Lights Out In Paris

[Almighty Colin]

On the defense of Turkey ...

"NATO, trying to end the stalemate, put the issue Sunday to its Defense Planning Committee, which excludes France. Paris left NATO’s military command structure in the late 1960s and participates only in political consultations."

Defense approved.

[Forest]

John McCain had this to say of France today...

"they (the french) remind me of an ageing 1940's actress trying to dine out on her looks"

PEARL!!!!!!
:lol: :lol:



Last edited by Forest at Feb 16 2003, 04:57 PM

[Rolo]

I think we will see Germany, and Belgium trying to get out of the "world spotlight" in the next few weeks... their leaders have made their point to their voters, now they will do anything not to get out on "deeper water" with both the US and the 12 other EU countries (alot of them are pissed that France, Germany, and Belgium have put all of EU/Europe in such a bad light).

Do not know how France will get out from the corner they have put themself in... I bet when they meet with their EU partners they will have alot of answering to do...

[Mutt]

freeze them out. boycott everything French and German. That will teach them.

Most Jews I knew growing up would NOT buy a Mercedes or any other German car. That changed with the next generation.

[Zebra]

Read this shit that French President Jacques Chirac spewed today:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ope_1&printer=1 (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=524&u=/ap/20030217/ap_wo_en_po/eu_gen_eu_chirac_eastern_europe_1&printer=1)
Blasting several Eastern European countries for support the US stance against Iraq and hinting that it could threaten their entrance into the EU. What a shithead.
"It is not really responsible behavior," he told a news conference. "It is not well brought up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."
He should listen to his own advice and just keep his mouth shut.

[slavdogg]

Originally posted by Mutt@Feb 16 2003, 08:44 PM
Most Jews I knew growing up would NOT buy a Mercedes or any other German car. That changed with the next generation.
yup, but now most Jews drive German cars.
than again Germany has been good to Jews and Israel in last several decades .

[slavdogg]

everyone is saying Jacques Chirac is playing politics,
what fuckin politics, he's gonna be in power for another 4.5 years

there are a lot more reasons than we know.
maybe there is another French or German built nuclear plant that we dont know about ?

[sarah_webinc]

someone I heard said that Belgium being on that panel WITHOUT France helped save themselves and Germany from joining in on a collective suicide pack.

I guess I feel there is a difference on standing up to say you aren't happy because you feel there is a different way for things to be done and just being difficult because you always are. Belgium is too nice of a place for me to hate, anyway :)

[Petr]

Even though I don't agree with Bush and his politics, this Chirac's statement saying that all the EU candidate countries should shut up really pissed me off... That's not exactly the best way to convince people from my country to vote for joining EU this year.

(Actually, I'm still pissed off. What a great diplomat this French frogeater is, really. :headwall: )

[Rolo]

Maybe Jacques Chirac is affraid of social unrest in the poor muslim areas in France, and that it will give the right wing (LePen's National Front) in his country even more votes next time. Also I would think that Paris is a prime target for terrorist... up until now France have had a bad name in muslim countries, because France supported the Algeria goverment getting rid of the muslim F.I.S. party. He might be sucking up, so France won´t be the next target for terror, which is going to happen in Europe sometime. Another reason could be the cost of war - more refugess (UN rapports say 1 mio people will be on the run when/if the war begins - many of them will go to Europe), and Oil companies from France loosing rights to oil in Iraq, if Saddam is not there (maybe Slavdogg is right that we don´t know half the truth about what other deals they have made with Iraq in the past).

I think there are a million reasons why he doesn´t want to go to war - but being president is not about choosing between good or evil... sometimes its choosing between 2 evils - like:

Supporting Saddam and getting into problems with the rest of EU and USA
or
Going to war with Saddam and risk social unrest, terror, jobs and next election

[Rolo]

Originally posted by Petr@Feb 18 2003, 07:11 AM
Actually, I'm still pissed off. What a great diplomat this French frogeater is, really.
I also think he did very bad with that comment - even the president of France can not stop the rest of Europe working together.

I also think that it will hit him in the head, when the new countries are fully members and have voting rights in EU... Don´t think France will have it easy in the EU for a very long time...

[Petr]

People here in the CZ still remember how France (along with the UK) sold us to Hitler in Munchen 1938. And now when France is telling us to shut up again Czechs don't have exactly the nicest words for Mr Chirac...

[Mike AI]

HAHA that is a pearl. It is funny politicans have good writers, they come up with some good sounds bites....

I knew France was not a full member of NATO, that is why I was wondering how they could veto anything.

One of the problems we have right not, especially in the US is ignorance about the UN. Many people think the UN is some world gov't or world power. This is not true, the UN has no real power, and surely cannot tell teh Unites States what to do. We as a Nation must value our own Autonomy.....

This BS about waiting for UN approval is a joke, we might was well wait for approval from Scooby Doo, and Thor....

[Almighty Colin]

Originally posted by Mike AI@Feb 18 2003, 11:32 AM
we might was well wait for approval from Scooby Doo, and Thor....
I read Thor comic books as a kid. :rokk:

[Rolo]

Yes, lets hope people remember which countries made all of these problems in the EU...

France 60 million people
Germany 83 million people
Belgium 10 million people
----------------------------------
Total 153 million people

The rest of EU is either positiv about a war or neutral in the matter of Saddam... That group of countries combines 302 million people.

These 3 countries trying to speak "for the whole of Europe" in world media, and almost breaking up NATO, all without the backing from the other EU countries - that was a very bad move. The other countries will not forget these 3 countries solo/ego trip, and I think it will mean some/more power will be moved away from these 3 countries in the future.

Thats why Germany and Belgium was so quick to find a solution for their comments in NATO. They don´t want to end up without any saying in the future EU - having to fight for every idea/suggestion they have.

Don´t know how long France want to go, before they shut up... if all other countries in the UN want to bomb Iraq, and France is the only country trying to veto, then I will be very suprised... maybe they are looking/hoping for a good reason to stop this debate without loosing face to the world and its people?