Behind the Façades in France: What expats and the mainstream media (French and American alike) fail to notice (or fail to tell you) about French attitudes, principles, values, and official positions…
US is the country junk-food, GMO and hormone beef, as France is the country of the terroir, the genuine taste of an ancient tradition of excellence.
- thanky thanky to RV
MARX THOUGHT THAT THE WORKERS WERE DONKEYS
Marx to Adolf Cluss (letter, 20.Jul.1852): "There are no bigger donkeys than these workers.... Look at our "craftsmen"; Sad that world history should be be made with such people".
- John Ray's excellent blog "Leftist Elitism"
How the viewer can tolerate the pain of being constantly exposed to hopelessness in the face of good news.
[Ed.: Turn on, tune out... Or something like that...]
STRASBOURG, Jan 27 (AFP) - The European Court of Human Rights said Thursday that France had failed to give the killer known as "Carlos the Jackal" proper legal recourse against his solitary confinement of more than eight years.But it rejected his argument that he had been subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment, and acknowledged France's problems in dealing with one of the world's most notorious killers.
The court ordered the French authorities to pay Carlos EUR 5,000 (USD 6,500) for his legal costs, agreeing that he had not been allowed to contest his solitary confinement before French justice, violating a clause in the European Convention on Human Rights, to which France adheres.
Dans son dition de jeudi, le Figaro a publi une enqute sur les mains courantes informatises (MCI) dans les commissariats de laquelle il ressortirait que les policiers travailleraient seulement 27 heures par semaine en moyenne.
Nutella: no-one knows what it's really made of apart from half of it which is made from the remains of people named Ella, and it is not Peanut Butter. Which is made from Peanuts. It goes well with marmelade, which is made from marmosets.
This message brought to you in spite of our revulsion at the world's best known peanut farmer. You remember him, he sold his country up the river over North Korean nukes. We still however like our peanut butter.
While we appreciate the subtle pleasures of this uncomplicated legume, as do most american (who are tolerant of Nutella), it makes Europeans whince and become anxiously defensive about Nutella. Which is partially made from free range gnus, but is denser than barium.
Have a nice day.
The U.N. Commissioned Arab scholars and analysts to publish the Arab Human Development Report. What causes the backwardness, the scholars wondered, of 22 Arab states, covering nearly 300 million people? Their conclusion? Of all world regions, the Arab countries scored the lowest in
freedom, media independence, civil liberties, political process and political rights.
The report found 65 million illiterate adults. Half of Arab women
still cannot read or write. Ten million children between 6 and 15 years of age are not in school. The report points to a "severe shortage" of new writing. In the last 1,000 years, the Arabs have translated as many books as Spain
translates in just one year. Only 1.2 percent of the population uses a computer, and only half of those access the Internet. In short, the peoples of these countries lack economic and political freedom.
Arab leaders point to America's relationship with Israel as proof of America meddling to undermine the religion of Islam. In one of his fatwas, Osama bin Laden attacked America for its support of corrupt regimes, like the House of Saud and the former Shah of Iran. But did Palestinians enjoy freedom when Egypt controlled the Gaza Strip or
when Jordan controlled the West Bank?
The European reaction to the president's "fire of freedom" inaugural address tells us a great deal about Europe's failure to grasp the stakes in this War on Terror. An editorial in the London Daily Telegraph said, "Now comes the hard part. President George W.
Bush's elegy to freedom yesterday and his vision of it flowering around the world fitted into the long tradition of inaugural speeches that blend America's optimism with smugness about the reach and benefits of its power."
France's Le Monde lamented, "We can fear that, in the eyes of Mr. Bush, the criteria for tyranny would essentially be hostility toward the United States and that he would be inclined to close his eyes to the democratic failings of regimes that show perativeness. . . . The outcome of his activism abroad makes us fear similar traumas at home."
What better way could the EU show its commitment to fighting Global Warming than by letting its economy stagnant and decline? Once the EU matches, oh say, Ghana's economic performance, then it will prove beyond all doubt how genuinely committed it is to dealing with "single most important long-term issue that the planet faces." Keep at it EU!
Just what subscribers to a Gas & Electric utility want for their money, I'm sure.
Indymedia, whose graphic layout exhibits the exact same lack of presence of mind as its’ readers, is STILL atwitter about temporarily losing their many repeated / pedantic internet portals, and naturally, takes it personally.
Dishonest about Iraq
Bob Herbert (Dancing and dying, Views, Jan. 22) joins the chorus of those putting the blame for the murderous mayhem in Iraq exclusively at the feet of President George W. Bush instead of at the bands of insurgents and disgruntled Baathists. Without their very murderous attacks, American troops might have been preparing to leave right after the elections. Without these attacks the number of casualties would have been minimal. Indeed, very few wars, if any, were ever fought with so few military or civilian casualties.
