Frohe Weihnachten und gesegnete Feiertage!
Merry Christmas.
I boycott French goods, but not because they’re French so much as American goods that are the same are actually superior in quality. For instance, our cheese houses are much cleaner then European’s because our FDA requires it to be so. Also, wine from California is WAY better then French wine and even the French have been forced to admit it.
Also, the French were a world force in the 1400-1600s. After that, they were pretty useless, except for Napoleon (who was really Italian.) They long for the day they were a world power and this gives them their attitude. And believe you me, it isn’t only directed at Americans! They show it to many different cultural population centers such as Brition, Italy, Greece, etc. On the whole, they are a bunch of snobs. I say, on the whole, because it isn’t true for 100% of the population, and it’s mostly in the Parisian areas that it is true, but that’s the perception many in the world, including myself, have of the French as a whole.
That and they couldn’t win a war if we took the worst army in the world, shot all their officers and didnt give them any guns. IMHO.
Who was really Italian
http://europeanhistory.about.com/library/readyref/blpersonnapoleonbonaparte.htm
Let’s see…born in France, married in France, led the French army, led all of France…not seeing where in the world you get Italy out of that at all.
Now would be the time to toss back one of your “get a education” remarks you are so famous for tossing at myself and others I imagine…
Who was really Italian
http://europeanhistory.about.com/library/readyref/blpersonnapoleonbonaparte.htm
Let’s see…born in France, married in France, led the French army, led all of France…not seeing where in the world you get Italy out of that at all.
Now would be the time to toss back one of your “get a education” remarks you are so famous for tossing at myself and others I imagine…
Born in Corisca which is part of Italy. Or at the very least, he was Corsican not Italian or French.
AFAIK, Jeanne de Arc was the last good leader the French had and they gave her to the British because they were afraid they might actually win the 100 years war…Fear of success, it’s a well documented mental disorder, you can probably find it in the DSM-IV, but you can definately find out about it online.
Born in Corisca which is part of Italy. Or at the very least, he was Corsican not Italian or French.
http://www.corsica.net/corsica/uk/discov/hist/
It’s been French since 1789, and as long as Napoleon was alive it was French, and today it is still French.
I’m not argueing it wasn’t conquered by the French, Hax. I’m saying it isn’t French and neither was Napoleon. He was a corsican living in a conquered territory who rose to power because the French were too inept to stop him.
Nah, it would have been a reason if high ranking officers in your military - to all accounts I’ve been privvy too - didn’t try to kill or remove from office in some way this evil dictator elected by the Germans. After all, Clinton seemed harmless until he came to power, can I blame America for voting him in?
But … they didn’t to kill or stop him until it was obvious that the war was lost. Some of them knew before, but felt bound by their honour and oath (that they had sworn onto Hitlers person directly!). No, the military is guilty. Never forget: Only because the military advanced the troops of the SS could begin to round up the Jews and other “lesser elements” and kill them.
Oh … and Hitler did write “Mein Kampf”, so everyone knew what his plans were. There is no excuse in saying “oh, we didn’t know he really would commit a genocide and start the worst war of all times”. He said he would, and he did.
Wouldn’t really know. Didn’t the French have the northern quarter? I know America had the southern quarter. shrug
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHH
NEVER EVER say anything about history. France had the west (Saarland, Rhineland) as its occupation zone. The English had the north.
He bitches to me about the German’s not letting him practice his German and forcing him to use English. It’s rather humorous if you think about it…I mean, I know they want to practice their English on an American, but he was really looking forward to practicing his German (as bad as it is because he learned it from American school teachers.)
Maybe we just don’t want to hear people like you use our language ;) ?
Honestly: I don’t think that “we want to practice with a native speaker”. It is just that the average german’s english is probably better than his german… so for efficiency reasons there is no use in talking german. As long as the germans have the feeling that it is painful for him (or for them) to talk german with him, they will switch to english.
I’m not argueing it wasn’t conquered by the French, Hax. I’m saying it isn’t French and neither was Napoleon. He was a corsican living in a conquered territory who rose to power because the French were too inept to stop him.
