Give the french back their fries- A Classic Debate Among "Friends"

[Jarnhamar]

Washington
GIVE THE FRENCH BACK THEIR FRIES, SAYS AMERICAN CONGRESSWOMAN
(AP)-With America needing all the help it can get in Iraq, it's time to swallow the pride and give the French back their fries, a U.S. legislator said in a letter to her colleagues.
Republican legislators last March, angered by French opposition to U.S. plans to take military action against Iraq, ordered all the restraunts in the House of Representatives replace the french fries on their menus with "freedom fries."
But in her letter, Representative Shelia Jackson Lee (D-Texas) cited the need to bring the french back to the table.


Classic. If we don't support them do you think they will stop importing budwiser or quit opening wal marts all over?

 

[Rian_Ca]

...french fries,DUH

 

[McInnes]

What exactly will the French bring to the table? And you are saying that based on what? That they did not go to war with Iraq? Or that they didn‘t believe that there should be war with Iraq at that time?
What can Canada bring to the table? ...

 

[Art Johnson]

If the French put gravy on the fries we call that Poutine. My great grandson thinks it is great.

 

[Bert]

I‘m just thinking of all those beautiful french parisian ladies and the wine. Cheese tends to bung me up. Better not be any cheese at the table.

 

[McInnes]

It‘s not poutine unless it is

• Fries (they‘re chips damit! lol)
• Gravy
• Cheese (that sqeaky kind)

mmmm

 

[Jarnhamar]

I have to admit, i could not tell the difference between a liberal, democrat, republican or conservitive. So, i‘ll hate her too

I ment classic over kill. The french did not support the war for their own interests (US went to war because of their interests so no biggie) and people got so upset they renamed a food. When the british fought the french i don‘t think the french renamed english muffins.

I am not sure how your post relates to Canada other than the fact that Canada has a minority French speaking population?

Sir i think that in itself is a major point. A considerable amount of americans are up in arms against the french for their refusal to support them in the war. I would imagine their a might ticked off against canada too since you guys basically keep us safe and someone might say we owe it to you. (On many levels i agree, we do) Take into consideration that US troops can enter canada during an emergency. That being said, many in quebec want to seperate from canada and be their own country. I think everyone will agree this would cause major chaos, destabilization of our economy and untold problems. Is it so hard to imagine americans might see this and consider it a threat to their safty? If i was american i know i would. If the US will make a big deal about a name, french fries, what might they do given THAT attitude if the example i gave comes to pass.

 

[Jungle]

I don‘t know why people keep comparing us to the French... are English CDNs necessarily British ? We are French-Canadians, and have very little in common with the French. My family has been in North America since the early 1600s, that is longer than any English-speaking family. Ghost, while there is a separatist movement in Québec, it lost a lot of steam in recent years as we saw with the last provincial election. There is only about 30% popularity with the PQ. Is the interest going to come back ? maybe, but not in the short term... Finally, there is also a separatist movement in Alberta, and nobody seems to make a big fuss about it...

 

[Infanteer]

maybe Canada can help make peace in the middle east, solve the North-South Korean problems, halt aids in Africa, halt terrorism, etc... I for one am tired of bank rolling world peace.

Well sir, I think that is just too bad. There are burdens to be borne for being the new Rome.

 

[Gunnar]

Sounds like someone else reads Pournelle.

If not, try www.jerrypournelle.com

 

[muskrat89]

Well, on the flip side, it‘s not like Canada doesn‘t do ANYTHING. If I‘m not mistaken, Canada has sent soldiers on more peacekeeping missions than any other country. Don‘t forget we‘re in Afghanistan right now, supporting the US. Now maybe all those other little peacekeeping missions we attended because they were small and insignificant, and make for good window-dressing. Or maybe we honestly felt they were important, and none of the big boys were willing to step up and help, because they had nothing to gain from participating.. I honestly don‘t know.

 

[Jason Jarvis]

Being a patriotic Canadian, I‘m going to try and balance on the fence on this issue.

Being the biggest kid on the block carries with it a certain amount of responsibility that is ignored at one‘s peril.

You can:
1. Look after the littler, younger kids, because it‘s "the right thing to do";
2. Ignore them and let other, nastier but less big kids beat them up;
3. Pull togther the littler kids and actively go after the nasty but less big kids; or,
4. Go off on your own and do whatever the h*ll you feel like, because who‘s going to stop you?

Since 9/11, I‘d say the US has been doing #4. No one minded in Afghanistan, because no one in the global community -- except maybe the Afghanis -- cared about Afghanistan. Iraq is another matter altogether.

I would argue that the US should be working on #3. I‘ll be the first to admit that the UN doesn‘t really work, but with almost every nation in the world a member, that makes it good for something. No other forum exists where nations can come together and debate topics that affect the entire planet, and do it peacefully.

The little kids of the world want to be on the good side of the big kid. They want to influence decisions and have a voice -- they want to make a difference. That‘s why the UN exists, and why, despite all its failures, the US should be using it more (and better).

