I dunno, zuma, in context, Futile Gesture’s post made a lot more sense that yours have.
Bowel-moving, maybe. This “Do you speak German? No? You’re welcome,” horseshit has precisely zero to do with anything. The United States is clumsily making the case for invading Iraq to advance its interests abroad, and France is clumsily making the case against invading Iraq to preserve its own interests. How the god-christing shit does World War II come into this at all?
The idea that France should be on its knees mumbling “Okay, boss,” to every pronouncement of U.S. foreign policy because, sixty years ago, the United States army (and, y’know, the Canadians, and the Brits, and oh yeah, there may have been a French Resistance involved somewhere) liberated whimpering Paris from the bloodthirsty Hun is absurd. Gratitude != subservience.*
*I love that “does not equal” thing. Thank you again, SDMB members, for the neat writing toys.
If it wasn’t for the French we would be eating chips instead of, well, french fries.
If it wasn’t for the French I wouldn’t know how to kiss.
If it wasn’t for the French we would be speaking English, er, forget that one.
If it was for the French I never would of experienced a menege a` trois.
Let me be the first to propose a French toast.
You have three horse stables?
[sub]OK, it only works if we assume the typo is the first “e”, not the second one. ;)[/sub]
I bought Andy’s latest book for my Dad and started reading some of the essays…
All I can say is Good God He sucks!
The writing was boring, the topics were boring.
I couldn’t believe it, because sometimes his 60 Minutes pieces are wonderful. I enjoy 'em.
But his writing…
He used to be interesting, IMHO. Like a sweet desert at the end of the 60 Minutes meal.
Now it’s like someone’s taken a shit on my face. I generally turn it off at minute 56. He’s lost it - in more ways than one.
Btw, he was never a war vet. He was a correspondent.
Without defending Rooney, at all, I would challenge this as some sort of blanket dismissal. Ernie Pyle was a “correspondent” who not only brought the story of the average G.I. back to the home front in remarkable ways, but lost his life doing so. Bill Mauldin was wounded in the war and in his biography, The Brass Ring, he notes several of his associates who lost their lives while reporting on the front.
tomndebb, I wasn’t trying to use his role as a correspondent as some sort of “blanket dismissal.” I was merely correcting the misinformation above, which someone clearly inferred from the Rooney article. Though I’m sure that wasn’t Rooney’s intention. 
I wonder if you guys havent missed something, and I’m not sure I didn’t as well. I wasn’t watching while he talked, had my back turned when he got to this punchlines. “The French havent earned the right to oppose George Bush’s policy on Iraq. But I have”
Has Andy Roony got a published opinion on Iraq? 'Cause I got the impression the whole ragging on the French schtick was mostly a set up to emhasize his right to speak in opposition.
Or have I got it all bass-ackward?
"The French have not earned their right to oppose President Bush’s plans to attack Iraq. On the other hand, I have. "
That one was pretty galling. Read about Rooney’s duties in WWII. He was for the most part a reporter. He was in some dangerous situations, but he wasn’t on the front lines fighting the Germans.
And his comments about De Gaulle ignores the fact that there were a lot of free French actually fighting, as well as lots of French Resistance people fighting as well (and saving a lot of American pilots’ asses).
Rooney needs to stick to commentary on the funny labels on consumer products, because his santimony on real issues is getting real annoying (WWII & France; Kurt Cobain; Women in sports; gays, etc., etc.)
Let us not forget that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from a Frenchman. Then, 100 years later, they gave us Andre the Giant!
VIVE L’FRANCE!
CBS is pushing Don Hewitt out the door because of his age, even though the man is intelligent, clearheaded, and commited to quality investigative journalism. Yet, they keep Andy Rooney on.
The man hasn’t had anything worthwhile or even entertaining to say about serious issues in years. His bitching about advertising and product packaging was cute once upon a time, but now it’s just pathetic and worse than the material at a comedy club open mike night. If they really want to keep him on the network, stick those foolish commentries on “CBS Sunday Morning” with Charles Osgood. Bill Geist does fluffy feature stories on there but at least he’s funny sometimes.
Rooney seems to have become an institution only by outliving people much more talented than he ever was.
I also thought Rooney’s piece was in bad taste. I also think what he said has something to do with his age, since I am also quilty of some resentment towards the French government (the French people are great).
The reason I picked out the above quote has to do with the “60 years ago” part of the OP. I agree that the French should not have to continually remember that we fought for their freedom, long ago. However, if they forget that then I expect them to accept the fact that they were at one time a world power, but are not today.
Also, if you think that our relations with France are bad right now, it was worse back when de Gaulle was running the French government. What Chirac is doing today, probably reminds those of us who remember, of those days de Gaulle tried to exert French influence.
Ya got me. It still blows my mind that anyone ever gave a crap about what ol’ Babs had to say. Or the Baldwins, for that matter.
—If it wasn’t for the French I wouldn’t know how to kiss.—
Not so, my good man! The French actually did not call it “French kissing”: they had another name for it entirely! Search it out for your own amusement!
I don’t think anyone is suggesting that. They shouldn’t forget, ever. No-one in any country should forget the sacrifices and horrors of WWII, or WWI, or just about any war.
But not forgetting does not translate into “you now have to fall into line with every decision I make or I’ll throw it back up in your face.”
Neither was Daniel Pearl.
So zuma when Rooney is saying “The French have not earned their right to oppose President Bush’s plans to attack Iraq” you agree but when Chirac is being a dick in the same way you feel somewhat different
So what is it? When the thread is making a point about someone you disagree with you seem to think differently?
uh, yes? i agree with rooney, and chriac is a jackass. feel free to disagree but please be a bit more specific! I’m not sure wqhat to make of that, please.
The French have the right to oppose to anything they feel like! You might not agree on their position but they have every right to… Since when does somebody decide this is ok or not… I really don’t understand…
Once again, you might not agree with the desicion but hey, it is legal, it is feasible, period!
Conclusion, Andy Rooney has no more right than France has to anything, and he was just a plain asshole in his comments.