There are no United States. Just a bunch of uncivilized colonists who have conquered some land from the savages……
“inept to stop him” … you should really STFU, Jen.
@Zoo:
Thier culture is minimal to none in my opinion. I find more culture in a McDonalds than I do in all of France. And lastly I am disgusted with the french because without us they would be a fly speck on the map, and the culture you say they have would have been stomped out by any country that wanted to take the time to invade them.
I also really have laugh each time when i hear that:
i don’t want to be thanked … but i hate them because they didn’t thank me.
For the culture … yeah. Stay were you are, do think that McD is culture. Go and buy, ditch. Your opinion is worth what … let me think … oh, and i am not complaining that you don’t thank me for my grandeur and effort to listen and reply to you.
@F_alk:
Wouldn’t really know. Didn’t the French have the northern quarter? I know America had the southern quarter. shrug
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHH
NEVER EVER say anything about history. France had the west (Saarland, Rhineland) as its occupation zone. The English had the north.
See, this is why I put the question mark in that statement. Really, it was the NATO countries had the west and the Warsaw Pact countries had the east. I say that because it really didn’t matter if you lived in north, central (west) or southern Germany as long as it wasn’t eastern Germany - right?
EDIT: BTW, this is another instance when I am shown to be wrong and admit to being wrong. Just FYI. And yes, this does mean I conceed that it was British in the North, France in the middle/West, America in the South and the Union of Soviet SOCIALIST Republics in the East. - Who btw did not edit their history books any more then the allies editted theirs to paint the picture they wanted, as you alleged in another thread.
@F_alk:
He bitches to me about the German’s not letting him practice his German and forcing him to use English. It’s rather humorous if you think about it…I mean, I know they want to practice their English on an American, but he was really looking forward to practicing his German (as bad as it is because he learned it from American school teachers.)
Maybe we just don’t want to hear people like you use our language ;) ?
Honestly: I don’t think that “we want to practice with a native speaker”. It is just that the average german’s english is probably better than his german… so for efficiency reasons there is no use in talking german. As long as the germans have the feeling that it is painful for him (or for them) to talk german with him, they will switch to english.
Perhaps. But that’s not the reason they give him, at least according to him it isn’t the reason given.
However, it does raise an interesting point which is: Shouldn’t the entire world learn only Spanish (as it’s the language most of the world speaks) so as to facilitate inter-governmental and cultural communication? I’m sure speaking the same language would clear up a lot of the misunderstood thoughts and ideas and may actually lead to more peacefull less stressful times.
@F_alk:
There are no United States. Just a bunch of uncivilized colonists who have conquered some land from the savages……
“inept to stop him” … you should really STFU, Jen.
So you think the King of France wanted to be replaced by Napoleon? Or do you think, just maybe, he tried to stop him but was inept and was replaced by him…doesn’t that make more sense and doesn’t that give more honor to the defunct monarchial line before Napoleon, then say, he surrendered all his power to a general because he was a coward???
You should really STFU, F_alk. Especially when you create spin (ie Yanny’s locked thread) or just have no idea what in the world you are talking about as is the case in this arguement.
Back to the point of the thread - i.e. to trumpet Canadian contributions to America’s disaster relief:
BILOXI, Miss. (CP) - Armed with chainsaws, shovels and rakes, a company of Canadian sailors from two warships landed on a beach near Biloxi, Miss., to begin the task of clearing debris left by hurricane Katrina.
A shore party of up to 300 sailors is expected to spend the next couple of weeks toiling in 35 C heat, helping to rebuild schools, hospitals and other public buildings.
They were divided into five groups and sent to various cleanup projects around the city.
One group helped a company of U.S. navy Seabees, the crack engineering unit, in clearing rubble from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, which was being reopened to house civilian aid agencies.
The Canadians had to march through a layer of putrid sludge, which coated the floor of the once flooded stadium.
“It’s a mess in there,” said Petty Officer Bill Venator, of Dartmouth, N.S.
