Hell, we might have to start liking France again.

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You can't always be first .... but you CAN be NEXT

Hard to believe, I was already working on that.

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"We are fighting today for our life, for our liberty, for our all, we cannot go on being led as we are. Somehow or other, we must get into the Government men who can match our enemies in fighting spirit, in daring, in resolution and in thirst for victory."~Leo Amery 1940, while staring at Chamberlain

Yep, guess I can throw away all of those "freedom fries" and start eating "french fries" again.

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Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.
Will Rogers

Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel or envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.

Winston Churchill

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.

JFK

No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session. -- Mark Twain

Better yet, but wine and cheese.

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"We are fighting today for our life, for our liberty, for our all, we cannot go on being led as we are. Somehow or other, we must get into the Government men who can match our enemies in fighting spirit, in daring, in resolution and in thirst for victory."~Leo Amery 1940, while staring at Chamberlain

Sarko is such a relief after Chirac. But he is also a negotiator. I read that this might be in exchange for France's re-emergence in the upper echelon of NATO; with a French General in charge of NATO's Southern Command, a post that has always been held by an American with a British Chief of Staff. Further, Sarko wants British support for the development of an EU military force. It is not easy to see how that operates on a parallel track with NATO.

You are aware the conditions will most likely be the French do no fighting and get posted in no dangerous provinces?

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The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd. Indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.

-Bertrand Russell

Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable

-Laurence J. Peters

I never said that you had no right to have an opinion. I just said that it was, in fact, worth nothing.

-Maineman ( on 12 June 2007)

In the same article I was referring to above, it was said that the new French troops would relieve US forces in Eastern Afghanistan and that those troops would then deploy south to help the Canadians, who are reported to be very upset at Europe's (except UK) willingness to fight the Taliban to the last Canadian.

I will believe it when it happens.

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The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd. Indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.

-Bertrand Russell

Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable

-Laurence J. Peters

I never said that you had no right to have an opinion. I just said that it was, in fact, worth nothing.

-Maineman ( on 12 June 2007)

I must have missed the part why anyone, to include the French, feel that France is so important? They've lost their own country twice and gotten their asses kicked in all of their traditional colonies. The only ones they seem to be able to Lord it over are North Africans.

That makes France about as uselful as Lebanon, IMO.

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You can't always be first .... but you CAN be NEXT

The French have little military significance, but they do have some residual political importance in Europe. They were dragged by the Allies to the WW2 winning side. Thus they stumbled on their veto power in the UNSC. To this day, they have a huge ethnocentric vision of their contribution to high civilization. Though the main current of post WW2 French thought, existential socialism, cannot be seen as anything other than a slow withering failure. Sartre truly found No Exit. Sarko has emerged as a symbol of French rejection of socialist economic results. How long that lasts remains to be seen. He is already receding in the polls. Meanwhile, every day a smaller percentage of the world speaks French.

Not too sure about North Africa: the French got their butts handed to them in Algeria.

French influence peaked on 14 September 1812:

“The brightness of the morning was magical. Moscow seen from the Poklonny Hill lay spaciously spread out with her river, her gardens, and her churches, and she seemed to be living her usual life, her cupolas glittering like stars in the sunlight.” -War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

But when Napoleon entered the city he found that his "victory" was empty. Moscow was virtually deserted and soon it was on fire. The Russians had set fire to their capitol. On 19 October, the "Grand Army" began its winter retreat from Russia, one of the greatest military disasters in history.

http://www.abcgallery.com/list/2002july01.html

We didn’t get too much coverage about what Sarko said while he was here. Most of the British media seemed more interested in his wife’s décolletage. As far as the paparazzi are concerned, she's the new Jackie / Diana.

I love the way the French sit on the sidelines, then "propose a strategy" which they expect to be accepted before they even put their boots on.

Their cheeses and wines are very good, mind you.

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If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies.
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk to wise.

Rudyard Kipling