America has made mistakes in this war, some very big ones, such as the failure to get full and indisputable backing from the United Nations, not anticipating the looting and lawlessness, the disbanding of the Iraqi Army and many more. However, the war's basic purpose was and remains noble: the removal of a dangerous tyrant and the attempt to foster a democratic government by and for all Iraqis.
You don't have to like Bush, indeed from a non-American vantage point he and his team are very easy to dislike, but confusing the fireman with the fire is not only unfair, it is dishonest.
John Dunkelgrün, The Hague
Bush's inauguration
What a contrast. The president of the United States gives a speech promising to spread freedom around the world; President Jacques Chirac's supporters try to make him a senator for life so that he can retain his own freedom (Saving President Chirac, Editorial, Jan. 22).
David Morgan, Sydney
For new Chinese businessmen modern financing means and business modes can perhaps ease much of the pressure. But more of the cultural challenges are unavoidable for them. It is said that TCL's Li Dongsheng once went to France for a meeting at a weekend after he had acquired the color TV business from Thompson. He was annoyed and puzzled by the finding that none of the senior French officials came. He seemed failed to understand how important weekends are for Europeans.
The shoes-burning incident in Spain appeared to be due to dissatisfactions of the Spanish rivals. But what hided behind the appearance was the cultural conflict. In Europe weekends are for rest. Nobody works on weekends. But the corporate culture of Chinese businessmen is that business does not recognize holidays, which inevitably met with the discrimination of the Spanish. By the time they went into disadvantaged position in the competition and sustained loss their anger could not but erupt.
-from The China Daily
As for anti-globalization protestors helping them, the unions should be wary of who they hook up with.
…the risk of America's overwhelming domination … The fight is too unequal … There is no choice but for officials of the Union to react without delay…What is it this time?
France's former state secretary of communications and head of the country's national library (supported by, among others, social science professor Olivier Ertzscheid) is warning his countrymen about the latest evil to raise its ugly head from America.
What is it this time?
Under the title When Google Defies Europe, Jean-Noël Jeanneney tells the dark underside of the fact that Google is working closely with five new content partners on a massive scanning project that will bring millions of volumes of printed books into the Google Print database.
Google is working with libraries at the University of Michigan, Harvard University, Stanford University, Oxford University and the New York Public Library to digitize books in their collections and make them accessible via Google Print.Meanwhile, the title of the French Yahoo news service rendering of this story was an aggressive-sounding Google Unleashes an Attack on the Treasures of Oxford and Harvard.
A good thing we have Frenchmen like Jeanneney to warn of the insidious dangers of such horrid developments…
The beeb is giving them the "red victim" treatment as we speaks. It's revolting. They are trying to emphasise 'torture' alluding to unproven reports of bruises, 'indignities', and such, which i'm sure these 4 guys and their lawyers are busy putting together right now.
I say march 'em all to the fence and let Castro have them. They're irrational hateful revolutionaries. They have a lot in common, including a love of macrame bomb caddies.
Meanwhile. back in the near east, actions repeat themselves for 30 years neither results nor progress. They may of may not need the attention of the U.S. , but they certainly need the europeans to stop meddling and let them get on with their lives.
| Little London boys | Petits pédaloïdes de Londres |
| The Guardian (newspaper of choice for Leftist Humanist Poets the world over) is crying about the Guantanamo Four. Little vaseline pretty boyz.
| Le Guardian (journal de référence pour les poètes humanistes de gôche du monde entier) nous pond un article larmoyant au sujet des Quatre de Guantanamo. Jolis minets gominés au lubrifiant.
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You best believe I'm from New York city. You're telling me 'shut your mouth' If I wasn't kissing, you wouldn't be around You talk about faggots, little mama's boy You sit at home, you got a chaperone! You need an escort to take a piss He holds your hand and he shakes your dick You're so pretty, suburban kitty You think you're gonna change, rearrange your city? Little London boys You're little London boys You're little London boys You think you're gonna fool me? Ha ha ha ha Little rich kid, what do you know? You had everything, don't you think it don't show? I've been a climbing, just a face to the wall Too much too soon, do you recall? Have a holiday in the city, Feelings in the air, vaseline pretty You don't need no junk, just LSD You won't get shot, shot by me! You're little London boys Little London boys Little London boys And I'm talking about the whole lot of you! Too bad you boys don't know And the girls they don't go Everybody just shows You're little, little London boys You're little London Boys Little London boys Little London boys You're little London Boys You poor little puppet! | |
| Bové gets dunked | Bové boit la tasse |
| A Greenpeace clown was strung up ass over head on the side of the boat during a botched attempt to board a boat hauling GMOs. The operation was a co-production with José Bové©®™. Greenpeace media spin doctors are keeping the film of this little exploit to themselves. Rest assured that Paris' numerous yuppy wannabe ship captains were safely snug behind their iMacs or stuffing their faces at Maxim's. In any case, Europe has lost the battle over GMOs.
