The French

Gurugurumaki · Post by **Gurugurumaki** » February 28, 2003, 3:59 pm

Some decent, others rame...

Subject: The French

It's no surprise the French won't help us get
Saddam Hussein out of Iraq. They didn't help
us get Germany out of France, either. Still, it's
essential for them to join us in the war against Iraq,
so they can teach them how to surrender.

Why are French streets tree-lined? So the Germans
can march in the shade.

How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris?
No one knows. It's never been tried.

What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up? The army.

How many gears does a French tank have? Five, four
in reverse and one forward (in case of attack from behind).

FOR SALE: French rifles . . . never fired, only dropped once.

Dennis Miller: "The only way the French are going in is
if we tell them we found truffles in Iraq," Miller says.
"The French are always reticent to surrender to the wishes
of their friends and always more than willing to surrender
to the wishes of their enemies."

That last one is more than a joke. It's shrewd commentary.
It captures why the French make such poor allies. When they
pulled out of NATO 40 years ago and declared Americans must
close down their bases and leave France, Secretary of State
Dean Rusk had a bitterly caustic response. Should we dig
up the graves of 60,000 American soldiers in Normandy, too,
and take them home? No French answer was recorded.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » February 28, 2003, 4:03 pm

for giving us such good wine, i will grant them some latitude to be utter dipshits.

and ultimately who cares what they say. France doesnt have the balls to use veto, otherwise they wouldnt be trying to lobby other security council (non permanent) members so hard to vote alongside them.

if it comes to a vote France will vote "no" without using veto.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » February 28, 2003, 4:11 pm

Voronwë wrote:if it comes to a vote France will vote "no" without using veto.

Don't think they'll have to veto, we aren't having much success getting the other members to agree with us.

*Edit - We need 9 votes to pass a resolution, I think we currently have 4 committed.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » February 28, 2003, 4:36 pm

the vote won't be for another week or two, so a lot can change.

i tend to agree with you that the US is definitely facing an uphill battle with winning the votes.

Acies · Post by **Acies** » February 28, 2003, 4:55 pm

Voronwë wrote:the vote won't be for another week or two, so a lot can change.

i tend to agree with you that the US is definitely facing an uphill battle with winning the votes.

Then Russia came along

They will veto, but that hardly is a reference to the French

Millie · Post by **Millie** » February 28, 2003, 5:15 pm

The French hold no weight whatsoever in matters of international security. They're just voicing their opinions in order to give the semblance of being relevent in world affairs. That's pretty much the strategy they've been using since the end of WWII -- doing absolutely nothing, holding no cards, and pretending as if they do.

I'm opposed to the war in Iraq, but I can't help laughing at the French response.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » February 28, 2003, 5:29 pm

Iraq owes Russia billions, a regime change is the last thing they want.

Vetiria · Post by **Vetiria** » February 28, 2003, 5:32 pm

Aabidano wrote:Iraq owes Russia billions, a regime change is the last thing they want.

Same with France and Germany.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » February 28, 2003, 6:01 pm

FUK U FARNCE WE SAVED UR ASSES IN WORLD WAR 2

Atokal · Post by **Atokal** » March 2, 2003, 4:42 pm

kyoukan type-R wrote:FUK U FARNCE WE SAVED UR ASSES IN WORLD WAR 2

Another brilliant commentary, tired lame and old, like your posts here.
Come up with some new material other than your standard..

FUK TEH <insert race country here> WE OWNZORD YOU blah blah blah.

Masekle · Post by **Masekle** » March 2, 2003, 4:44 pm

Xyun would you come spank this guy again real quick??

Please...

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » March 2, 2003, 6:11 pm

Atokal wrote:Another brilliant commentary, tired lame and old, like your posts here.
Come up with some new material other than your standard.

what

who the fuck do you think you are? are you huffing gas? have you ever had an original thought in your entire life? you have yet to make a single post worth reading and you say that to me?

Fumita · Post by **Fumita** » March 3, 2003, 1:09 am

Well Kyoukan does have a point... Although put like a ...whatever you want to call it...

Frances time has come and gone. They are no longer in their prime and haven't been for quite some time. They can't stand the fact that several times we have saved them from obliteration. If is was not for the US, France would be no more. They resent Americans and believe themselves to be superior.

I won't go into superiority crap, but plain and simple they are in debt to us but don't want to admit it. Therefore to try and hide their waning power by acting the way they do.

This is just a general observation of the french, I have run across some individuals that are sensible but as a whole, the french are just in denial.

Trek · Post by **Trek** » March 3, 2003, 3:36 am

I kinda like french fries, but some fuckers put mayo on em.

