France issues 'please explain' to US

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
I suppose we are.

Democracies are 'of the people, for the people, by the people', etc., so I suppose the people do bear the responsibility of their leaders' actions -- in a way that those under a dictatorship don't.

In that case, we deserved 9/11.

[Ned]

Originally posted by gsmoove23


Well, I for one am offended by that remark, but I guess it doesn't matter since less then 50% of the American people didn't vote for me.

Of course, gsmoove, I agree that Bush didn't get exactly half the votes. He split virtually evenly with Gore. Minor party candidates got several percentage points. But still, today, 70% approve of Bush's job performance.

[The Mad Monk]

Only if you concede that we did something worthy of that response, che. I don't.

[Inverse Icarus]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


In that case, we deserved 9/11.

... right.

[HershOstropoler]

* waits for "America is a republic, not a democracy" line *

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
Only if you concede that we did something worthy of that response. I don't.

Our government has caused directly and inirectly the deaths of 11 million people since WWII. Since the US government has just proved that Iraq had no WMD, that means the million children who died in Iraq because of the sanctions died for no reason, let alone no good reason. Given the fact that the US-led coalition was killing 5,000 Iraqi children a month on the pretext that Iraq was hiding WMDs, the massacre of 3,000 Americans and others is a quite tepid response.

The truth is, government do stuff behind their people's backs and without their permission all the time, even so-called democratic ones. Even in the US, the amount of control we have on our government's foreign policy is extremely limited. Democrat or Republican, we still had war in Vietnam, an embargo with Cuba, and uncritical support for Israel.

Holding civilians responsible for the actions of their government is wrong.

[Ned]

HO, I do not hate the French. But, I like many Americans, was very upset that an "ally" that we had helped twice in the last century with the loss of a great number of American lives, was not there with us when the chips were down and we asked for their support. Not only did we not get their support, we got their opposition. This may have been acceptable and understandable for a country that has not had the history we two have had, but it was not acceptable in the case of France. We, at least on this side of the Atlantic, thought we had a long and special relationship with the French. But, it looks like we were wrong.

[Ned]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


Our government has caused directly and inirectly the deaths of 11 million people since WWII.

This post is almost demented.

[SlowwHand]

It's your opinion, Che.
The fact remains, Hussein had the obligation of proof, not the U.N.; of which the panty-waist French were supposed to be a part.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Ned
HO, I do not hate the French. But, I like many Americans, was very upset that an "ally" that we had helped twice in the last century with the loss of a great number of American lives, was not there with us when the chips were down and we asked for their support.

See, this is where the problem lies. The chips weren't down and we didn't ask for their support. We demanded obedience and we've just proved that Iraq had no WMDs, let alone was preparing to attack the US with them.

Could you at least make your lies credible?

[HershOstropoler]

"But, I like many Americans, was very upset that an "ally" that we had helped twice in the last century with the loss of a great number of American lives, was not there with us when the chips were down and we asked for their support."

That's odd. If the French asked you for your help in the recolonization of Algeria, would you say "gosh yeah, for old times sake, let's go!" ?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by HershOstropoler
* waits for "America is a republic, not a democracy" line *

America is a republic, not a democracy.

I must say that this thread turned out differently than I had hoped but it has been quite entertaining.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


Our government has caused directly and inirectly the deaths of 11 million people since WWII. Since the US government has just proved that Iraq had no WMD, that means the million children who died in Iraq because of the sanctions died for no reason, let alone no good reason. Given the fact that the US-led coalition was killing 5,000 Iraqi children a month on the pretext that Iraq was hiding WMDs, the massacre of 3,000 Americans and others is a quite tepid response.

The truth is, government do stuff behind their people's backs and without their permission all the time, even so-called democratic ones. Even in the US, the amount of control we have on our government's foreign policy is extremely limited. Democrat or Republican, we still had war in Vietnam, an embargo with Cuba, and uncritical support for Israel.

Holding civilians responsible for the actions of their government is wrong.

Holding civilians responsible in a democracy (OR republic) is legitimate. Are you saying we should have no accountability at all for the leaders we elect?

[HershOstropoler]

Thanks, Dino. Now I can get rid of my "America is not a Republic, it's a Kleptocracy".

[SlowwHand]

Let's just cut to the chase, shall we?
Screw France. They did deals with Iraq, rather than the U.N.
Iraq has not proven jack, and are better off than they were 2 month's ago.

Quit whining.