| Opération Glouglou. Un connard de Greenpeace s'est fait embobiner cul par dessus tête sur le flanc d'un bateau qui transportait des OGM lors d'une tentative ratée d'arraisonnement. L'opération était montée conjointement avec with José Bové©®™. Les media-meistres de Greenpeace compte cacher le reportage de ce fiasco dans un tiroir quelque part. Rassurez-vous, les autres bobos parisiens et capitaines bonhommes de pacotille, sont restés calfeutrés derrière leurs iMac s'ils n'étaient pas plutôt en train de s'empiffrer chez Maxim. De toute façon, l'Europe a perdu la guerre des OGM.
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| Pali Psycho Death Cult©®™ and willing henchman | Le Culte Psychotique de la Mort palestinien©®™ et ses tristes sbires |
| 56 Pali Psycho Death Cult©®™ terrorists equal 6 million Jews for the Zeropean press. The brat wasn't shot, and there was no massacre in Jenin.
| Pour la presse zéropéenne, 56 terroristes du Culte Psychotique de la Mort palestinien©®™ font égalité avec 6 millions de juifs. On n'a pas tiré sur le sale gosse, et il n'y a pas eu de massacre à Jénine.
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| Dirty bomb headed for Boston? | Bombe sale en route pour Boston? |
| Why, is Béatrice Dalle going there?
| Pourquoi, Béatrice Dalle est partie là-bas?
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The objective of Cri du Contribuable magazine: find the French taxpayer money that has disappeared into the black hole of the French electricity pension fund, if necessary through the services of its secret weapon, the BAF commando… 
Lire la suite (en français)…
an inflexible law of social physiology: Governments have no heart; they have only rules and laws. The politicians and bureaucrats who manage them have only interests, clients and voters. The huge drama provoked by the tsunami was a matter of the heart, of deeply affected people who wanted to help fellow humans who had been battered by nature. It was the moment for compassion, and emotions do not fit within the cold institutional structure of states.
…Unfortunately, charity and compassion have been kidnapped by governments. The relation between those who need aid and those who want to give it is handled best within the fabric of civilian society. The supremely kind giants, such as Albert Schweitzer or Mother Teresa of Calcutta, never emerge from public bureaucratic structures. The missionary spirit always is an intense personal zeal that must be aided without placing limits or obstacles to stifle it.
| You mean there are Dhimmicraptic politicians who are religous? | Quoi? Y a des politicards dhimmicrottes et croyants? |
| Never know it from the press in Ripoublika Franska. Don't expect to see anything about Hillary and religion in the French | Pas à en croire la presse en Ripoublika Franska. N'attendez-vous pas à voir quoi que ce soit au sujet de Hillary Clinton et la religion dans la |
| Cup o' Joe | Fais péter le kawa |
| Fair trade coffee (like that piss-mix from Max Avelaar) is for shriveled dick panty-wastes. Get some Contra coffee.
| Le café équitable (style jus de tuyau Max Avelaar) est vraiment pour les pédaloïdes aux zobs rabougris. Buvez le café des Contras.
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When Foreign Minister Michel Barnier of France cut the tricolor ribbon on a new building for the French high school [in Moscow] last week, much was made of the historical and cultural ties between Russia and Francewrites Katrin Bennhold in the International Herald Tribune.
Moscow, he said in an interview Friday, is one of his foreign-policy priorities. "Look at the size of this country, which stretches from the heart of Europe to Asia, which has considerable natural resources and which plays an important role in regional and international affairs," he said. "It's no longer the Soviet Union, but it is still a global power."What!? No raving and ranting at, no scorn and anger directed at, powers and hyperpowers, on a global, on a continental, or on a regional scale?
(Oh, that's right, that kind of talk is reserved for Uncle Sam…)
Consciousness of Russia's importance played a large part in the French — indeed, the European and American — reaction to the recent crisis in Ukraine, which ended Sunday with the inauguration of Viktor Yushchenko as president. Barnier will visit Yushchenko later this week, after the Ukrainian leader makes his first foreign trip — to Moscow, on Monday.What?! No asking that the other player respect (and listen to) its neighbors, and "us French allies", and the rest of the world?
"We want to tell the Ukrainians what I already told Poland last week: You have to respect Russia," he said. "We can't have tensions between Ukraine and Russia, because we need Russia."
