|
|
|
Comment |
Sorted by
Date Written |
Late in reading... (Reply to this comment)
by misc_el
This is the best thing I've read in soooo long.
Glad I stopped by to catch up on my reading.
This:
"I would also like to mention that fatso Michael Moore was so wrong to release his propaganda hype nonsense video. He should be shipped off to France to live with the rest of the slobs that like to take advantage of the spoils of war – yet wear the badge of a peace-loving butterfly – while their pockets get fatter and fatter. Please God; make this Michael Moore Super-Size it until he drops dead right onto his fat face".
...is awesome! I couldn't agree more. Moore is a ridiculous fat little moron.
Reading this made me miss you all over again. Where you been? Is your email full again? Tried to "hi" to ya but said couldn't accept any more email.
Well, hi! anyway. Miss your sexiness bunches.
Lot's of XOXO's
E-
|
Jul 11 '05
9:03 am PDT
|
|
LOL... (Reply to this comment)
by knotheadusc
My husband is a soldier and on TDY right now. His job is set up the training for National Guardsmen. I sent him a copy of your article, because I think he and his buddies would really appreciate it. Thanks!
|
Nov 30 '04
5:18 am PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Amazing! (Reply to this comment)
by gaviidae
Vittorio responded to my poor attempt at humor expressed in "Americanized French" by saying: thanks for the French lesson. Why the hell am I the target of that? I am Italian, and never even said I like the French!
To which the always gracious Lilita replied:
Well, you like me! And I am nothing but French!
I just want to say, Lilita, that I like you, too, and always appreciate your writing contributions here. I hope you didn't find my comment in "Americanized French" offensive---I intended to amuse, certainly not to offend, by expressing what some Americans feel toward the French in a ridiculous version of French. Evidently didn't work for many----
Regards,
Gavia
|
Nov 14 '04
12:03 pm PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Amazing! (Reply to this comment)
by gaviidae
Vicfar says:
We have, after all, something more in common than french fries!
For example--as I said in my prior comment:
--liberte', egalite', oil contracts---
Gavia
|
Nov 14 '04
11:52 am PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Amazing! (Reply to this comment)
by vicfar
Well, I like French women...I think they are very sexy. But that does not mean I like the country...
Especially the snobbish men, who don't deserve their sexy women!
But seriously now, everyone who has lived in several countries knows that you develop a love/hate relationship with people you know much too well. I spent too much time in Italy not to know the spectacular deficiencies of the Italians.
They still infuriate me. On the other hand, there is more charm in an little fisherman's village in Italy than in the whole state of Connecticut combined (by the way, CT is one of the most charming states), and I can't help going back again and again. At the same time, I know the US too well and I have too much at stake in this country not be severely critical about the spectacular deficiencies of the Americans. Many people think that this means I hate the US. Of course, it is not true. People who hurt you the most are the ones you love the most. The French? I honestly don't know them. I don't idolize them or loathe them. They have great literature, great wine and food, and sexy women like Lily. When I have been there, I have been treated always politely, and sometimes in a friendly way, as long as I spoke French of course.
For countries where I have lived briefly, i.e. Canada and Germany, I have only the deepest love. They are two wonderful and beautiful countries, but I know that, had I lived there 10 years, I would have discovered their shortcomings (other than the Alberta winter), and developed a similar relationship.
Have you noticed that the most spectacular fights occur at Christmas in the big family reunions?
So, if I bash the US, it is because I love the country. I don't bash countries that I don't know and that don't matter to me.
Vittorio
|
Nov 13 '04
11:39 am PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Amazing! (Reply to this comment)
by vicfar
Gavia,
the whole tone of this comment section seems to me that we finally all admit that we Americans have been behaving like scumbags for the last 50 years (or more)...but, hey, that's OK because the sophisticated French are also a bunch of scumbags.
We have, after all, something more in common than french fries!
