Informal boycott of French products taking hold...

[Drake Tungsten]

It is impossible for a lawmaker to do sanctions on French products only, because EU countries belong to the same market and same origins. Would the Yanks be bigoted enough to demand their lawmakers to punish French imports, these lawmakers would have no choice but to punish all EU products.

Why would American lawmakers decide to put sanctions on French products? The American people are doing a pretty good job of it on their own, which avoids the international problems that would come with official action by the US government. It's win-win for the US.

The EU could start to impose some of those 4 billion dollars in trade barriers that they've been granted, to start off with.

There are good reasons why the EU hasn't imposed those trade barriers. I don't see how a dispute between the US and France is going to marginalize those issues and convince the rest of Europe to enter a trade war.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Why would American lawmakers decide to put sanctions on French products? The American people are doing a pretty good job of it on their own, which avoids the international problems that would come with official action by the US government. It's win-win for the US.

Most French goods and services in the US aren't sold to the consumers, but to businesses that have every interest to keep their providers. The most efficient way to hurt the French economy in the US would be to discourage these businesses to buy French.

Remember, i'm talking about the worst case scenario when both Yanks and French continue to endlessly take revenge of the other's offenses. If the Yanks are bigoted enough to demand their lawmakers to do it, if antifancism becomes a significant issue for next elections, the lawmakers might do this idiocy.

[KrazyHorse]

The US entered a trade war with the rest of the world 2 years ago. Everybody else has just put up with your **** until now.

[Drake Tungsten]

Remember, i'm talking about the worst case scenario when both Yanks and French continue to endlessly take revenge of the other's offenses. If the Yanks are bigoted enough to demand their lawmakers to do it, if antifancism becomes a significant issue for next elections, the lawmakers might do this idiocy.

Ok, I see what you were driving for. I don't think you have to worry about the American people pushing for official sanctions on France; most Americans don't care enough about France to want that. We're a little pissed off right now, but France is still pretty irrelevant in most American's thought processes.

The US entered a trade war with the rest of the world 2 years ago.

The US passed some politically motivated trade barriers that will disappear soon after the next election. The rest of the world was smart enough to put up with it for a couple years and avoid a real trade war.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
We're a little pissed off right now, but France is still pretty irrelevant in most American's thought processes.

Glad to read that

[DanS]

I'm sure GWB has a real vital role in mind.

Cleaning the latrines...

[Lancer]

I've heard that Chirac is in trouble politicly because of the financial cost to France of his backstabbing behavior. French might not have a clue about who to support when an allied democracy fights a torturing, murderous dictatorship, but they know it when their wallets get thin.

Btw, there might not have been a war had our allies, France, Germany, and Russia been allies. A united front might have made the difference...who knows?

Do you know we GIVE Russia over 100 million every year? That's gotta stop.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
France worked to undermine a US course of action that we felt was vital to our security interests.

No we did not. A minority of Americans bought into that stupidity. Until it became apparentl there was going to be war no matter what (barring regime change in the US), a majority of Americans were opposed to war.

What I found interesting was listening to people at work say one thing before the war began, and then another thing after the war began. I have never witnessed such a herd-like change in mentality before. People who that the Prez was full of crap before, and then afterwards talking about how Hussein might give WMDs to the terrorists.

Americans can be some mighty gullible SOBs when you get right down to it. We ain't dumb, just sheeplike. Sheep with big muther****in teeth that like to hump everything in sight.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Lancer
I've heard that Chirac is in trouble politicly because of the financial cost to France of his backstabbing behavior.

Stabbed us in the back? You're begining to sound like a famous German.

[Frogman]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


No we did not. A minority of Americans bought into that stupidity. Until it became apparentl there was going to be war no matter what (barring regime change in the US), a majority of Americans were opposed to war.

I think many americans changed their minds just to piss off the french. We might have been lukewarm about the war, but we sure weren't about to let the french think they could stop us

[DanS]

a majority of Americans were opposed to war

Wrong. For the last 12 years, never has the war opposition had the majority.

Why do some always repeat this untruth?

[Shi Huangdi]

"No we did not. A minority of Americans bought into that stupidity. Until it became apparentl there was going to be war no matter what (barring regime change in the US), a majority of Americans were opposed to war."

That's not correct. With UN support there has been a pro-war majority for a very long time. After it became clear that France was simply not going to cooperate no matter what, and as Bush more forcefully made the case for war, a majority of people supported the war.

"What I found interesting was listening to people at work say one thing before the war began, and then another thing after the war began. I have never witnessed such a herd-like change in mentality before. People who that the Prez was full of crap before, and then afterwards talking about how Hussein might give WMDs to the terrorists. "

Before war had actually broken out, support was already at a very high level.

"Americans can be some mighty gullible SOBs when you get right down to it. We ain't dumb, just sheeplike. Sheep with big muther****in teeth that like to hump everything in sight. "

So if they have a different opinion then you do, or if they keep an open mind as to the events, they are sheep. An amazing new height of arrogance from you, Che. If you feel such contempt for your countrymen, why do you stay among us, instead of going over to live with "sophisticated" Eurocoms?

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Frogman


I think many americans changed their minds just to piss off the french. We might have been lukewarm about the war, but we sure weren't about to let the french think they could stop us

There's actually a lot of truth to that.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Lancer
Do you know we GIVE Russia over 100 million every year? That's gotta stop.

That's such a pittance compared to the grants given to Israel each year.

[Drake Tungsten]

Stabbed us in the back? You're begining to sound like a famous German.

Don't you mean an Austrian?