Saw the following today: Anti-French sentiment continues to rise in the United States. Early in the week, the U.S. House of Representatives, acting on the initiative of North Carolina Republican Walter Jones, announced that "Freedom Fries" would replace "French Fries" on the menu of the food service facilities. Now, U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, a freshman Republican from Florida, has proposed legislation that would allow relatives and descendants of U.S. servicemen buried in military cemeteries in France to receive financial assistance to bring them home for reburial in the United States. "I, along with many other Americans, do not feel the French government appreciates the sacrifices men and women in uniform have made to defend the freedom that the French enjoy today," Brown-Waite said. Estimates of U.S. war dead in France and Belgium from both world wars exceed 70,000. What do we make of this?! http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030314-121453-4769r
I read this, too, Paul. Surely it's a 'storm in a teacup', something said in the heat of the moment ?
I havent heard about that but have heard alot about places changing the names of the fries dropping one word and replacing it with another. Personally I think its silly but......I think the french are getting the "gist" of it. Case in point: There is a huge french hotal chain (I don't recall their name) but, they have 15 hotels located in the USA. Well, they used to fly the french flag and now fly the american flag. There are also reported that, soem of the real expensive restaurants like: Chez Louie (SP?) Tavern on the Green (I think both are in New York City) supposedly they are cancelling serving french wines and are replacing them with wines grown in the same temperate zone as france is located in. Some of those zones are here in the USA and in Canada. PS: Martin, Welcome to the over 2,000 postings club. :-D [ 14. March 2003, 03:31 PM: Message edited by: C.Evans ]
I am sure U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, a freshman Republican from Florida, is jumping on the bandwagon after he heard president Bush say that he thought all the US deaths in France were obvious in vain, or something to that extent. I think her statement shows historical ignorance.
Stevin--your absolutely correct--she is a nutcase as well as gloris allred and the shedevil--h.clinton.
This seems crazy to me. is this just because of the differences over Iraq or is there something much more deeper going on here? You don't see this going on with the Commonwealth Graves in France, and their is just as much bad blood between Britain and France as there is the US and France. Are the Americans jsut blowing hot air?
This is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It's kind of like renaming sourkraut "liberty cabbage" in WWI. That was stupid too, but at least the germans were actually our enemy. Not to be too PC, but I actually think it's a little on the racist side. I guess other countries can't have opinions different than those of the president of the US. BUT...I see me taking this thread way off of topic, so I'll just say that tonight I"m going to go buy some french wine and bre and see if they stone me to death out side of the grocery store.
It is rather sad to see my government behaving so childish over a political difference. I already sent an email to one of my senators expressing my concerns about it. Somehow I doubt ill hear back from him.
Britain unleashes veto fury at Chirac By Peter Fray, Herald Correspondent in London March 15 2003 http://www.smh.com.au/handheld/articles/2003/03/15/1047583712051.htm British ministers have declared diplomatic open season on France, as efforts by the United States and Britain to secure a UN resolution authorising war appear doomed. Downing Street has moved to exploit France's anti-war position to heal the rift within the British Labour party over Iraq, which threatens to undermine Tony Blair's leadership. Two senior figures, Clare Short and Robin Cook, the former foreign secretary, are expected to resign if Britain goes to war without a second UN resolution. President Jacques Chirac's threat to block a second resolution "whatever the circumstances" had made war against Iraq more likely, not less, said the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw. Britain's attempts to blame France for the diplomatic failure at the Security Council in New York are part of its fallback plan to use resolution 1441 as a justification for war, despite doubts over the legality of such a move. The increasingly bitter war of words between Britain and France has sent cross-Channel relations to a new low and prompted a fresh round of French-baiting in sections of the British media. Yesterday's Sun featured front page pictures of presidents Chirac and Hussein side by side, asking readers to "Spot the Difference". "One is a corrupt bully who is risking the lives of our troops. He is sneering at Britain, destroying democracy and endangering world peace. The other is Saddam Hussein."
Finally decided to see what this was all about - found it a simple confirmation of a long-held view: The United States has the best Congress that money can buy.
You'll notice that this "Freedom Fries" thing started at the House of Representatives cafeteria and was then played up wildly in the press: a classic example of a "non-event." By the time the rumors died down, the impression was that this thing was happening all across the country--which it certainly is not. It would be interesting to see the government's reaction toward people who, objecting to Israel's influence in this situation, refuse to buy diamond engagement rings.
Dasreich: I suggest you do not write (letters or e-mail) your congressmen, The President, or other politicians. You'll only get your name on some "Troublemakers" data bank, and God knows, who is going to be accessing that list.
Wasn't there some Bull S about renaming French toast as well.............geez is this all getting Freakin weird or what ? ! E
Perhaps while we are renaming foods across the country we should give France back the Statue of Liberty and invite the British to re-colonize us. And yes, I think I will ask for an autographed letter...maybe I can sell it on ebay and buy some 'freedom' fries with the money.
The "Freedon Fries" thing is almost at the level of an urban myth. I don't think a lot of people are going for this. You don't see thousands and thousands of flags now, either.
PARIS, France (Reuters) -- U.S. citizens have turned on French fries and toast to vent their frustration at France's anti-war stance on Iraq. Now the French have joined in the food war -- with pretzels. A French Web site is urging people to send pretzels to U.S. President, who fainted and fell off a sofa in January 2002 after gagging on the salty snack. The Web site, www.bretzelforbush.com, says the pretzels will be stored at a secret location before being sent to the White House in a historic mass action. The retaliation follows moves by some in the United States to change the names of French fries and French toast to Freedom fries and Freedom toast. The pretzels are on sale for seven euros ($7.56) each, with one euro going to a children's charity. So far some 250 euros have been raised for the charity. "We think that to oppose war is not to be against the American people, but simply against the politics of the Bush administration," the Web site says. After the fainting incident, Bush lamented not heeding his mother's advice to chew pretzels before swallowing and his wife Laura joked he was now "practicing safe snacks."
I doubt that anouther pretzel-assassination will suceed this time. Since the last attempt, Bush's bodyguards are salivating the pretzels before they are given to Mr. Bush. What about sending him some 25-year old Scotch? If he don't drink it, his daughters will. Cheers,