Tell me when it's time to bash the British, because they are even bigger scumbags than we are. After all, from whom did we learn to terrorize the world??
Vittorio
|
Nov 12 '04
6:00 pm PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Hmmmmmm.... (Reply to this comment)
by wrestler
Wow ! An outburst from Ginzo. This essay really has people talking !
You say that the French are not wrong for basically keeping a colonial system and that they are just hypocrites for asking you for help again ? I say that they are wrong and so are the U.S. for doing the same thing. There are no angels or saints in politics.
As far as hypocrisy, I don't see it that way. They just asked and if I know George Bush, the answer was very similar to the one you are writing in capital letters on Epinions. Until next time.
-Wrestler
|
Nov 12 '04
2:27 pm PST
|
|
Re: Re: Hmmmmmm.... (Reply to this comment)
by ginzo
Once again you guys are missing MY point.
PROBABLY DELIBERATELY,AAAAGAIN.
No,I'm not claiming that the French are wrong in what they are doing,just that they are hypocrites to protest what we are doing when they are doing the same and HAVE THE NERVE TO NOW ASK US FOR HELP!!!AGAIN!!!
|
Nov 12 '04
7:21 am PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Amazing! (Reply to this comment)
by vicfar
Merci, Lily...Et une lecon d'Allemand aussi?
Potrei ricambiare con una rinfrescatina d'Italiano!
Vittorio
|
Nov 12 '04
5:30 am PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hmmmmmm.... (Reply to this comment)
by vicfar
Ginzo,
you are right! Your statement is absolutely correct. The goal of France's foreign policy in Africa is, and has always been, to uphold its economic interests, and the hell with the right to self-rule of the target country (if the rest of the world does not object).
If you can recognize it so quickly in the French, why can't you see that the US is engaged exactly in the same policies, only everywhere in the world, and on a scale that is ten times bigger?
Vittorio
|
Nov 12 '04
5:28 am PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Amazing! (Reply to this comment)
by gaviidae
Vittorio says:
Gavia,thanks for the French lesson. Why the hell am I the target of that? I am Italian, and never even said I like the French!
My knowledge of a few Italian words is even more sparse than my knowledge of a few French words, but I felt certain you are conversational in both.
Perhaps my Scandinavian sense of humor here is just too much diversity to grasp all at once.
Regards,
Gavia
|
Nov 11 '04
10:03 pm PST
|
|
Re: Comments (Reply to this comment)
by gaviidae
Wrestler sez: Gaviidae, you don't have un mauvais français, mon cher.
You got THAT right, mon cher!
I enjoyed your response in partfrenchpartenglish, which seemed to also capture the note of humor I intended, and some apparently missed.
Regards,
Gavia
|
Nov 11 '04
9:58 pm PST
|
|
Re: Re: Amazing! (Reply to this comment)
by vicfar
Gavia,
thanks for the French lesson. Why the hell am I the target of that? I am Italian, and never even said I like the French!
Vittorio
|
Nov 10 '04
4:58 pm PST
|
|
Re: Hmmmmmm.... (Reply to this comment)
by wrestler
Right you are. The French certainly have a dark agenda of their own. But remember that as far as the US and France are concerned, hypocrisy works both ways.
You sound as though you are saying "Oh great ! Now I can admit that we have hidden agendas now that I can blame the same thing on those damn Frenchmen."
Until next time.
-Wrestler
|
Nov 10 '04
2:31 pm PST
|
|
I am still undecided how to interpret this essay, (Reply to this comment)
by asafono
dead serious or tongue firmly in cheek (given Stockholder's previous reviews.)
As to your question, What kind of real American wastes his time with a bunch of third world monkey-brained countries anyhow?
that would be, according to your definition, President Bush during his first term.
|
Nov 10 '04
10:25 am PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hmmmmmm.... (Reply to this comment)
by ginzo
Good God!!!I just found out that the French have been doing exactly what the Americans are doing in Iraq over at the Ivory coast.
