Wimps, weasels and monkeys - the US media view of 'perfidious France'

Guardian ^ | 2/11/03 | Gary Younge in New York and Jon Henley in Paris

[kattracks]

The "petulant prima donna of realpolitik" is leading the "axis of weasels", in "a chorus of cowards". It is an unholy alliance of "wimps" and ingrates which includes one country that is little more than a "mini-me minion", another that is in league with Cuba and Libya, with a bunch of "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" at the helm.

Welcome to Europe, as viewed through the eyes of American commentators and newspapers yesterday, as Euro-bashing, and particularly anti-French sentiment, reached new heights. In a barrage of insults and invective which ranged from the basest tabloid rants to the loftiest columnists on the most respected newspapers, European-led resistance to America's war plans in Iraq was portrayed not as a diplomatic position to be negotiated as a genetic weakness in the European mindset which makes them reluctant to fight wars and incapable of winning them.

The front page of Rupert Murdoch's New York Post yesterday shows the graves of Normandy with the headline: "They died for France but France has forgotten." "Where are the French now, as Americans prepare to put their soldiers on the line to fight today's Hitler, Saddam Hussein?" asks the pugnacious columnist Steve Dunleavy. "Talking appeasement. Wimping out. How can they have forgotten?" A cartoon in the same paper shows an ostrich with its head in the sand below the words: "The national bird of France."

If such language is proving a headache for the diplomats, then spare a thought for the French translators, who have struggled for words to convey the full force of the venom. "Cheese-eating surrender monkeys" - a phrase coined by Bart Simpson but made acceptable in official diplomatic channels around the globe by Jonah Goldberg, a columnist for the rightwing weekly National Review (according to Goldberg) - was finally rendered: " Primates capitulards et toujours en quête de fromages ". And the New York Post's "axis of weasel" lost much of its venom when translated as a limp " axe de faux jetons " (literally, "axis of devious characters").

American wrath has been reserved for those nations which oppose their leadership, particularly following the decision to oppose shifting Nato resources to Turkey. "Three countries - France, Germany and their mini-me minion, Belgium - have moved from opposition to US policy toward Iraq into formal, and consequential obstructionism," argued the Wall Street Journal in an editorial yesterday. "If there is a war [the Turks] will face the danger of direct attack that is not feared in the chocolate shops of Brussels." The front page of the National Review blares "Putsch" with a sub-headline: "How to defeat the Franco-German power grab."

While the jibes may be puerile, the possibility that the Bush administration and commercial outlets might follow them up with punitive measures has struck some as pernicious. An ad, due to come out soon, shows three German-made cars, including an Audi and a BMW, driving towards the camera with a voice saying: "Do you really want to buy a German car?"

If there has been any European country that has attracted more contempt than others, it is France. In the Wall Street Journal, Christopher Hitchens described Jacques Chirac as "a positive monster of conceit _ the abject procurer for Saddam ... the rat that tried to roar". In the Washington Post, George Will opined that the "oily" foreign affairs minister, Dominique de Villepin, had launched France into "an exercise for which France has often refined its savoir-faire since 1870, which is to say retreat - this time into incoherence".

And in the New York Times, Thomas Friedman argued that France should be removed from the security council and be replaced with India: "India is just so much more serious than France these days. France is so caught up with its need to differentiate itself from America to feel important, it's become silly." The Wall Street Journal editor, Max Boot, argues: "France has been in decline since, oh, about 1815, and it isn't happy about it." What particularly galls the Gauls is that their rightful place in the world has been usurped by the gauche Americans."

At its ugliest, the transatlantic bile is becoming increasingly personal. When France Inter radio's correspondent in Washington, Laurence Simon, started to explain her government's position to Fox News (owned by Murdoch) she was interrupted by the presenter. "With friends like you, who needs enemies," she was told as she was taken off air.

[Burkeman1]

I heard that Grenidier sold the house to the boyfriend for a dollar. And that since then they are a town scandal. Then again- I don't follow this much.