Xyun · Post by **Xyun** » March 3, 2003, 4:56 am

How many gears does a French tank have? Five, four
in reverse and one forward (in case of attack from behind).

Why do they have one gear going forward?
In case they get attacked from behind.

I love France though. They have a pretty language, and there's nothing in the world like a hot French girl with a sexy accent. mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Masekle · Post by **Masekle** » March 3, 2003, 6:47 am

Pulp fiction.. Butch's girlfriend I forgot her name but yeah mmmm

vn_Tanc · Post by **vn_Tanc** » March 3, 2003, 6:55 am

The French hold no weight whatsoever in matters of international security

Not strictly true. They have the ultimate political bargaining chip: an independent nuclear deterrent.
Much like the UK, really. Nobody is in doubt that the US holds supremacy in world power now there is no couterbalancing superpower but the "old europe" countries still have their nukes and with nukes you can stay at the opera til the fat lady sings.

Braxter · Post by **Braxter** » March 3, 2003, 6:59 am

vn_Tanc wrote: Not strictly true. They have the ultimate political bargaining chip: an independent nuclear deterrent.
Much like the UK, really. Nobody is in doubt that the US holds supremacy in world power now there is no couterbalancing superpower but the "old europe" countries still have their nukes and with nukes you can stay at the opera til the fat lady sings.

Look to a European Federation to be the next rival to the U.S. as a superpower.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » March 3, 2003, 10:47 am

Yup. If you are religious, it's called the Revived Roman Empire, the seventh world power in recorded history that marks the end times and the return of Christ. The EU will be more than a rival of the US, they will be superior.

Deward · Post by **Deward** » March 3, 2003, 10:53 am

France is always one vote away from being a communist country. Look at their election results over the last few years. Either a communist or socialist seems to come in second every time and the gap is narrowing every year.

EU will never rival the US although it will give them a little more credence in the world at large. I think the next really big superpower will be China. Look at how far they have come in the last decade. 10-20 years from now they are going to be really scary.

Deward

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » March 3, 2003, 11:45 am

yep China is next.

Europe's day in the sun is definitely over.

EU only gives them enough clout to stay relevant over the long term. But dominant, never again.

vn_Tanc · Post by **vn_Tanc** » March 3, 2003, 12:13 pm

Deward,
The 'acceptable' political spectrum in Europe extends much further "left" than in the US. Europe never became as deranged over the "red menace" as the US. We were more concerned about 5,000,000 tanks rolling over us than some insidious political overthrow.
The "left" in the US (Democrats) would be considered centre-leftist-moderates by UK standards, pretty much like Blair's "Labour". Socialist and Communist parties still have a decent following but nobody is scared of them as it's a soft kind of communism that they preach. Not the "build walls, invade afghanistan, overthrow yankee pigdogs" type communism.
The rise of the far-right causes much more alarm in Europe and for good reasons.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » March 3, 2003, 12:35 pm

Krimson Klaw wrote:The EU will be more than a rival of the US, they will be superior.

I'll assume you're joking.

It's most likely that Europes' slow decline will continue. Socialism (as practiced) doesn't work, even less so when you let people vote. When people learned they could "vote themselves money" ~30 years ago, that was an acceleration of the end. It's the direction the democrats in the US would like to go. Wealth has to come from somewhere, and it isn't going to be a government agency. Unless all businesses are government controlled of course. We've seen how well that works.

Any of the major government ideologies would actually work well if you could find selfless, upright people to run the show. Democracy combined with moderately unrestricted capitalism is the only one that protects the people from the government.

*Edit - It's isn't the governments job to protect the people from themselves.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » March 3, 2003, 1:10 pm

Aabidano wrote:
Krimson Klaw wrote:The EU will be more than a rival of the US, they will be superior.
I'll assume you're joking.

It's most likely that Europes' slow decline will continue. Socialism (as practiced) doesn't work, even less so when you let people vote. When people learned they could "vote themselves money" ~30 years ago, that was an acceleration of the end. It's the direction the democrats in the US would like to go. Wealth has to come from somewhere, and it isn't going to be a government agency. Unless all businesses are government controlled of course. We've seen how well that works.

Any of the major government ideologies would actually work well if you could find selfless, upright people to run the show. Democracy combined with moderately unrestricted capitalism is the only one that protects the people from the government.

*Edit - It's isn't the governments job to protect the people from themselves.

I was not joking, I was presenting that perspective from a religious standpoint of what the bible states, I even said that.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » March 3, 2003, 1:17 pm

basing political futures on the bible is like investing via the lottery.