The French have commercial interests there to protect ,INCLUDING millions of barrels of oil interests!!!!
And now they're asking US for help!!!
What hypocrites!!!!!!!!!
|
Nov 10 '04
6:59 am PST
|
|
Comments (Reply to this comment)
by wrestler
Haggis, I didn't say that the American Revolution started with France's help. I only said that without France, chances are things wouldn't have worked out as wonderfully as they did. So don't get ahead of yourself on that one.
Gaviidae, you don't have un mauvais français, mon cher. Peut-etre me should give you des cours. Me ai peur que you ne comprend pas bien les reasons de la France for avoir refuse de suivre the US en Iraq. Bien sur, Chirac and Hussein etaient des partenaires de business. Mais ther was plus to it que that. You dites que you n'etes pas aussi sophisticated que les French. Mais don't think que les French ne respectent pas your culture. Ok, never mind French because I could keep writing in French for hours but I fear that I might be misunderstood. France just thinks it is number 1 just like Americans do.
Now I certainly will admit that if George Bush has shown a lot of arrogance while dealing with other leaders, the French are very capable of doing the exact same thing. I would go as far as saying, as a person who is very familiar with Frenchmen, that they have a strong penchant for it. The French are the French and quite frankly, I find them amusing at times.
But I don't know why I'm saying this, because you have said what matters. Vive la difference ! Let the French and Americans not be divided because of a difference of opinion. Unfortunately, Bush is the one working to divide the two nations just like he has the American people, which is proved by the highly negative opinion that our friend Stockholder and a few others have of the French.
HeleneKhoffman, my dictionary defines isolationism as either what you say or by the definition I used to formulate my opinion. Of course, the American government is not isolationist, how could it be ? It is the people of the US who are. They show little or no care for what happens elsewhere, thus isolating themselves from the rest of the world. That's what I meant. And I never thought that you were encouraging isolationism.
As far as alienating other nations goes, I believe that it is part of the problem, but it was not my point in the case you are referring to. It means that not only do Americans (in general) show indifference toward what happens on the international scene, but are encouraged to do so by the Bush administration, who gives them a black-and-white vision of things. You'll of course remember the one saying Bush is famous for : "If you're not with us, you're against us." In the real world, it just never is that easy.
The problem is not the aggressive interventionism. The problem is the arrogance with which Bush has imposed his black/white vision to the rest of the world. Such a vision is never justifiable especially not when you talk about giving democracy to a country that was not ready for it. OH I can already see people nagging me for saying that ! My point is that democracy is never easy, never simple and does carry its shades of gray. George Bush should know that, he's the president of the United States. And whether you want to believe it or not, Iraq was NOT a threat to the US' freedom.
|
Nov 09 '04
11:48 pm PST
|
|
Re: Re: Another thing to add (Reply to this comment)
by wrestler
It pains me to tell you that you have completely misunderstood what I said. You appear to think that I meant the part that you quoted. I didn't. It was hypothetical and I don't let such simple-minded conclusions form the foundation of my opinion on the matter. Then again, it really IS that much easier to think that everybody who disagrees with you does because of a lack of knowledge of the circumstances, isn't it ? I don't admit anything. I don't think Americans are retarded, never have, never will. If you guys felt that a turn to the right wing was necessary, that was your decision, you made it. My opinion was irrelevant because I'm not an American citizen and so I have no choice but to live with you choice, regardless of how strong my disagreement was.
I'm not sure you would be on my case for it and if I meant it, which once again I repeat, I didn't, you would be in a position to tell me that my opinion of Americans comes from prejudice.
I don't even thrash those who voted for Bush. I just say that I disagreed with the choice. And no, George Bush would not be glad that I live in a country where I can express myself, he'd just tell himself that he's right, I'm wrong and I should just shut up.
So until next time, which figures to be pretty soon because Stockholder's essay appears to have people fired up, take care.