“It’s unbelievable here. The only thing that’s missing is the holes where the bombs hit. It’s like a war zone.”
Biloxi is a small city of about 50,000 people that was hit hard by Katrina.
A dawn-to-dusk curfew is still in effect, but residents already have their power back.
From the air, the city is largely wasteland, with houses and buildings reduced to heaping piles of matchsticks.
About 30 kilometres east of the community, a wrecked oil rig is beached in shallow water. Its cranes and rigging are twisted, making it look like a helpless spider.
On the ground, waterfront hotels, restaurants and gas stations are blended together in a grey mass of rubble, tree branches and concrete.
In waters off the coast lay two Canadian warships, HMCS Athabaskan and HMCS Ville de Quebec. A third, HMCS Toronto, was due to arrive late Tuesday.
The presence of the Canadian sailors is making a difference on the ground, said the officer in charge of the Seabees at the coliseum.
“They’re turning what was a three-day job into a one-day job,” said Lieut. Greg Garnett, who is normally based in Norfolk, Va.
“My guys have been working their butts off and they’re really thankful.”
Throughout the disaster zone, people are struggling to resume their lives.
At service stations along Interstate 10, wiped out families begging for a few dollars of gas money to get home has become a regular sight.
“They told me everything back home is pretty much gone,” said David Ray Cagile, a construction worker from nearby Gulfport, Miss.
“It’s great that the Canadians are helping us get back on our feet.”
The sailors on the ground are being given lots of bottled water to ward off heat exhaustion, working under the watchful eye of Canadian medics, including the medical platoon commander.
“When a city has been destroyed, whether by man or by nature, the infrastructure is down and the risk of disease goes up,” said Maj. Paul Charlebois, who has seen deployments in Bosnia and following the 1998 ice storms in Quebec and Ontario.
“All of those things we rely on has been destroyed. That’s a big part of our job, recognizing those threats and taking care of them.”
Aside from heat exhaustion, the sailors face risks from pools of stagnant water muddied by a mix of soil, human waste, oil and other pollution.
The water could contain E. coli bacteria, certain viruses, and a type of cholera-like bacteria.
As well, there is the threat of mosquito-borne illnesses, such as West Nile virus.
Meanwhile, a fourth Canadian relief ship, the icebreaker Sir William Alexander, was due to arrive Tuesday night in Pensacola, Fla., one day ahead of schedule.
It is expected to unload its relief supplies on Wednesday and then report for duty in the waters off Biloxi, where it will begin re-marking channels with buoys and using its heavylift crane to clean obstructions from along the debris-clogged coast.
@F_alk:
I’m not argueing it wasn’t conquered by the French, Hax. I’m saying it isn’t French and neither was Napoleon. He was a corsican living in a conquered territory who rose to power because the French were too inept to stop him.
There are no United States. Just a bunch of uncivilized colonists who have conquered some land from the savages……
“inept to stop him” … you should really STFU, Jen.
@Zoo:
Thier culture is minimal to none in my opinion. I find more culture in a McDonalds than I do in all of France. And lastly I am disgusted with the french because without us they would be a fly speck on the map, and the culture you say they have would have been stomped out by any country that wanted to take the time to invade them.
I also really have laugh each time when i hear that:
i don’t want to be thanked … but i hate them because they didn’t thank me.For the culture … yeah. Stay were you are, do think that McD is culture. Go and buy, ditch. Your opinion is worth what … let me think … oh, and i am not complaining that you don’t thank me for my grandeur and effort to listen and reply to you.
Have you taken your meds today? Really, I can’t even decipher that.
It is really clear on France. France has no worthwhile military, economy or influence in world affairs. So in essence, in the grand scheme of things THEY ARE NOTHING!
Cystic, if you are implying because some people listen to france that they have some kind of influence… ok. Yep, out of all the screaming anti americanism in the world the French scream the loudest. And they do have a little bit to back up thier crying. Thier UN vote. Not that they earned mind you. It was reserved for world powers but for God knows what reason we allowed them a veto after WW2. Let me repeat that “WE ALLOWED THEM THE RIGHT TO VETO AFTER WORLD WAR II!”
