines, nor caviar, nor cheap inferior prison-labor crap. I'll only miss the bike, heh. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-11-09 8:00:56 AM |
| #12 The other thing to consider is that this cry for brotherhood indicates the decline in sales of french products such as wine and tourism from America must be starting to have an impact over there. We should all continue to avoid use of frog products whenever possible. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-09 7:47:33 AM |
| #11 re Bashing. Took a quick look at today's Lemonde.fr. I saw 2 articles about the US. 1. Fallouja: the US troops advance with difficulty Inhabitants confirmed that the American forces penetrated of at least a kilometer inside Fallouja and that they are not far from the center of the city. Hmm. I admit Fallouja hasn't surrendered as fast as Paris, but 1 day and already near the city center? Headline doesn't match the facts on the ground. Would Lemonde ever put a worst case spin on a story? 2. Faith of George W Bush "If Bush carries it on November 3, a civil war will burst within the republican Party." The nature of this conflict, according to the vision of Bartlett? It is primarily the same one as that which made rage in the whole world: a battle between modernistic and fundamentalist, believing pragmatists and truths, reason and religion. Yeah, it's the battle of the evolved Homo-Europus vs. Troglody-Bushies Care to read what the French Lemonde readers have to say in the Forums? http://forums.lemonde.fr/perl/postlist.pl?Cat=&Board=alqaida http://forums.lemonde.fr/perl/postlist.pl?Cat=&Board=usa To Mr. Barnier, if you want to stop the bashing, I say you go first. I have 200 years French USA bashing to make up. |
| Posted by: ed 2004-11-09 7:43:42 AM |
| #10 It was interesting that the last time this doofus wrote something in the WSJ I posted at RB with my comment his e-mail address which was available at the embassy website. This time, no address. I guess he can dish it out but he can't take it. How gallic. This guy must think we're dhimmi too. Our oldest enemy |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-09 7:39:58 AM |
| #9 Frog1: Stop. Frog2: French. Frog3: Bashing. Lizard: Let me think about this carefully for awhile now. Here, hold this wire while I'm thinking. |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-11-09 7:18:57 AM |
| #8 He wants respect? You've got to earn that, twat. There is no 'respect' welfare. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-11-09 7:16:58 AM |
| #7 Pretty nifty |
| Posted by: .com 2004-11-09 7:16:35 AM |
| #6 What's that French word? Non |
| Posted by: SR71 2004-11-09 7:16:27 AM |
| #5 Kiss my ass,Frog. |
| Posted by: raptor 2004-11-09 7:11:54 AM |
| #4 The Frog is calling for a one-way outreach program from the USA to France. One-way outreach programs are demeaning. It suggests the USA has something to feel guilty about. We don't. |
| Posted by: Mark Z. 2004-11-09 7:01:07 AM |
| #3 Shameless rednecks, show proper respect to your betters! |
| Posted by: gromgorru 2004-11-09 6:50:55 AM |
| #2 Awww, gee... just when we are having so much fun with it. Tell you what, M.Barnier; do something to tone down the constant America-bashing coming out of your rancid intellectual ateliers and publications, and we'll think about it. Until then, let the frog-bashing continue. |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2004-11-09 6:48:16 AM |
| #1 "But Paris-based analysts warned that the long-term implications of Bush’s victory were disturbing for transatlantic relations, confirming the steady estrangement between an ideological, nationalistic America and a Europe built on softer and more consensual values." I would have phrased that a little differently: "Bush's victory was but one symptom of a deepening estrangement between an America awakened by 9/11 and determined to solve, once and for all, the problem of Islamic terrorism, and a Europe gone soft, flaccid and effete from years of nanny-state socialism." Just a minor nit... |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-11-09 5:49:20 AM |