[Burkeman1]

Rich replies that he is surprised you are still alive. He responds thus:

Motorhead...Ride the Orgazmatron

[Kip Lange]

Thought he might say something like that. :-)

Ask him if he remembers the Frontenac. ;-)

[TomSmedley]

Primates capitulards et toujours en quête de fromages!

[Burkeman1]

He asks: Madame Benson?

[gridlock]

If you think about it, Groundskeeper Willie is the only one who could have come up with "Cheese eating surrender monkeys".

Bart, for all his failings, doesn't hold much specific animus against the French. But Groundskeeper Willie holds a specific animus against everybody. If pressed, I am quite sure that he could give just a pithy summation of the Spanish or Germans. If you have all day, you could ask him about the Irish...

[Kip Lange]

I reply: The only good thing about France. ;-)

[CounterCounterCulture]

Going to war without the French is like going hunting without an accordion

[Hugin]

To wage a "war against terrorism" in general is folly and unwinnable and I was tired of it when Clinton first announced it when he bombed Sudan the day Monica testified (yep- he declared a war against terrorism as well then).

Clinton was never serious about it. Bush is deadly serious. We do not have the option of not engaging. This war was thrust upon us as surely WWII was thrust upon us at Pearl Harbor. We have only two choices, to win it or lose it. You don't think we can win. Fortunately our current leaders are made of sterner stuff. Terrorist don't operate in a vacume. They operate with support of rogue states and individuals, and those are who we are going after. Afghanistan was first and Saddam is second. If others continue to support terrorists, they will be dealt with in due time. The alternative is eventually to suffer an attack that will make our losses in any previous war pale in comparison.

[BlueLancer]

"Afghanistan was first and Saddam is second. If others continue to support terrorists, they will be dealt with in due time."

"Over the Hills and Far Away" - modern version;
(from SHARPE'S EAGLE)

Four thousand dollars on the drum,
For those who’ll volunteer to come
And enlist to fight the foe today,
Over the hills and far away.

O’er the hills, we will attack
Afghanistan and then Iraq;
George Bush commands and we obey,
Over the hills and far away.

When duty calls me, I must go
To stand and face another foe;
But part of me will always stray
Over the hills and far away.

O’er the hills, from sea to land,
Iraq, and then on to Iran;
George Bush commands and we obey,
Over the hills and far away.

If I should fall to fight no more,
As many comrades did before,
Then ask the pipes and drums to play
"Over the hills and far away".

O’er the hills, pro patria,
Iran and then Arabia;
George Bush commands and we obey,
Over the hills and far away.

Then fall in, lads, behind the drum,
With colours blazing like the sun,
Along the road to come what may,
Over the hills and far away.

O’er the hills we will advance,
Through Belgium, Germany, and France;
George Bush commands and we obey,
Over the hills and far away."

[philosofy123]

You guys are having too much fun on the expense of our friends the French and the German. Last night on Hannity and Colmes Al Haig was being interviewed by Sean Hannity; once Sean started to spew the crap about the despicable French and German, Mr. Haig put an end to that right away! He said our relation with the people of France and Germany should never be questioned! Leaders come and go, but we American, and our relation with our brothers and Sisters in Europe will always be solid.

If you guy can keep your hate and venomous comments to Ben Laden, Qaddafi, Arafat,....and the rest of the Moslem terrorists, we would be better off.

[BlueLancer]

Good ol' Al "I am in charge" Haig ...

Politician/political general par excellence.

He's entitled to have an opinion but I'm not going to stand and attention and salute when "He said our relations with the people of France and Germany should never be questioned!"

Piffle. Here's hoping the coming of Sharia law in France and Germany is bloody, painful, and prolonged. Then we can spit on them when they come begging us for help.

[Mr. Jeeves]

"...capitulards..."

I really like this word, for some reason! It describes Chirac and Schroeder just perfectly.

I agree, though, that the attacks on France and Germany as whole nations are overblown. The Schroeder and Chirac governments may be hitting Clintonian levels of disgracefulness in their attempts to protect their investments in Iraq, but that is no reason to slander the German and French people. Free Republic remains the Internet's largest manufacturer of Sweeping Generalizations.

[BlueLancer]

Here's your "Christian" Europe ...