Ogbar · Post by **Ogbar** » March 3, 2003, 1:31 pm

Masekle wrote:Pulp fiction.. Butch's girlfriend I forgot her name but yeah mmmm

Was she French? I thought she was Portugese.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » March 3, 2003, 1:57 pm

Voronwë wrote:basing political futures on the bible is like investing via the lottery.

Thanks for your input.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » March 3, 2003, 2:09 pm

Krimson Klaw wrote:..it's called the Revived Roman Empire, the seventh world power in recorded history that marks the end times and the return of Christ.

Where is that from?

vn_Tanc · Post by **vn_Tanc** » March 3, 2003, 2:20 pm

Any of the major government ideologies would actually work well if you could find selfless, upright people to run the show. Democracy combined with moderately unrestricted capitalism is the only one that protects the people from the government

Interestingly enough I read a quote once from someone in the early 20th century when the word "Democracy" was given it's modern meaning and his political studies led him to believe that a democracy could only function if it was administered by a group of people he compared to monks. They'd have to be cloistered away from the corrupting influences that would seek to undermine this pure democracy etc. . .

It would seem he was correct

vn_Tanc · Post by **vn_Tanc** » March 3, 2003, 2:21 pm

Any of the major government ideologies would actually work well if you could find selfless, upright people to run the show. Democracy combined with moderately unrestricted capitalism is the only one that protects the people from the government

Interestingly enough I read a quote once from someone in the early 20th century when the word "Democracy" was given it's modern meaning and his political studies led him to believe that a democracy could only function if it was administered by a group of people he compared to monks. They'd have to be cloistered away from the corrupting influences that would seek to undermine this pure democracy etc. . .

It would seem he was correct

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » March 3, 2003, 2:43 pm

Aabidano wrote:
Krimson Klaw wrote:..it's called the Revived Roman Empire, the seventh world power in recorded history that marks the end times and the return of Christ.
Where is that from?

some versions of revelations.

not all.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » March 3, 2003, 3:08 pm

kyoukan type-R wrote:some versions of revelations.

not all.

I've read all of the KJV at least once, most parts more than once and hadn't seen it.

Most versions other than the original KJV are disputable from language and traceability standpoints, regardless of whether you believe or not.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » March 3, 2003, 3:13 pm

its not in the revised king james. a lot of revelations was cut all to shit because it was outdated european religious propaganda.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » March 3, 2003, 3:23 pm

Revelations was written around 100 years after Jesus died, and has nothing to do with his life or teachings.

it is not intended to be translated literally as a prophecy regarding the "second coming", it was a coded message to early Christians. Since it was illegal to be a Christian under emperor Nero, it was important to be secret about what you were talking about.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » March 3, 2003, 4:04 pm

That's definantly one opinion Vor.

Masekle · Post by **Masekle** » March 3, 2003, 4:07 pm

Ogbar wrote:
Masekle wrote:Pulp fiction.. Butch's girlfriend I forgot her name but yeah mmmm
Was she French? I thought she was Portugese.

She had a french accent. "Would you give me oral pleasure" mmmm

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » March 3, 2003, 4:10 pm

Also in Daniel 2:27-45

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » March 3, 2003, 4:41 pm

well i read the excerpt from Daniel.

it is Daniel interpretting one of Nebudchadnezzar's (sp. for sure) dreams.

at any rate, i am assuming that some fundamentalist contemporary theologians are trying to tie each of the different metals used in the statue metaphor to represent an empire that came to pass in between the time of the Kingdom in Israel and present day.

as for a 7th empire or whatever that will take place in Rome, only 4 empires/kings were mentioned in Daniel, and other than it being said to be made of Iron, the 4th Empire is not given any meaningful description.

because some guy says well Iron = Rome (why would it = question #1), doesnt mean it does.

so i guess i'm curious how does that allegory really predict anything meaningful.

i think a parsimonious interpretation is:

no matter what the technology of a society (iron and other metals representing the varrying heights of human achievement), that the Kingdom of God will always be greater. pretty basic message that is consistent with lots of stuff throughout the bible and other religions.

i really am not sure how that is extrapolated into an apocalyptic prediction without some rather specious buttressing.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » March 3, 2003, 4:43 pm

OMG please someone Steam roll someone we have sunk to a all time low.,

miir · Post by **miir** » March 3, 2003, 4:54 pm

This thread was interesting to read backwards.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » March 3, 2003, 5:00 pm

Yea I quoted the wrong number, for some reason I mixed it up with the 7 seals, was 4 kingdoms not 7 I apologize. But like I said, you have your interpretation and I have mine. Simple as that without having to argue, how cool is that.