http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2907701.stm
I don’t know what to say… except that I’m disgusted.
Yep–looks like the French have their fucktards just like we do! Glad to hear it was officially condemned.
Shouldn’t that read GERMAN soil?
Really funny, Rooves. :rolleyes:
Personally, I like how the little assclowns fucked up the swastika. I suppose that gives us a decent estimate of their intelligence. If you’re going to insult someone, at least try and do it right.
Like Wabbit says: all this means is that fucktards exist in all countries.
Yea, there are hotheads and “fucktards” everywhere. I am heartened by the French governments response (not that I expected a different response). I am also heartened by some of the “patching up” I’ve heard lately.
I don’t get it.
Unless I’m very much mistaken, Etaples cemetery and the many others like it are all British soil (or the appropriate other nationality) in perpetuity by gift of the French government (or the appropriate other government, such as Belgium).
Oh, and Rooves? Fuck you, and the horse you rode in on, the blacksmith that shod it, the ostler that fed it, and so on, and so on…
The Toby Keith /Bill O’Reilly crowd is gonna take this one and run…
Why fuck me? I’m no historian but aren’t those graveyards in France because Brittish and American soldiers died helping France get its country back from the Germans? And it wasn’t that long ago either. Thats not to say they should blindly follow but for the mindset to be that our people who gave their lives for France are contaminatint their soil?? Please.
Rooves, you’re right about the reason those graveyards are there, but that “German soil” remark sounded too much like a cheapo at the French, and this isn’t the place for it. Hence the knee-jerk reaction.
I agree absolutely, however, that you’re a long way back in the “fuck 'em” queue behind the pathetic dickheads who did this repellent thing. My grandad would be turning in his grave, although fortunately he didn’t wind up in one of those cemeteries. A lot of his mates did, though. 
I blow my nose at you, so-called Arthur-king… you and all your silly English kuhhhhh-niggits…
your mother was a hampster, and your father smelled of eldeberries…
Is there a way to set up some kind of subroutine that adds to a tally everytime somebody misspells the word “hamster” on the SDMB? Got to be in the hundreds now, if not thousands.
When it comes to military graves, there’s definitely gross idiocy on both sides of the Atlantic:
I don’t know if Congresswoman Brown-Waite is ignorant of the fact that those graves are considered American soil. I also don’t know if she really thinks this is a good idea, in which case she’s an idiot, or if she’s just pandering to the stupider right-wing elements in her constituency, in which case she’s unprincipled.
Of course, Florida did elect Katherine Harris to Congress, so maybe Rep. Brown-Waite is typical of the state, or at least its Republican party.
Um, IIRC, they’re not actually British. American etc. soil, but they have been sold or leased to the British/American etc. gov’t in perpetuity. IOW, France remains sovereign over them; they’re just owned by the government just like a person can own land. Not entirely certain, however.
Well, the French government denounced it. That’s good. I haven’t heard the US government denounce insults to the French yet.
Mala, I don’t know why you’re bunching me in with a bunch of vandals. My response was only to what was apparently written by the vandals. I have enough sense to know that a whole country isn’t represented inb a single act of vanalism.
However, it seems like the french government is still voicing an opinion that is only going to give Iraq hope for a way out and in turn get more Iraqi people killed. The US says it’s not going to bargain so France should sit on the sidelines an be quiet until it’s over.
Rooves, I am not. I was just annoyed at the “German soil” crack. For the rest, “I hear what you’re saying”… it’s getting late to debate the whys and wherefores. (clock time, not “late” in the argument.)
matt_mcl, you may be right. I’m just going by what I thought I heard while on a war graves pilgrimage last year, and I could well be misquoting.
Yes, and “Freedom Fries” is comparable to grave desecration, mais non?
Despite his wisecrack, Rooves has a point. These particular soldiers died trying help liberate France. To try to devalue that is repulsive. Desecrating these graves is stupid, childish, and does not represent the French people very well. Someone should shove some gratitude up these vandal’s asses.
Look, anyone who lets the phrase “freedom fries” roll off their tongue has to know how obnoxious they’re being. And I’ll be the first to admit that americans have a long history of obnoxiousnous toward other countries. Remember not long ago radio stations were giving people free whacks at japanese cars with sledge hammers (was it japanese?) for some stupid reason or other. Our tactics tend to air on the childish side.
And c’mon, having french fries disassociated with your country is, if anything, a favor.
Well, let’s see. Grave desecration by a few random vandals, denounced by the government, vs. freedom fries in the US Capitol, proposed by the government.
No, they’re not quite equivalent in terms of insult value, but I know which country I’d rather be a citizen of at the moment.
Here’s an update of Jacques Chirac’s apology in case anyone needs it.
Although the insults were clearly intended to hurt both US and British servicemen, I don’t think there are any Americans buried at Etaples. British of course, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Indians and West Indians, but no Americans. Yet the British Government and the British and Canadian contributors to this thread seem most inclined to recognise and accept the apologies of the French government.
Is there a lesson there?