Full Version: Freedom fries & other French bashing
I keep hearing about freedom fries, freedom toast, etc. and restaurants that have opted not to serve French wine or water because of the situation with Iraq. Does anyone else think that this is incredibly lame? 
Maybe we should just kick Louisiana out of the union. They have loads of French culture.
Maybe we should just kick Louisiana out of the union. They have loads of French culture.
QUOTE(cyan @ Mar 13 2003, 06:39 PM)
I keep hearing about freedom fries, freedom toast, etc. and restaurants that have opted not to serve French wine or water because of the situation with Iraq. Does anyone else think that this is incredibly lame?
Maybe we should just kick Louisiana out of the union. They have loads of French culture.
Maybe we should just kick Louisiana out of the union. They have loads of French culture.
I think its very lame.
I do hope we take serious measures against them though. They have gone out of their way to work against us, and not in the name of world peace.
What about Californians? Most of them don't support war. Should we have Freedom Rolls?
I think this is just CHILDISH!!! 
This re-naming of Fries & not serving French Wine is ridiculous
It's just a little disagreement between our moronic politicians & France's...they need to grow up
This re-naming of Fries & not serving French Wine is ridiculous
It's just a little disagreement between our moronic politicians & France's...they need to grow up
And I am not going to give up oral sex - even if we go to war with France! 
I'm pretty sure that France has no claim there. This is just pure irrational jingoism.
You haven't seen anything yet. Look at this:
I think we need to clean our houses in Washington...ALL of them. The House, the Whitehouse, and the Senate.
QUOTE
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, plans to introduce a bill today proposing that the families of the thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen buried in France and Belgium be allowed to dig up their remains and have them shipped home.
"The remains of our brave servicemen should be buried in patriotic soil, not in a country that has turned its back on the United States and on the memory of Americans who fought and died there," Brown-Waite said.
"It's almost as if the French have forgotten what those thousands of white crosses at Normandy represent," she said.
About 75,000 U.S. servicemen and women from both world wars are buried in military cemeteries in France and Belgium, most of the graves marked by simple white crosses.
"The remains of our brave servicemen should be buried in patriotic soil, not in a country that has turned its back on the United States and on the memory of Americans who fought and died there," Brown-Waite said.
"It's almost as if the French have forgotten what those thousands of white crosses at Normandy represent," she said.
About 75,000 U.S. servicemen and women from both world wars are buried in military cemeteries in France and Belgium, most of the graves marked by simple white crosses.
I think we need to clean our houses in Washington...ALL of them. The House, the Whitehouse, and the Senate.
Crikey, Danya - American politics has just made the segue from childish to lunatic. This is really getting out of hand. 
I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone did next suggest substituting "freedom active" and "freedom passive" for certain interests in personal ads. 
I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone did next suggest substituting "freedom active" and "freedom passive" for certain interests in personal ads.
QUOTE(Danya @ Mar 13 2003, 10:56 PM)
You haven't seen anything yet. Look at this:
That is absolutely ridiculous.
I don't even know what else to say about it, except that it's enfuriating.
Well hold on now, we have these socialists, anarchists and Communists protesting in Europe that have idiotic signs like "I love the people of Iraq" and "No war for oil". And burning USA flags. So if these people are taken seriously why exactly is it so "infuriating" for other people to do this freedom fries stuff?
CP
CP
Are you just that ignorant or are you trying to be inflammatory? Anarchists make up a small percentage of any protest, as do Communists and socialists. The people burning American flags are also in a small but visible minority. If 2 million American flags were burned in the London marches you would perhaps have a legitimate gripe, but that is clearly not the case.
A better comparison would be if the French government started tearing down American flags by act of law. Which they will not do because they aren't jingoistic lunatics.
A better comparison would be if the French government started tearing down American flags by act of law. Which they will not do because they aren't jingoistic lunatics.
QUOTE(Ultimatejoe @ Mar 14 2003, 10:50 PM)
Are you just that ignorant or are you trying to be inflammatory? Anarchists make up a small percentage of any protest, as do Communists and socialists. The people burning American flags are also in a small but visible minority. If 2 million American flags were burned in the London marches you would perhaps have a legitimate gripe, but that is clearly not the case.
A better comparison would be if the French government started tearing down American flags by act of law. Which they will not do because they aren't jingoistic lunatics.
A better comparison would be if the French government started tearing down American flags by act of law. Which they will not do because they aren't jingoistic lunatics.
Am I that ignorant...why no, no I am not. Second question am I trying to be inflammatory, why no, no I am not, in fact I have no idea how what I said would even be misconseved as infammatory. What I am saying is that anarchists and Communists, which before you attempt to jump down my throat, I have no problem with, are able to protest against us, then we should be able to protest against them.
CP
QUOTE(Ultimatejoe @ Mar 14 2003, 05:50 PM)
Are you just that ignorant or are you trying to be inflammatory?
Hmmm...I think Danya's oft-used phrase is best here: pot meet kettle.
Take it easy folks. This is Casual Converstation. It is meant to be fun.
QUOTE(Conservpat @ Mar 14 2003, 03:22 PM)
Well hold on now, we have these socialists, anarchists and Communists protesting in Europe that have idiotic signs like "I love the people of Iraq" and "No war for oil". And burning USA flags. So if these people are taken seriously why exactly is it so "infuriating" for other people to do this freedom fries stuff?
Because these people (not government entities, btw) are protesting a specific policy of the United States. We are protesting an entire culture, because they disagree with us, rather than addressing and protesting the issue at hand, and it is being endorsed by the government. It's immature, and French fries don't have anything to do with the French to begin with.