Because -- as we all know -- little kids eventually grow up, and they never forget how they were treated by the big kid on the block. And sometimes the little kids turn into big kids too, and come looking for a little payback.

It would be a darker and much less rich world if the US had not stood as strong as it did during the Cold War, and while the Soviets might be gone, American leadership is still needed.

Don‘t condemn the members of this board for the actions of our politicians -- we didn‘t vote for ‘em!

 

[GerryCan]

U.S isn‘t the new Rome? Could have fooled me. Maybe you(Maj. Sherwood) should ask some canadian soldiers about Iraq and how many of us wanted to be there and your opinion may change. Yeah we know Chretien is a moron, but what can we do? And the whole "I hate those *******s" ordeal, I can see your point, but there‘s no sense knocking us in an entirety out of one womans remark, try to tell me that no american politician has ever said a bad thing about Canada. What really gets me is that you seem to propose that Canada take over in the ‘Liberating‘ of Iraq, or whatever buzz word CNN is using for it this week with our massive force and our insanely huge budget, hey, we might even last a month there who knows? But in all seriousness, this is a Canadian Army Forum. Expect criticism directed at the states. Perhaps more people from the U.S should do a bit more travelling without donning our flag and they might find out that they‘re not as well liked as they think they are...

 

[GerryCan]

I believe this is beginning to become a little off topic if it hasn‘t already, but I think you have begun to miss the point. I‘m sure you‘re right as to how many people wanted and didn‘t want to go to Iraq, Korea, WWI WWII but what‘s the difference? You can cry about people ur talking **** about the U.S. all you want and it won‘‘t change, it happens , big deal. Try going to an American army forum and telling people that you‘re a Canadian and hear what they have to say. Will you still say the same to them because you were born here and served with the Mo? Yeah we know our government is right out to lunch, aren‘t they all a bit? Attitudes like yours who can‘t take the slightest bit of criticism seem to be the ones that start wars in the first place and leave your own country with the highest homicide rate in the world. Correct me if I‘m wrong, I am only a Pte in the Canadian army and may in turn know nothing of world issues. I DO agree with how ‘Some‘canadians think they are safe just because we‘re not americans and that is an attitude projected by many, but to blame it on a fascist liberal crazy *** government is one thing. Perhaps we should begin to use the CNN mass hysteria approach to "wars on terrorism"or "showdown iraq" and we could achieve more respect from our neighbours.
You speak of the Canadian Flag thing from experience?

 

[Jarnhamar]

Jungle I have never heard of the seperatist movement out in alberta. Is it basically like the french movement? I for one am glad they are losing their steam. French-Canadians are just a much a part of canada‘s spirit as english-canadians are.

If i was on a US forum and people were attacking canada i‘d let them have it. Critisim is very hard to take when you think your right (be if it you actually are or not)

If i had to pick a side of the fence to sit on i would argue that the US is ‘New Rome‘ I wouldn‘t say it as an insult, i just believe theres a lot of similarities from trying to be involved in everyones buisness, having the best trained best equiped army, how the emperor/senate - president/congress is set up, all roads lead to rome attitude tocorruption at all levels of government. These are good or bad depending on how you look at them just like the US attacking iraq is good or bad depending on how you look at it. I for one cannot imagine what the world would be like without the US. The US has stepped on their d**k man times and are paying for it now (Training osama, saddam etc..) which is something that irks me but then i imagine how things would be if russia, ww2 era germany or terrorist organizations had more influence due to a lower level of american involvement and things don‘t seem that bad.

Honest politicans never win because to win you unfortinuatly have to break the rules. I think the same can be said for the US. You don‘t become a mega power (either to protect your own citizens or rule the world) by playing nice, i.e rome.

 

[Jungle]

Jungle I have never heard of the seperatist movement out in alberta. Is it basically like the french movement?

No. It is mostly based on economic reasons, and is not as organised as the Québec one; ie: there is not a strong political party with a separatist agenda. BTW, that topic resurfaced during the mad cow crisis, as most Albertans were angry at the way Ottawa dealt with the situation.

 

[Pikache]

I thought just a couple of whackos who wants Alberta along similar lines of US wants independence?

Then again, I heard there‘s separatist movement in BC too.

 

[muskrat89]

Am curious that some guys know so much about world politics/US policies, but don‘t know what‘s going on in their own country. That, to me, speaks to the credibility of some of your opinions...at least as far I am concerned

 

[Jarnhamar]

Touche! I tip my russian trooper hat at you sir, have some freedom fries on me.

Perhaps it‘s ignorance or maybe it‘s that American issues get covered by the news to the point where even on our own news stations whats happening in canada takes a back seat to whats going on in the south. ie a gay couple being refused entery because they would now fill out a US customs paper (going INTO the us) according to their rules. Yes this is still canadian but sheesh. I wasn‘t allowed in the states one time because i was heading down to malone to go sking and the customs guy opened my trunk and didn‘t find any ski pants.

You hear more about whats going onall over the US than here, hands down.

 

[McInnes]

There is a separatist movement in BC...well Vancouver Island. Makes sence. I think pretty much every province has had some group think about separating, even if they don‘t care to see it through.