Americans find ways to punish the French

The Daily Telegraph ^ | April 25, 2003 | Toby Harnden

[MadIvan]

More, more! ;)

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Grampa Dave]

I would agree with Condi if we insist that Russia start helping instead of hurting us.

Condoleezza Rice, Mr Bush's national security adviser, is said to have come up with a slogan for how to break up the pre-war "non-nein-nyet" alliance against America over Iraq: punish France, ignore Germany and forgive Russia.

[Sonny M]

Jealousy is ones envy. I see no reason to even consider frances opinions any more then one considers the opinions of say ethiopia or somalia. They are irrelevant.

[MadIvan]

My first instinct is to drag all three to the proverbial woodshed and deliver a huge beating.

Let's start by telling them that Iraq's debts to them are null and void. ;)

Regards, Ivan

[JennysCool]

A Frenchman dodges "Le Punishment"

[Mr. Mojo]

forgive Russia.

Bad idea, Condi. It just encourages the bastards.

[hobson]

When told by the New York Times that Mr Bush would make sure he was in France for the minimum possible time, a senior French diplomat responded tartly: "We are not forcing anyone to spend the night in France.

They certainly are getting snippy about it.

[FairOpinion]

And we should continue the grass roots boycott of France.

There were mentions in some articles that it is starting to hurt them. Good!

Maybe they will learn that actions have consequences.

[katana]

I like it. It is a graduated scale of relevancy.

Russia's at the top (with a few thousand nukes and covering 11 time zones, they are relevant), Germany in the middle (still the biggest country and economy in Europe and there's hope Schroeder's party will get its a** kicked out of office in a few years - worth saving), and at the bottom France (irrelevant, annoying, treacherous, and silly - perfect material to use in setting an example to the others).

Yeah, I think Condi knows what she's doing.

[Centurion2000]

a senior French diplomat responded tartly: "We are not forcing anyone to spend the night in France.

"It amazes me that he doesn't realise the Swiss government was extremely hostile to war. They didn't even allow overflight rights for American planes."

The Swiss had the good sense to stay out of our way and shut up about it.

[Enemy Of The State]

> "He looks French," one White House adviser was quoted as saying about Senator John Kerry, a Democratic presidential challenger<

ROTFLMAO!!

[UCFRoadWarrior]

France should be counting their blessings that the US isnt invading France. US would take Paris within a week, tops.

At least some Iraqi's did try to fire back. I doubt the sissy French would do the same

[Dutchgirl]

When told by the New York Times that Mr Bush would make sure he was in France for the minimum possible time, a senior French diplomat responded tartly: "We are not forcing anyone to spend the night in France.

I think he should do what travellers have done for centuries...while staying in france, bring his own CLEAN linen, and some safe water from home.
Then again, he is the President and a hop across the channel in Marine One would give him the opportunity to enjoy a lovely night at one of the Savoy Hotels, like Claridges.

[Tango Whiskey Papa]

FRANCE - Some Famous Quotes

"France has neither winter nor summer nor morals. Apart from these drawbacks it is a fine country. France has usually been governed by prostitutes." --Mark Twain

"I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me." --General George S. Patton

"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion." --Norman Schwarzkopf

"We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it." --Marge Simpson

"As far as I'm concerned, war always means failure." --Jacques Chirac, President of France

"As far as France is concerned, you're right." --Rush Limbaugh

"The only time France wants us to go to war is when the German Army is sitting in Paris sipping coffee." --Regis Philbin

"The French are a smallish, monkey-looking bunch not dressed any better, on average, than the citizens of Baltimore. True, you can sit outside in Paris and drink little cups of coffee, but why this more stylish than sitting inside and drinking large glasses of whiskey I don't know." --P. J. O'Rourke

"You know, the French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who was still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn't have the face for it." --John McCain

"You know why the French don't want to bomb Saddam Hussein? Because he hates America, he loves mistresses and wears a beret. He is French, people." --Conan O'Brien

"I don't know why people are surprised that France won't help us get Saddam out of Iraq. After all, France wouldn't help us get the Germans out of France!" --Jay Leno

"The last time the French asked for 'more proof' it came marching into Paris under a German flag." --David Letterman

"France is a dog-hole." - William Shakespeare, (All's Well That Ends Well, c.1603)

"The friendship of the French is like their wine, exquisite but of short duration." - German saying.

"In Paris they simply stared when I spoke to them in French; I never did succeed in making those idiots understand their language." - Mark Twain

France: A relatively small and eternally quarrelsome country in Western Europe, fountainhead of rationalist political manias, militarily impotent, historically inglorious during the past century, democratically bankrupt, Communist-infiltrated from top to bottom. --William F. Buckley, Jr.

France is the only country where the money falls apart and you can't tear the toilet paper. --Billy Wilder

What I gained by being in France was learning to be better satisfied with my own country. --Samuel Johnson

I would have loved it--without the French. --D. H. Lawrence

Everything is on such a clear financial basis in France. It is the simplest country to live in. No one makes things complicated by becoming your friend for any obscure reason. If you want people to like you, you have only to spend a little money. --Ernest Hemingway

Frenchmen are like gunpowder, each by itself smutty and contemptible, but mass them together and they are terrible indeed! --Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The French probably invented the very notion of discretion. It's not that they feel that what you don't know won't hurt you; they feel that what you don't know won't hurt them. To the French lying is simply talking. --Fran Lebowitz

They aren't much at fighting wars anymore. Despite their reputation for fashion, their women have spindly legs. Their music is sappy. But they do know how to whip up a plate of grub. --Mike Royko

Every Frenchman wants to enjoy one or more privileges; that's the way he shows his passion for equality. --Charles de Gaulle

[pepsi_junkie]

This is good news, IMHO. During the Cold War, with the Soviets taking up the whole of Eastern Europe, Spain lost to Franco, and Greece and Turkey at each other's throats, we needed harmony in Western Europe and France and Germany were critical to that. We took a lot of crap from France in order to maintain our broader strategic goals, but the time for letting them snort at us with impunity is past. It's a new dawn, and we need to focus on more relevant allies to go with it.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Bush should fly over to England and spend the night. It certainly would be a lot more fun and relaxing being among wonderful allies.

[6ppc]

To call someone "French" has become the choice term of derision in Washington.

LOL!

[okie01]

forgive Russia.

"Bad idea, Condi. It just encourages the bastards."

The whole object of the exercise, I'm sure, is to a.) break up the nascent "axis of weasels" and b.) insure the complete isolation of France.

We have every reason to believe that, under a different leadership, Germany will turn around. We will punish Schroeder, in particular, by ignoring Germany, in general. And welcome her back, once Schroeder is ousted.

"Forgiving" Russia insures that she realizes her interests lie with us -- not with France. And, as an ally, Russia is far more useful than France.

That leaves arrogant France all, all alone. Out in the cold, no more relevant than the Cote d'Ivoire.

It's a geopolitical game. And France lost...