With God, In Europe

Excerpt ...
A draft constitution for the European Union that increases the body from 15 to 25 members is generating moral controversy.

The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) argues that due to the “increased secularization of morality and public life,” that all references to God should be left out of the preamble, as reported by Mike Wendling of CNS News.

GALHA’s spokesman Terry Sanderson said that “religion is dying throughout Europe and we have to realize that.”

GALHA accuses the Vatican of trying to impose “ultra-conservative and cruel doctrines," and blames the church for the suffering of homosexuals.

Instead the group would like to see the preamble state: “The Union is founded on the principles of secular rule of law: freedom, equality, democracy and pluralism.”

Other top politicians such as former French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing says that he is against a reference to God as well.

This isn't saving "Christian Europe"; this is about criticism and the ridicule of allies of the great enemy Islam ... in other words, France, Germany, and Belgium.

[philosofy123]

I would love for you and others like you to save their hate to the Moslem fanatics. The Moslem clerics that are spewing venomous hate against Jews and Christians every single day. If we all focus on the common enemy Islam, as it is preached today, we would be much more productive. Go spew lots of hate on Farrakhan, and on our stupid politicians who are importing Saudi clerics on our government expenses to teach American about Islam. Go and spew some hate to our government that is unable to expel the millions of ILLEGAL Moslems. Go spew some hate to our government that allows Moslem clerics to corrupt the black Americans minds in jail. More than 30% of all black prisoners have been converted to Islam, right under our nose. Please, you have too much hate to waste on the French and the German.

[crusher999]

What exactley was our interest in WWI?

I know your question is rhetorical, but I can't pass up a chance to respond.

The reasons for the US entry into WWI are admittedly murky, but the "official line" is:

President Woodrow Wilson declared a U.S. policy of absolute neutrality on the same day Britain declared war, 4 August 1914, an official stance that would last until 1917 when Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare - which seriously threatened America's commercial shipping (which was in any event almost entirely directed towards the Allies led by Britain and France) - forced the U.S. to finally enter the war on 6 April 1917.

Like WWII, we tried to stay out of Europe's mess (or what has been called "A Family Affair", since many of the European leaders involved were related to each other)...and much to Wilson's credit, we did keep to our own business for the first 3 years of this conflict.

Now, you can debate that our "reasons" for entering both WWI and WWII were flimsy at best, (I for one am absolutely convinced that Roosevelt knew we were going to be attacked, but needed an "excuse" to get us involved) but let me remind you that Germany was years ahead of us in Jet Propulsion, Rocketry and development of a Nuclear Arsenal.

Imagining an "unimaginable scenario", Nazi Germany could have been the only country with "the bomb" and the means to deliver it to any point on the globe...

Churchill said it best, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

[Leisler]

Flutie is a democrat. Frig him.

[537 Votes]

European-led resistance to America's war plans in Iraq was portrayed not as a diplomatic position to be negotiated as a genetic weakness in the European mindset which makes them reluctant to fight wars and incapable of winning them.

Given Europe's bloody history, I don't think any American thinks of them as reluctant to fight wars. 'Incapable of winning them,' on the other hand, does pretty much describe France and Germany.

[Morrigan]

Well, the thing about it is.......they kind of started it.

Remember the flaming Americans have been taking from the French and the Germans lately? I suppose this is a retaliation. It sounds like the high level of whining we have been hearing in Europe is because we are winning the war of words......

[CharlesThe Hammer]

The fact is that American anger over this Franco-German betrayal stems from a real cheap shot to the soul. The vitriol and shouting just covers up the pain of having disloyal friends that threw us over at the first sign of a better deal. The flags fling over Utah and Omaha beaches at the cemetery, the endless rows of white crosses at the Meuse, the Ardennes, the Somme, the Argonne, Lorraine, Chateau-Thierry, Belleau Wood, Brittany, St. Mihiel,the Rhone,Suresnes,Oise-Aisne,Bellicourt, Chaumont, Montfaucon, Montsec, Brest, and the great bronze plaques to the thousands of unknowns make it really personal for me. D-Day was a "unilateral" act by the allies.