France is insignifigant, and I would like to see thier veto taken away from them and given to a country that has some actual real world influnce in the world outside having the biggest mouth. Germany does not agree with many of our policies, but I would not have a problem with them getting the veto from France. They are a contender in world affiars, the french outside thier complaining and the veto we gave them, are NOTHING!
A lot of people might complain about that. I am sure the French would take it as a huge insult. But in the end, so what. They are the French, what are they going to do about it?
And although Falk is on probabtion, I am going to say something about the small part of his rambling I could decipher. The indians getting slaughtered huh? You are stereotypical in that all evil in the world starts with the west, and specificaly white people. The indians were butchering each other for 1000s of years before we came to the continent. The Aztecs in paticular ritualisticly killed 10s of thousands. But wait! That evil was not committed by white Eurupeans so it is not worth mentioning. Lets concentrate only on white Eurupeans, because everyone knows that they are inherently evil.
Stop your belly aching about “well they conquered such and such” blah blah blah. First of all, everyone has been conquered by someone else at one time or another. Myabe blacks owe jews something for enslaving them a few 1000 years ago? (think picking cotton sucks, I can’t imagine what building those pyramids was like). Or perhaps blacks owe the sicilians something for conquering them, and in a way comitted genocide because thier presence there altered the bloodline forever. But wait! Those are horrible things done by non whites! Oh god, we need never look at those things! People may actualy start to realize that evil is done by men reguardless of thier skin color. And people may have to learn more than “White people bad”.
OMG, do we have French lovers on this board!!! :o last I knew even demies didnt like the French. :) The French are famous, because they have never amounted to shit, thats what their famous for, amounting to shit. :D
CC: I think we already conceeded the point that the Canadians are sending money, medicine and labor to aid in the relief. That’s why the thread isn’t talking about it anymore.
Zooey and Marine are right in part. If the French were wiped off the planet by a race of hostile aliens, the world would hardly take notice anymore, other then maybe the price of cheese and wine would rise slightly and a favorite vacation spot of the romantics would disapear.
guess who i’m ignoring . . .
Hurricane cleanup could mean lower tariffs on Canadian softwood
Last Updated Tue, 13 Sep 2005 08:50:22 EDT
CBC News
It appears that Hurricane Katrina could do what years of litigation and rulings by various trade panels could not – force the U.S. government to reduce its import duties on Canadian lumber.
The rebuilding effort on the Gulf Coast could prompt the American Treasury Department to reduce the 27 per cent duties imposed on much -needed Canadian softwood.
“The government has the authority to adjust the tariffs in an emergency situation, but no determination has been made yet,” said U.S. Treasury Department spokesperson Tony Fratto.
Fratto said the administration will not act until it has more information about the prices of building products in the wake of Katrina.
“Obviously, if there are severe price spikes and severe shortages, we would want to take a look at whether a government response” was needed, Fratto added.
Those fees have been at the heart of the longstanding U.S.-Canada trade dispute. The American lumber industry says those tariffs have been necessary because it feels Canada provides unfair subsidies on its lumber.
Beside Canadian wood, the U.S. Treasury could also reduce the 54.9 per cent duties imposed on cement imported from Mexico.
I find it kind of irritating that one of the greatest bones of contention - US tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber - is may finally be dealt with - not because of court rulings supporting our position, or because of the good will that we have generated, but rather because of a need for it. If it wasn’t for my desire to see good in the whole world being done, a part of me would say that we would be justified to slap a 27% tax on out-going softwood lumber.
for more on the dispute:
http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-73-787/politics_economy/softwood/
While that may be a great and wonderful thing, and I’m not doubting it, I just don’t understand why there’s a tarriff on a renewable resource that requires no skilled labor to create, I am hesitant to link one to the other.
I’m not saying they arn’t cause and effect, but once we link htem, officially, the role of Canada’s aid becomes not philanthropy but a bribe/payment for favors and I’d hate to have this colored like that. Especially since I know it’s not true.
