[Kiss Me Hardy]

Exposure to soap?

[Helms]

"...antidemocratic sentiment was not merely an ephermeral trend, but a defining feature of 20th century French political culture.

"Today Heidegger Lives In France" .

[Dutchgirl]

Funny, as in the way my two week old lunch meat smells "funny."

[thinktwice]

Since when is French a race?

[RightWhale]

There is not a French race. It is at least 5 different tribes with different languages. And then the Normans who conquered Britain were not French at all.

[RichInOC]

I wanna see who has the nerve to post the rhyme that title comes from.

[weegee]

[pbear8]

Kato, someone has killed Napolean...

[coulson3]

Come on, be serious. The French have never really had a good experience with war. Is it any surprise that they and Germany are a little gunshy? They caught the worst of several world wars, and a lot of the populace just wants peace. So the politicians try to avoid conflict if at all possible, even (from our view) to the point of erring on the side of pacifism.

Are the blocking moves France has threatened petty? Yes. On the other hand, we're not being very nice to them, so what do you expect? They should just swallow their pride at America's ribbing and roll over?

It's unfair for us to insult the French for not joining the US/British coalition. They didn't want war, they didn't think it was justified, and they stuck to their principles. Was money involved? No doubt, and that's worthy of attack, but that wasn't the only reason they didn't fight.

However, now that the fighting is over, the important part is how to proceed from here. Rebuilding Iraq is key -- blocking that would be the height of pettiness. So is rebuilding (re-finding?) the respect between the US and old europe, not "punishing our ex-allies". They stuck to their guns and did what they thought was right. So did we. Nobody agrees about everything all the time.

[King David]

Yeah. I'll have to hand it to you. The lady in the harbor does make it hard to hate them... completely.

[Smedley]

Escoffier, Descartes, Montesquieu, croissants, and — as a Miller High Life ad once noted, sardonically ("Got to give it to you, Pierre") — mayonnaise.

I would add that I appreciate all those turn-of-the-century artists, including the impressionists, Victor Hugo, Guy de Maupassant, Louis Braille, Louis Pascal, Louis Pasteur, Louis Lamour, Jacques Cousteau, Champagne, the Etch-A-Sketch, lingerie, Madam Curie and Bridget Bardot.

Unfortunately, the creme of France, while rich, is way, way, way too thin.

[JoeSchem]

I tolerate their country but hate their government?