Thanks clairobscur. My mistake to have given him any benefit of the doubt. Might I inquire as to if and how the French media has reported on the incident? Is this viewed as witty repartee or diplomatic blunder?
Are they actually teaching, in U.S. schools, that the USA saved the Allies from defeat in World War One? Holy shit.
What’s next, you won the Crusades?
Cool.
Oh I totally agree with you here, Chirac is a moron. I just wish the comments of idiot leaders (fill blank here) didn’t have the effects on the world they did. People should be better at seperating the leader from the country.
I wouldn’t say the US saved the allies. But France made some horrible early tactical moves and my reading has always resulted in seeing the Brits as saving the Allies butt and bringing the US in which was very helpful with the loss of Russia.
By the way, the do not teach that the US saved the allies in any history class I ever took. They teach that we helped the Allied effort to quickly conclude the war.
To you find that mild statement objectionable?
There are many who are weak in knowledge of history. They seem to jumble the facts of WWI & WWII together.
Not really, although they do teach that the influx of fresh US troops helped turn the tide a bit faster and ended the war more quickly than it would have otherwise.
Yeah, didn’t anyone tell you? Acre lasted until 1291 thanks to the doughboys, and the fall of Jerusalem in 1098 was spearheaded by US Marines. Moreover, Godfrey was Duke of New Jersey.
Your Canadian textbooks clearly have some glaring omissions.
My statement was certainly overboard, but all the major combatants were at the breaking point. Russia broke first. Without the US entry perhaps England or France would have been next.
You know what’s more annoying than the dig at our cuisine? The fact that here’s a fucking head of state, mindlessly blabbing dumb stereotypes. That’s really sad.
He’s probably still sore over that constitution business. Quite a disappointing legacy for a French president to have flushed the Franco-German vision for Europe down the toilet based in no small part on his own unpopularity.
So that’s 47 posts and still the proper perspective on this comment hasn’t been cited.
Not that I don’t understand. Chirac isn’t a popular guy. Heck, I don’t like him either. To put it positively, I rate him just above Berlusconi.
But the U.K. asked for it:
That he would then, just before the final decision was going to be made, make some jokes about why they should have it in Paris rather than London, phah. The irony is that he’s employing typically British humor, as witnessed in the famous Rowan Atkinson sketch about why Britain hates other countries so much, on which incidentally the Dutch featured high, 2nd below the ~Danes~ :shudder: .
I don’t know if it was supposed to be a joke that crashed, or if it was meant as an insult. The way it was phrased sure sounds like an insult. It just shows that more than one country has a leader who should think before speaking.
This is something that pisses me off to no end. France just ups and decides it wants Vietnam back after losing it in WW2. And they call us imperialists? They monumentally fuck up that war, leave it divided, and pave the way for our debacle in Vietnam.
Or just maybe he had an extra glass of wine. We all must be grateful W doesn’t indulge anymore.
Well if he kept indulging there’s a better chance he would have wrapped his car around a tree 20 years ago. 
Could you elaborate about the relationship between laws regarding the labelling of products and arrogance?
Feel free also to share your experiences of being ignored when you spoke french in France.
Actually, it’s even stricter than that. Champagne can be produced only in specific areas of the Champagne region, and following specific methods of production, conservation, etc…
I’ve never been to France, but I did speak to a genuine French girl once. She was delighted to converse with me, and even complemented me on my accent.
Now that London has got the Olympics for 2012, what should Tony Blair’s rejoinder be when he sees Chirac tomorrow at the G8?
Go with the boring, “c’est la vie”? Perhaps, “sorry Jacques, must be tough to swallow”? Or maybe, “I bet that left a bitter taste in your mouth”?
How will he resist?
I’ve been to France on a number of occasions, in general I found the French to be polite, particularly if you at least attempt to speak to them in their own language.
Personally I think Chiracs remarks were stupid and ignorant, even if said in jest, but he does not speak for the whole of France.
There are many things to admire the French for, they are much better than us Brits at going on strike if the government do something to upset them. Then of course there’s Brandy, Champagne, Croissants to name but a few.
Myself I prefer English cuisine, but only because I’m not a great fan of to much garlic.
Anyway, the best comeupance for Chirac has just happened, London is to host the Olympics linky