-Wrestler
|
Nov 09 '04
11:08 pm PST
|
|
Re: Amazing! (Reply to this comment)
by gaviidae
A message for Vicfar, with terminology even HE will understand!
We must expliquer au peuple de l'Amerique que France remains our cher ami et allie. Nous believe him. Encore, nous would like to expliquer l'Amerique in une langue that le Frenchman (or Italiano) can comprendre.
Nous acceptons that le French detestent la guerre. Nous des Americains detestons la guerre aussi. Mais nous also detestons Saddam Hussein. Comme John Wayne put it in "le Jour Plus Long" -- l'excellent film au sujet de la liberation de la Normandie:
"You can't give the enemy a break. Send him to hell."
Maybe quelque chose gets lost in la traduction, but certainement vous get le point.
After all, tout le monde can voir that les ideaux that ont inspire la revolution francaise -- liberte, egalite, oil contracts -- are vivants et
well. Mais, juste because nous believe that Saddam est une menace a la paix while le gouvernement francais believes that Saddam est un bon associe commerical, il ne signifie pas that we Americains n'apprecient pas les contributions francaises a our own culture.
Par exemple, ou would l'Amerique be sans le "French fry"? And so, as nous regardons beaucoup McDonald's sur la terre francaise, we can say:
"Lafayette, les Golden Arches sont ici."
Ce n'est pas tout, either. Like vous, nous share votre l'embarras at les actions anti-francaises ici on the home front. (especiomon le Stockholder) Dans notre capitol, le
Congres Republicain a change le nom "pain grille francais" to "freedom
toast."
Dans Maison Blanche, notre president apparemment prefere Tex-Mex au cuisine de haute. Et nos collegues over at le New York Post have taken to
pasting visages des weasels on top des photos des diplomates francais chez les Nations Unies.
Mais toujours rememberezvous: Nous Americains ne sommes pas comme cultives as les Francais. Oui, nous did sauve your bacon dans WWII, et we seem
prepare -- ave l'aide des Anglais et Tony Blair --to do so encore.
But comme un peuple we Americains still preferons le cheeseburger au Boeuf bourguignon, le Coors aux Chablis, et le Hummer au Renault. Et we will
never, never comprendrons pourquoi vous awarded la legion d'honneur a Jerry Lewis!
Enfin, Vittorio, nous will not allow une petite thing like une eleccion to come entre la deux grandes nations of France and la U.S.A.. Vive la difference, oui. Mais it is bien for Paris to learn le same message that Saddam has learned maintenant a Baghdad:
"Ne messez pas avec le Texas."
Regards,
Gavia
|
Nov 09 '04
9:32 pm PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Not helpful (Reply to this comment)
by _haggis_
The American Revolution would have never happened without the French, so let's say that the US and France are even after WW II, all right ? The French don't owe the US a damn thing.
Uh...actually, the American Revolution started several years before France finally sent a few ships to help keep the Brits away. But still, I'll give you a point for that. We still love Lafayette after all.
You've already conceded a point for WW II. So we'd probably be even, except for that pesky little war that happened at the beginning of the 20th century. Of course that war was probably no big deal to France. So tell ya what. Let's compare body counts. Been to the American cemetery in Normandy lately?
Hey, Stock. Pass me some California wine, will ya?
Haggis
|
Nov 09 '04
6:27 pm PST
|
|
Re: Amazing! (Reply to this comment)
by stockholder
I can't match Stockholder in these areas.
Don't feel bad - it takes year and years of practice.. but thank you for the kind words.