QUOTE(cyan @ Mar 15 2003, 12:01 AM)
QUOTE(Conservpat @ Mar 14 2003, 03:22 PM)
Well hold on now, we have these socialists, anarchists and Communists protesting in Europe that have idiotic signs like "I love the people of Iraq" and "No war for oil". And burning USA flags. So if these people are taken seriously why exactly is it so "infuriating" for other people to do this freedom fries stuff?
Because these people (not government entities, btw) are protesting a specific policy of the United States. We are protesting an entire culture, because they disagree with us, rather than addressing and protesting the issue at hand, and it is being endorsed by the government. It's immature, and French fries don't have anything to do with the French to begin with.
Burning USA flags isn't protesting our policy. It is just a sign of anti-Americanism.
CP
Why spend tax money to rebury fallen WW II vets? To make a statement: We are completely out of our minds and need drugs, bad.
Colorado has a bill to post "In God We Trust" in all public schools and government buildings. The opposition wanted to add, "All Others Pay Cash."
So, I propose that the bill to move graves be amended to insist that each and every service person be identified and eulogized in the process.
It might get our minds off our irrational fears.
Colorado has a bill to post "In God We Trust" in all public schools and government buildings. The opposition wanted to add, "All Others Pay Cash."
So, I propose that the bill to move graves be amended to insist that each and every service person be identified and eulogized in the process.
It might get our minds off our irrational fears.
after we finish digging up the bones of WW2 vets, perhaps we should dig up all those french vets that died helping us win our independence from britain.
(edited to change freedom to britain, my bad. that help MM?)
(edited to change freedom to britain, my bad. that help MM?)
QUOTE(unabomber @ Mar 15 2003, 01:39 PM)
after we finish digging up the bones of WW2 vets, perhaps we should dig up all those french vets that died helping us win our independence from freedom.
Interesting post. Mind explaining what that 'winning our independence from freedom' thing is all about?
I think it is a typo. It's an allusion to the role the French played in the War of Independence.
QUOTE(Conservpat @ Mar 15 2003, 10:20 AM)
Burning USA flags isn't protesting our policy. It is just a sign of anti-Americanism.
Uh... the couple of instances of flag-burning (out of millions of protestors, btw) are not gratuitous. It is in direct reaction to our policy. I'm now tempted to ask you for foundation or supporting evidence for all those "why no, no I am not" things.
QUOTE(Wertz @ Mar 15 2003, 11:58 PM)
QUOTE(Conservpat @ Mar 15 2003, 10:20 AM)
Burning USA flags isn't protesting our policy. It is just a sign of anti-Americanism.
Uh... the couple of instances of flag-burning (out of millions of protestors, btw) are not gratuitous. It is in direct reaction to our policy. I'm now tempted to ask you for foundation or supporting evidence for all those "why no, no I am not" things.
So with that said, out of how many Americans are the people who are participating in the Freedom ect. shananagan? As for the second question, I will reiterate Jaime's post,
QUOTE
Take it easy folks. This is Casual Converstation. It is meant to be fun.
. Just cause I don't agree with you guys doesn't mean I'm a moron, I'm actually pretty smart if I do say so myself, lol, 
.CP
You sure are... modest too.
There is a distinct difference. Now we're talking legislature. Any act of a representative (in a representative democracy) reflects on the will of his constituents; and any act of government reflects on the people as a whole. So when a representative starts talking law, then everyone who he serves is participating, and if it becomes law then the whole country is a participant; unwilling or not.
QUOTE
So with that said, out of how many Americans are the people who are participating in the Freedom ect. shananagan?
There is a distinct difference. Now we're talking legislature. Any act of a representative (in a representative democracy) reflects on the will of his constituents; and any act of government reflects on the people as a whole. So when a representative starts talking law, then everyone who he serves is participating, and if it becomes law then the whole country is a participant; unwilling or not.
QUOTE(Ultimatejoe @ Mar 16 2003, 05:45 PM)
You sure are... modest too.
There is a distinct difference. Now we're talking legislature. Any act of a representative (in a representative democracy) reflects on the will of his constituents; and any act of government reflects on the people as a whole. So when a representative starts talking law, then everyone who he serves is participating, and if it becomes law then the whole country is a participant; unwilling or not.
QUOTE
So with that said, out of how many Americans are the people who are participating in the Freedom ect. shananagan?
There is a distinct difference. Now we're talking legislature. Any act of a representative (in a representative democracy) reflects on the will of his constituents; and any act of government reflects on the people as a whole. So when a representative starts talking law, then everyone who he serves is participating, and if it becomes law then the whole country is a participant; unwilling or not.
So if that is true couldn't I say all of the French think that America is impearialistic and want to go to war for oil? I doubt that something so small could cause such an uproar, and if the French take it seriously, wow.
CP
Please stop fouling up my explanations. Again, there is a distinct difference. France is persuing it's policy of delay for it's own reasons, not out of spite. As for something that a French politician SAYS; that is not a reflection of the public, merely his own opinions.
QUOTE
Burning USA flags isn't protesting our policy. It is just a sign of anti-Americanism
Finally, something we can agree on.
If you hold up a sign that says "your policies suck", I think we should make room for you to dissent and give you the appropriate means to make your voice heard.
You burn our flag, you are telling us all to go to you-know-where. It is completely un-american. You may know what part of the flag you hate, but we don't.
Even with the right to free speech, it's against the law to incite a riot. Burning a flag incites normally peaceful people to violence (in the interest of defending our flag) and it should be against the law.
But back on topic, this whole debate is childish. As asked on Saturday Night Live last night, should they start calling our cheese "Idiot Cheese"?
I agree...this is just lame. The French have support a position (one that I think is the right one) and we shouldn't hate them for it. And also, we have done this before. During WW1 frankfurters became hot dogs, and for a while saeur kraut was freedom cabbage. To me it seems that it doesn't matter what the food is called...its just food.
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