The French Peril

[onthebottom]

Good artical from the Economist (link below). I won't follow the recent tradition of copy/past of this article to the board; I'm assuming all of you can hit the link.

The interesting question is France acting the way it is via Iraq becasue it's the right thing to do, they want to take the US down a peg or two or protecting their economic interestes with Iraq.

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1606654

OTB

 

[panhead]

facts

I'm sure they are protecting there economic interest. It has already been documented that a conflict with Iraq would have an effect of somewhere in the 40% area to there economic health. Between oil and arms sale and investments.

OTB Your on a roll man
And I'm right behind you

 

[Dr69]

Oh, look at that. A couple of Americans in a circle jerk. How sweet.

 

[onthebottom]

Did you

Oh, look at that. A couple of Americans in a circle jerk. How sweet.

have anything intelligent or cleaver to add?

OTB

 

[bornonaug9]

I am not starting a flame but I am just curious why so many American come to a Canadian discussion board to defend their country's foreign policy. I believe that Colin Powell's job. You are reaching out to mostly the Canadian audience in this board. There must be similiar US boards where your can discuss among Americans. But I believe there are dissenting views among Americans.

OTB may be Canadian are navie to American politics because we operate very differently up North. We have different values and beliefs. We can agree to disagree, but why you always get to have the last word.

Would you elect G. W. again in 2004? So far I do not see other the wars what other achievements he has accomplisted. I asked because I am do not understand U.S. politics can you enligthen me?

 

[train]

I realize that this is probably not the correct approach but I could just not bring myself to finish reading this article . Part of it is based on my inherent distrust with the media getting anything other than sports scores right more than 70 % of the time .

The other part is , dispite my age , my overwhelming desire to declare with some clarity....who the *uck cares what the French think anymore . With the possible exception of how to manipulate one's tongue for gratification purposes .

 

[onthebottom]

Well....

I am not starting a flame but I am just curious why so many American come to a Canadian discussion board to defend their country's foreign policy. I believe that Colin Powell's job. You are reaching out to mostly the Canadian audience in this board. There must be similiar US boards where your can discuss among Americans. But I believe there are dissenting views among Americans.

OTB may be Canadian are navie to American politics because we operate very differently up North. We have different values and beliefs. We can agree to disagree, but why you always get to have the last word.

Would you elect G. W. again in 2004? So far I do not see other the wars what other achievements he has accomplisted. I asked because I am do not understand U.S. politics can you enligthen me?

It wasn't the political discussions that brought me to this board. I find that most other boards are so full of flamers that it's impossible to have an intelligent conversation on the issues.

You comment about Powell is interesting, Canadian's don't seem to have any reluctance to commenting, for or against, US Policy. I'm sure you have a foreign minister that could do that.

I think the US and Canada have much more in common than most other countries. Our cultures are very similar. You are a little more liberal than we are but that's about it. As for the last word, I just check the posts very frequently when I'm in the office, it's not my intention to drowned out other voices.

Would I elect GWB again? I voted for him last time, it's too early to tell if I'd vote for him again. The likely answer is yes but it will depend on who he's running against and how the next two years go. GWB reelection will come down to the economy, if it is doing well and current crisis is behind us then he'll have a walk. If the economy sucks in 2004 then he will have problems. The problem the Democrats have is that they are afraid to stand for the things they believe in. They end up co-opting Republican messages, and the voters pick the original version instead of the copy. Over simplification but you get the idea.

OTB

 

[rolo514]

Re: Did you

have anything intelligent or cleaver to add?

OTB

Actually it was indeed quite CLEVER,
whistling..yank my doodle it's a dandy.....

 

[bornonaug9]

It is because your arguements are not much different from the Bush Administration that is why my comment about Colin Powell. Our Minister of Foreign Affairsis only represent the Government view and the public do not always think like government.

I believe culture of country is not static, it is ever changing. The US and Canadian similiarities are oversimplified. Both countries are build on immigrants, but the population demograhics are different. Canada is a very multi-culture, multi-belief society and I do not see US in the same way. I think that you say we are more liberal, it is because the local grass-root communities: Chinese, Italy, Polish, French, Korea, Japanese. (Am I talking the different SP you find in Toronto).

What I try to say is how do GWB stands without 9/11 and the war. GWB has the quality of a war time President but he is bankrupting the US ecomny. His paid full attention is at this war while the economy suffers. GWB 's chief economy staff just resigned yesterday. Alan Greenspan does not agree with GWB's tax cut package. Many assert GWB think in "black and white" and "you are with me" or "you are against me" extremities. Economy is an area may be too difficult for him to fathom.

 

[onthebottom]

I'm looking at

I say the Americans should show their displeasure with the french.... by sending the statue of liberty back to france.. in a million pieces and send a message with it "If you do not fall into line... next is the Eiffel tower!!!"

the Statue of Liberty right now, I like it where it is.

OTB

 

[*d*]

I think its more a matter of trust. The French, in fact most of the world, have a hard time believing everything the US says.
www.pkarchive.org/column/022503.html Paul Krugman, New York Times

d

 

[papasmerf]

Speaking of French jokes

Why are the steets of Paris tree lined??????


(How about it fill in the answer)

 

[papasmerf]

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[*d*]

I don't think this board is a good place for ethnic jokes.

d

 

[papasmerf]

Sorry *d*

More a political joke
not ethnic

 

[onthebottom]

I agree

with *d* in that the US has a credibility problem, some would say an image problem. The US is throwing it's weight around, much of the world distrusts this. With the French I disagree, I don't think it's that they don't trust us (they know Sadam has the weapons, they know we will invade this spring....) they just don't like the US being so powerful and unilateral.

France is a classic case of living in the past, they have more power than they probably have a right to. In this weeks (or was it last weeks?) Economist there was an interesting article about the makeup of the Security Council. The point (to greatly over simplify it) was that Russia and probably France had no real right to their Permanent Member status and if the veto were based on real power the Security Council would have just one permanent member. Strong stuff from a British publication.

OTB

 

[*d*]

Its possible that France has out lived its position as a permanent UN security council member. But to balance the many rulings of world security, issues should be debated. And that's where France likes to step in. In the past the US has frequently taken the liberty of using its power of veto with regards to Israel's security concerns. And because of that the council has faced strong criticism from many Arab countries who accuse it of permitting Israeli violations of council resolution while pursuing an unduly hard line against Iraq. So where would the biases of the security council be without France? Or if say, India took its place as a permanent member? A difficult question, and I'm not sure if there's many that have a fair answer. I don't.

d

 

[bigdik]

The french have a long history of rolling over. The last time they demanded proof of evil, it marched into Paris and flew the swastika.

 

[bigdik]

Anyone remember who sent them back?

 

[SilentLeviathan]

Anyone remember who sent them back?

The allied forces?

In any case many people seem to be forgetting that the Frech helped the Americans win their revolutionary war; as well the American constitution was based on the French enlightenment.

I'm not saying the Frech are correct in this situation, but I fail to understand many Americans' attitude that unless you support the war with Iraq then you are anti-American.