If the French were wiped off the planet by a race of hostile aliens, the world would hardly take notice anymore, other then maybe the price of cheese and wine would rise slightly and a favorite vacation spot of the romantics would disapear.
Not really. Many countries would notice that more than they would notice the US being depopulated.
@Zoo:
France has no worthwhile military, economy or influence in world affairs.
G7 and nuclear weapons. And if they have no influence, why do you complain so much about what you perceive as “them protecting SH” ?
Thier UN vote. Not that they earned mind you. It was reserved for world powers but for God knows what reason we allowed them a veto after WW2.
It was reserved for the powers of the victorious alliance. And the chinese vote was first planned to go to the nationalists (later Taiwan) by the architects of the UN.
Maybe the reason was that you felt bad that you didn’t enter the war against the worlds worst dictator from the start but had to be pushed to it.
France is insignifigant
I find that highly insulting and racist/nationalist.
I am going to say something about the small part of his rambling I could decipher. The indians getting slaughtered huh? You are stereotypical in that all evil in the world starts with the west, and specificaly white people.
No, you didn’t decipher that correctly. That comment was aimed to be as historically correct as Jen’s comment before: not very.
That you want to read these accusations into my lines only says something about you.
@Jen:
I say that because it really didn’t matter if you lived in north, central (west) or southern Germany as long as it wasn’t eastern Germany - right?
It was not NATO and warsaw pact (because those did not exist at that time) but you are correct if you replace that by “western allies” and “USSR”, which i assume is what you meant.
Can you explain to my why it was impossible for you to write these names correctly?
So you think the King of France wanted to be replaced by Napoleon? Or do you think, just maybe, he tried to stop him but was inept and was replaced by him.
The King never tried to stop Napoleon.
He was dead already by the time that Napoleon became important in the politics of France.
Louis XVI was killed in 1793.
http://www.napoleonguide.com/leaders_louis16.htm
Napoleon entered politics in France in 1799, when we plotted against the directory and for the consulate.
doesn’t that make more sense and doesn’t that give more honor to the defunct monarchial line before Napoleon, then say, he surrendered all his power to a general because he was a coward???
No, it doesn’t make sense.
I told you why.
You should really STFU, F_alk. Especially when you … just have no idea what in the world you are talking about as is the case in this arguement.
Unfortunately for you i know what i am talking about.
You should take your advice so seriously that you would apply it to yourself.
@F_alk:
I say that because it really didn’t matter if you lived in north, central (west) or southern Germany as long as it wasn’t eastern Germany - right?
It was not NATO and warsaw pact (because those did not exist at that time) but you are correct if you replace that by “western allies” and “USSR”, which i assume is what you meant.
Can you explain to my why it was impossible for you to write these names correctly?
Because that’s what it turned out to be after the war. Not right after, but rather before the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic collapsed, it was really more NATO vs Warsaw then Western Allies vs Russia. Though, you are correct, in 1946 it was the western Allies controlling the west and Russia controlling the east.
Still, that does not explain why you chose that era to use the names from. It was not the correct time (as during the NATO and Pact times the Germanies were “independent” nations), and not the current time (as there is noWarsaw Pact anymore).
Actually, “it turned out after the war that all of it was NATO” …
What was the reason to use the intermediate era and thus historically misleading names?
Back to the Topic.
I don’t know if this has been mentioned yet, but did anyone here about Democrat Representative of Louisiana William Jefferson used the National Guard to salvage some of his property while many were holding on for dear life?
http://abcnews.go.com/US/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1123495&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
Louisiana needs a huge government shake up - starting with the removal of the governor and the mayor of New Orleans, either through impeachment or some sort of a recall process.
@F_alk:
Still, that does not explain why you chose that era to use the names from. It was not the correct time (as during the NATO and Pact times the Germanies were “independent” nations), and not the current time (as there is noWarsaw Pact anymore).
Actually, “it turned out after the war that all of it was NATO” …
What was the reason to use the intermediate era and thus historically misleading names?
I thought it was occupied until the wall fell in the 80’s/90’s?