- stock
|
Nov 09 '04
5:24 pm PST
|
|
Amazing! (Reply to this comment)
by vicfar
It takes a brutish, illiterate, tasteless essay such as this to really get epinions members to vigorously partake in a passionate discussion! Unfortunately, I can't match Stockholder in these areas. It seems that we all miss that type of crude uncivilized discourse we were allowed to have before "politically correct" language was imposed on us. Stockholder, you are "syntactically challenged"...:-) :-)
Vittorio
|
Nov 09 '04
4:19 pm PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hmmmmmm.... (Reply to this comment)
by stockholder
Ginzo makes an outstanding point - the women are perfect - and you look clean (my heart) ohh so, so clean (my heart)...
I think the men shower with water and jump out and throw on a ton of cologne to keep the B.O. from knocking people out with the odor.
|
Nov 09 '04
3:22 pm PST
|
|
Re: Re: Another thing to add (Reply to this comment)
by ginzo
By the way, I should have specified that I only mean Frenchmen.The women are beautiful,clean and sexy.
Its like calling Greeks perverted pigs!
You've got to specify,"The men"!!
|
Nov 09 '04
11:01 am PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hmmmmmm.... (Reply to this comment)
by ginzo
Is that a proposition???
Cause if anyone can come and smell ya,I can!!! : )
:b
|
Nov 09 '04
10:58 am PST
|
|
Re: Another thing to add (Reply to this comment)
by helenekhoffman
"that Americans re-electing George W. Bush made them the most retarded, dumbest, isolationist population of the world ?"
Huh? Not to quibble, but how has our foreign policy under George W been isolationist? I think you are misusing the term, which means having no economic or political dealings with other countries.
If you are talking about us alienating certain nations with our foreign policy, well, seems to me we've done that by being aggressive interventionalists, not isolationists.
(I'm not advocating isolationism, BTW)
Helene
|
Nov 09 '04
9:16 am PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hmmmmmm.... (Reply to this comment)
by ginzo
Excellent!
Excellent review!!
It gets to the facts,it gets to the reality!!
What more do you want??
Oh ya,the french ARE dirty!!
They only bath about once a month.
Hev you ever met a few frenchies>??
They DO stink!!!
I got to go barf!!!
|
Nov 09 '04
7:58 am PST
|
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Not helpful (Reply to this comment)
by aashok
ITLP,
All I know about Alsace is that I would love to shoot all the beautiful castles (and the beautiful people) with my latest toy. You are understating it when you say that France is a beautiful country. The only thing that bothers me are the prevalent anti american and anti semitic views held by so many french citizens.
BTW, I enjoyed your fabulous photographs of the countryside.
AA
|
Nov 09 '04
2:36 am PST
|
|
Re: Another thing to add (Reply to this comment)
by aashok
would you be on my case if I said, out of as much frustration and little knowledge of the circumstances, that Americans re-electing George W. Bush made them the most retarded, dumbest, isolationist population of the world ?
No...not really! However it is refreshing to hear you admit that your frustrations with Bush and the recent elections, results from a lack of knowledge of the circumstances. This man W, beat a very strong democratic incumbent to become governor of Texas. He managed to be elected as the leader of the most powerful nation in the history of mankind...twice! It is naive to call him dumb and retarded. However I'm sure Bush (and most Americans) will not be offended with your words. He would be happy that you live in a free country that allows you to speak your mind.
Keep on rockin (or wrestling) in the free world!
:)
AA
|
Nov 09 '04
2:33 am PST
|
|
Another thing to add (Reply to this comment)
by wrestler
Sorry about calling Stocky a racist. It was not the right word. It's just that calling the French filthy, it's over the limit for me. I would never call Americans filthy.
And now that we're on the subject, would you be on my case if I said, out of as much frustration and little knowledge of the circumstances, that Americans re-electing George W. Bush made them the most retarded, dumbest, isolationist population of the world ? I bet you would, and you'd have every reason to. I do not generalize like that of course, and I believe that I would be wrong to do so, as much as Stocky is wrong to call the French filthy for basically nothing more than having a free mind.
Once again, until next time.
-Wrestler
|
Nov 08 '04
8:31 pm PST
|
|
|
|
