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**Dinner** · February 15, 2003, 19:40

Originally posted by Hueij

Guess not... Figures.

Hey, I just saw it and responded so don't get your panties twisted. I am on poly alot but not every waking hour so once in a while you'll have to expect a delay.

**Dauphin** · February 15, 2003, 19:53

Originally posted by Oerdin

I am 4/8 Scottish, 3/8 English, and (ironically) 1/8 French-Canadian. Feel free to us any of the colorful names for those nationalities as I have heard them all.

You tight limey frog.

**Dinner** · February 15, 2003, 20:14

You forgot to mention that I wear a skirt and drink to much. Oh, yes, I'm not just French but French Canadian so it is a frog who wears snow boots.

**Spiffor** · February 15, 2003, 20:29

I think I'm the only active French poster here these times. This joke made me smile the first time I've seen it, long ago. If you want to ridicule the French military, please go ahead on pretty much everything the French military did since 1939 (from the Maginot Line to the Charles de Gaulle carrier). We often make fun of this great incompetence ourselves.

We the French Poster (i.e only myself AFAIK) do not fight back because in all my years of antiamericanism, I learned to overcome childishness when bashing the US. After some years of being absolutely laughable and pathetic, you French-bashers will probably learn it as well.

**Dauphin** · February 15, 2003, 20:36

Originally posted by Oerdin
You forgot to mention that I wear a skirt and drink to much. Oh, yes, I'm not just French but French Canadian so it is a frog who wears snow boots.

'Tight' was my Scottish reference. They are stereotyped as having long pockets and short arms.

**Wernazuma III** · February 16, 2003, 04:44

Normans aren't French, because they won a war, Gauls are French when Caesar beat them, but those Gauls who invaded Italy, Greece etc. obviously weren't French because they won...

This BS is funny as a kick in the crotch. It's like bad anti-semitist jokes. While "Anti-Americanism" actually goes against some kind of ideologic set or attitude, this kind of French-bashing is "making fun" about something attributed to French genes, (the "lose all wars" gene...) It's racist and thus not in the least funny.

**Drake Tungsten** · February 16, 2003, 05:34

Normans aren't French, because they won a war, Gauls are French when Caesar beat them, but those Gauls who invaded Italy, Greece etc. obviously weren't French because they won...

Neither the Normans nor the Gauls are French...

this kind of French-bashing is "making fun" about something attributed to French genes, (the "lose all wars" gene...) It's racist and thus not in the least funny.

First, no one said that the horrible fighting ability of the French is due to genetics. No one knows the reason for France's martial impotence.

Second, "the French" aren't a race, so how can making fun of them be racist? I don't think anyone hates the French because they are caucasians...

Some of you need to lighten the **** up.

**Sandman** · February 16, 2003, 07:35

- World War I - Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States.

The Germans would have lost even without the presence of American troops. America's most important contibution was loans for the Allies.

**Maroule** · February 16, 2003, 08:53

Originally posted by Darius871
The Normans were essentially Vikings who were allowed by the French to settle in Normandy. Normans = not French. Around 900 years later, Normandy could have been considered totally French. Any questions?

Yes, I seriously question your historical knowledge...
'France' is a concept, not a genetic origin, since we have always abided by the latin right of soil, and not of blood (germanic tradition). A 'vikings' then, like any black/arab/person of obvious non caucasian blood origin, is French today just by being born here (if he decides to accept the french nationality) . Vikings were french as soon as the duchy of normandy acknowledged the primacy of the french crown (which was as soon as they landed, since it was the hole deal, land for allegiance).

Overall
pretty stale jokes, some where ok (dien bien flu was fun, although it's the americans who got a pneumonia in vietnam)

historical value = 0 of course, and even logical value is nil : when we loose most of the battles but win the war (100 years war) we lose, and when we win most of the battles but loose the war (napoleonic) we still lose. I wondered how we managed to dominate Europe for most of a millennium (an 800 charlemagne to 1815 vienna congress) with all thoses defeats...

But really, as French, I don't mind, why should I get offended by people I don't know and hardly respect?

Another point of course is to avoid making racist jokes not because they offend people, but because they mean that, deep down, you're a ****.

France seems to be hardly popular in the US these days. Doesn't matter. You'll calm down. As for me, I'm able to make a difference between state policies (and those of Bush stink) and mere individuals, against whom I feel absolutely no raging hate.

Have fun, then.

**Wernazuma III** · February 16, 2003, 09:21

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Neither the Normans nor the Gauls are French...

That's what I wanted you to conclude

First, no one said that the horrible fighting ability of the French is due to genetics. No one knows the reason for France's martial impotence. Second, "the French" aren't a race, so how can making fun of them be racist? I don't think anyone hates the French because they are caucasians...

Call it as you like, to me it's racism.
If you look closer it is racism. Of course, French are no "race" (although I'm sure some of them think they're the superior race...), but here "Being French" is equaled with "military impotence" throughout history for no obvious reason. An alleged "military impotence" of France over millenia is a generalized attribution of a certain characeristic to a certain people without an argument (for the list is simply wrong and biased. France failed badly in exactly two wars, that's it. ). Thus it is a racistic degrading of a people. Caucasian or not is not the point.Gypsies are Aryans, nonetheless Nazis had racist views about them... To me, the whole division of humanity in races is incorrect, scientifically, but that's another topic.

Some of you need to lighten the **** up.

**Spiffor** · February 16, 2003, 09:21

Damn Maroule ! I tried so much to bury this thread in page 2, and now you bump it !

**Maroule** · February 16, 2003, 09:48

err, sorry, spiff, I normally stay quiet and just lurk...
Besides, I know the uselessness of the exercice, so I don't know why I bothered... call me an idealist

of course, by saying that I bumped it again so I'll just shut up now...

**Giovanni Wine** · February 16, 2003, 11:31

Why did you left Charlamagne victories out on your list?

Saluti

**DuncanK** · February 16, 2003, 12:09

Originally posted by MOBIUS
Funny how the Irish ones seemed so attached to their ancestors that they funded the IRA...

None that I know, and I suspect this comment. I doubt if many Americans at all funded the IRA.

**DinoDoc** · February 16, 2003, 12:12

I knew this would smoke out the cheese eating surrender monkies with this sooner or later.

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A complete military history of France.

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