French plea as cemetery defaced

BBC News ^ | 1st April 2003 | BBC News

[witnesstothefall]

Ok, I'll answer one more time but then I'm on to the next thread.

The government doesn't control public opinion anywhere near as much as you seem to give it credit for doing.

I assure you, thinking Americans have duly noted Mexico's behavior. However, even a Republican can look far enough ahead to realize that there is a general election year beginning in about 8 months. Comprende hermano???

I further assure you, nobody was expecting huge favors from China. As it turned out, they weren't even forced to abstain after 1441. As usual, they played their cards carefully and last. China is a large, long-term rival. It would do Bush no good to tangle with them, even politically, at this time. He's got quite a few fires going right now thank you very much. There's Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran and the deconstruction of the United Nations to contend with, not to mention North Korea (where China does finally become relevant).

But France is getting the Administration's very public attention at this time for very good reasons:

U.N. (veto, oil-for-food)

EU

transChannel relations

U.S./German relations

NorthAfrica/Arabia

al Queda, WoT

NATO

These are the reasons France's perfidy is being addressed so loudly and urgently. Because right now, they happen to be more relevant than the other (admitted) knuckleheads.

Why isn't Canada on your list? Anyways, sounds like Baghdad is starting to blow up real good. I'm gone.

Peace! (smirk)

[nanny]

You are always running away----
You bet I realize there is an election 8 months away - anyone who doesn't factor that into the entire equation is not thinking.

Why weren't we expecting huge favors from China - I think we sorta did them a favor in WWII also. But they are getting great favors in the trade department - shouldn't that buy us something? Guess not.

Why in the world did we expect France to vote with us, they didn't even let us fly over them in Gulf War I?

And yes, the government does control the dialogue in this country - if you don't think so - you aren't paying attention. One well-placed call to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and nice word to a columnist, a few 'friends' posting on these threads, and few shameless politicians making speeches to get their name in the paper - and there you have it.

No France is not the bogey man - but hey, it's so much fun and they are harmless. What can they do? They have one vote and President Bush had to know how it would go before he started. They don't have the hold on America China does. If we make China mad, every sweatshop owned by American campaign contributors will be taken over and that is how it will affect the election. So America is for sale -

As to Mexico - I am totally in the dark there. There is some reason President Bush is so determined to have the illegals here - well, of course, for his contributors here, but why else when it is so detrimental and most of the country wants it stopped. There must be some other reason and it is not because the Mexicans won't vote for him. The ones who voted for him last time will be very happy to have the borders closed and the illegals sent home. The others never did and never will vote Republican.

Excuses can be made right and left - bottom line - it comes down to the bottom line and we had to have someone to be mad at because we got almost no support and France was chosen - they are an easy target and cost us nothing.

[CaptainAwesome]

why were they buried in france in the first place? sure in the immediate time following the war you may think they will be thankful and take good care of the graves but who would trust that would last in the long term? now they are stuck in france and there is little chance that we will be allies with france forever. then what? we sit by as they desecrate the graves of our lost soldiers? it was dumb when they did it in the first place.

[Mr. Mojo]

Slogans reading "Death to Yankees"

Sounds like a bunch a Redsox fans to me.

And just as likely - 100% - to experience bitter defeat and humiliation.

[Naspino]

So where are the people from the other thread saying this anti-French stuff was childish?

Turning off liberalism (TV, newspapers) has had a dramatic effect here -- we're beating it back. Cut off all aid and contracts with France and maybe their right can take it back (not that they ever had it).

[Ben Bolt]

Ok .. France has 2 people with some degree of class . Fine .

[Ben Bolt]

Ok . 2 people in France with some class and 1 person with the spirit of adventure ..

Fine .

[HardStarboard]

Appropriate sentiment.

[Ben Bolt]

And what is it that inspires you ?

[Spirited]

"Why don't we bring our boys home? Bury them in the UK and the US. This will open up a great deal of real estate ... perhaps enough to establish a new country - we'll call it Palestine! From what I hear, there are a number of "palestinians" in search of real estate."

That was worth repeating and since some of those bones would be coming to us, I approve since I hate the idea that our government is paying them an annual fee for each burial plot!

[timestax]

Will you please tell USA tourists to bypass Europe this year , and for many years to come!! VISIT AMERICA FIRST.

[Spirited]

We are among the many who are refusing to go to France this spring.

Child wanted to go to Paris. I did not but would have. We are now not doing Paris. I would not agree to corrupting the children. Rather support UK.

[Ben Bolt]

I'm with you . Bump to the nations that read here in FReeRepublic . We all have a segment of misfits . This place is a damn fine way to make them invisible .

[witnesstothefall]

President Bush had to know how it would go before he started.

To me, you're making a wild supposition here, and one that I believe is quite wrong. All the evidence we have suggests that Bush/Powell/Blair thought they could get France on board using liberally applied diplomatic pressure. They were wrong; they failed to get France to be reasonable. But to you it's all preordained, a conspiracy in effect if not in word. That's the kind of hazy thinking I don't buy into.....

[timestax]

We are among the many who are refusing to go to France this spring. Child wanted to go to Paris. I did not but would have. We are now not doing Paris. I would not agree to corrupting the children. Rather support UK. 52 posted on 04/02/2003 10:13 PM PST by Spirited [ Post Reply

Kewl!! Try San Diego!! It's always beautiful, and the weather is always great! Stay in the suburb town called Pacific Beach, or La Jolla and you can't go wrong. Drive up to or stay in Carlsbad area and let your child visit LEGOLAND. It's a big theme park based on LEGOS! Plus, in less then two hours, you can be in pine covered mountains, hiking down a trail at 10,000 feet! A friendly little mountain town is named Idyllwild, halfway to Palm Springs, which also should be visited at least once!

[timestax]

[nanny]

But to you it's all preordained, a conspiracy in effect if not in word. That's the kind of hazy thinking I don't buy into.....

I don't know where the 'conspiracy' thing came in - I don't see a conspiracy here - not a word about preordained. I just think it was a pretty good bet France wouldn't support us - much of the world was not supporting us and France didn't even let us fly over them in the last war, when much of the world was supporting us. It wasn't a stretch to think they wouldn't this time - my goodness 99.9% of the world didn't support it. Doesn't have anything to do with the right or wrong of it - just that France's lack of support did not come as a big surprise to me - I can't imagine it did to the President. Maybe it did to some Americans - or maybe they just want to have a little fun and find someone to vent their anger on - but there is a whole wide world out there they could be hating.

France did no more and no less than a lot of other countries did - act in what they felt was their best interests or at least take the actions their citizens wanted them to take. So why are we hating France so much - it easy - it fun and it doesn't hurt - no sacrifice - and it keeps everyone's mind off the ones who didn't support us and really should have - like Mexico and China and all our other 'favored traders'.

While we are focusing on the French silliness, our 'friend' Mexico wants some strange contact in our military with all of Mexican decent?, is giving dual citizenship Mexican/American to American citizens - is still exporting people for us to feed and in doing so is giving cover for terrorists to come into this country.

We are continuing our lop-sided trading with China and China is building its military, with our money, and taking a company out of America that is the last company to build components for some of our technology.

Never mind that heavy stuff - we are too busy keeping America free - we are not eating French fries!!!