Wimps, weasels and monkeys

[Ming]

It should be remembered in this discussion that all the things mentioned in the Guardian Story involve columnists, editoral, and talk shows... not News Casts or News Stories.

One expects to find "opinions" in such places. And when it comes to opinion, the Euros have been just as strong in their American Bashing.

So what's the problem here?

[cinch]

I certainly don't think there's a problem with the American media (save for possibly NewsCorp's stuff) concerning France-bashing. The opinion of most columnists/journalists/telejournalists/etc. is definitely leaning against France, though, which is sad.

EDIT: And by "media" I mean serious newscasts and newspaper articles.

It's their right to feel that way, of course, but it's still a sad state of affairs.

Willie calling the French "Cheese-eating surrender monkeys": FUNNY
Jonah friggin' Goldgberg saying the same: NOT FUNNY

Damn him for ruining that Simpsons joke for me!

[Drake Tungsten]

I can't believe that Thomas Friedman wants France booted off the Security Council. The French should be worried when a columnist of Friedman's caliber turns against them...

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I can't believe that Thomas Friedman wants France booted off the Security Council. The French should be worried when a columnist of Friedman's caliber turns against them...

The French should be worried about what? An American columnist??

[TheStinger]

European media is hardly complementary about americans

[KrazyHorse]

But when you've got supposedly serious columnists making this sort of comment, I find it a bit much.

I haven't seen the American media report on anything this insulting that's making the rounds in Europe...

[Alexander's Horse]

America seems to be throwing a giant tantrum at the moment.

Beats me why they care so much about beating up a third rate dictator in an insignificant fourth rate country.

[HershOstropoler]

Well, I suggest you search for a comparable amount of antiamerican vitriol in european newspapers, including the opinion pieces. eg

www.bild.de (tabloid)

https://www.sueddeutsche.de

https://www.faz.de

Good luck.

[Sava]

Yes, let's listen to Rupert Murdoch!

[Maroule]

this murdoch guy is extremely anti-french, it's nothing new

I wondered what happened to him in his early childhood? Did he get raped by a truckman with a camembert breath called Maurice?

[Buck Birdseed]

Yeah, go on, Ming- where are your antiamerican column examples? I'd be interested if you could find any at all directed at the American populace as a whole.

[Velociryx]

You guys still don't understand us, do you?

Yes! We are brasher, and louder than Europeans. When we get frustrated, we tend to let that venom seep into our words. This, I realize, is utterly shocking to the more refined sensibilities of our European counterparts, but it's just another way that our rough edges show through.

We get p*ssed, we spout off about it, and we get over it. (of course, France and Germany ought not hold their breaths that Dubya will just "get over" their latest shenanigans....as a Texan, he falls under a slightly different subset of Americans, and....well, let's just say...."don't count on it.")

What you are seeing may, from your European perspective, appear like rage, but it is more along the lines of "national venting." Nobody here *really* hates Euros, we're just annoyed, because for all of Europe's b*itching, we've not seen the first alternative idea from them! No wait! yes we have! France and Germany have been "working on" an idea that's basically a carbon copy of the one the American's floated sometime last year, but which the Euros shot down! ::shakes head:: And you wonder why we get p*ssed?

In a nutshell, we tend to have a short fuse for this stuff because our problem solving methodologies are somewhat different:

Typical American Problem Solving Methodology:
1) Identify the Problem
2) Formulate a solution
3) Test solution. If failure results, go back to 2, changing the variables each time

Typical European Problem Solving Methodology, as seen from the American Perspective:
1) Identify the Problem
2) Whine that America is ignoring the problem
3) Whine when America pays attention to the problem
4) Complain about America's proposed solution to the problem
5) Complain about the resolution of the problem
6) Form a sub-committee to discuss the problem
7) Talk about fixing the problem, and discuss the ins-and-outs of how a "European solution" to the problem would be dramatically superior to those bumble-headed Americans and their ignorant solution.
8) Talk about the problem some more
9) Ignore the problem for a while to see if it will go away
10) Complain that the problem hasn't gone away yet, and complain that the Americans are too slow acting to remedy the situation
11) Complain when the Americans move faster to remedy the situation
12) Hold additional meetings to discuss the problem
13) Try a tentative solution, or, if the Americans are already fixing it, offer some assistance.
14* (assumes the Americans are not already fixing the problem) - if the tentative solution fails, try it again the EXACT same way....you never know, last time might have just been an aberration.

15) Repeat step fourteen until the Americans arrive.

-=Vel=-

[SlowwHand]

I was just positive this thread was about Ming, RAH, and MtG.

But I absolutely concur with the viewpoint of Velociryx.

[TheStinger]

Of course some in europe try and stop the problem but have to wait 2 years for the americans to help whilst in the meantime giving them evrything they own.

[SlowwHand]

What do you want Stinger?
Look at your post. Look at some others.
Another example of damned no matter what.