And for the neighbors, no "You are not very polite people" who "would have done better to keep quiet"?
(Oh, that's right, that kind of talk is reserved for situations involving Uncle Sam…)
In fact, Barnier has gone out of his way not to irritate Russia…
But France's interest in Russia is emblematic of the French vision of the world. In this view — not popular in Washington — Russia is one of several poles in global economics and politics, along with the United States, China, India and the European Union. France, conscious of its status as continental Europe's only nuclear power and permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, alongside Russia, paints itself as Russia's key strategic partner in Europe — a bridge to Moscow, Barnier said, as Britain is a bridge between the EU and Washington. "We have been a mediator for a long time" the minister said. "Our analysis of a lot of problems in the world is often similar."What!? No high-falutin' comments on "Friends having to be allowed to disagree", "we are allies, not serfs", etc…
(Oh, that's right, that kind of talk is reserved for Uncle Sam…)
But some analysts caution that the exchange often lacks substance. "They've created a lot of infrastructure to talk, but they don't have that much to talk about," said Thomas Gomart, a Russia specialist at the Paris-based French Institute for International Relations. "It's a much less tangible relationship than that between Germany and Russia."Nyet, do not say it is simply more talk of the type seen at the United Nations debating society…
Barnier's aides admit that President Jacques Chirac of France has no [warm friendship] with [President Vladimir] Putin. But Russia, home to the world's largest natural gas reserves and a rapidly growing investment needs, is near the top of the list of 25 countries in which France wants to increase its economic presence. "We have big companies in industries that interest the Russians," Barnier said.How many democracies among the 25?
Europe’s knight in shining all natural hemp fibers, UNObeing, to the rescue.
Hey! You in the back! Stop laughing!
"There are still people in the mainstream media who profess bewilderment that they are accused of being biased. But you need to look no further than reporting on the war in Iraq to see the bias staring you in the face, day after day, on the front page of the New York Times and in much of the rest of the media.
Meanwhile, a Euro makes himself useful, finds meaning in life:
- Associated Press
[Ed. Sounds like pathbreaking work.]
Meanwhile, Jim Klauder reports that ignorance shrouds capitalism's profound impact on reducing poverty (merci à RV).
Amazingly, the World Bank report [noting that growth in 2004 reflected "an expansion without precedent over the past 30 years" and that "the rapid growth of developing economies ... has produced a spectacular, if not historic, fall in poverty"] did not get much coverage in our mainstream media. It seems the press was more interested in covering the evils of globalization than in taking notice of how world trade — which grew by an astounding 10.2 percent this year — is driving economic growth.(In other economic news, the Washington Times' Andrew Borowiec reports that Europe's 'locomotive' is losing steam; Le Monde's Alain Beuve-Méry and Catherine Rollot explain how, with only an employment rate of only 63.2% (compared with 75.1% for Denmark), France is eyeing its EU partners with envy; and Gerontologist Françoise Forette speaks to BusinessWeek's Gail Edmondson about how older workers can stay productive and how France is falling behind in that regard.)
…One big reason people in more advanced societies are able to enjoy a more comfortable existence is that they are able to purchase items by going into debt. Americans take that for granted. Any person living in absolute poverty would love to trade positions with any one of us and walk in our shoes — to have a job and be able to borrow money for a car or a home.
In any case, David R Henderson explains (the text below is slightly transformed from his Joy of Freedom) that the basic ways of calculating the poverty index lead to bogus conclusions;
a number of economists have said the percentages are misleading because, first of all, they come from comparisons — if a portion of the population beomes richer (because the overall economy has improved), the poverty percentage will increase, but that doesn't mean the "poor" are poorer or worse off — the individual families or the individuals don't have less wealth in real terms. They either have not moved at all or their lot has improved, but because it has improved at a slower rate than that of the rich, the percentage (and the poverty index) will seem to have worsened.So what, fundamentally, is the basic difference between America and France (along with Europe)?
Speaking of real terms leads us to the second conclusion,which is that in any case, those who fit into the category of "poor" [in the United States] are far richer, and far better off, than the poor in Turkey or Greece — even though the percentages (i.e., the comparisons) are more "just" or "equal" [ah, l'égalité!] in those countries. The state of the poor in countries like France and Denmark will also be better than that of Turkey and Greece, although the lot of the poor in America may, in turn, be better than that of their Western European brethren.
The difference is that Americans are egoistical, treacherous, and hard-hearted, and the slightest event that can be twisted to be seemingly provide evidence of their deepest sins and sinfulness must be exploited to its fullest.
Meanwhile, the French are generous, wise, tolerant, visionary, solidaires, lucides, and any example to the contrary is simply an exception to the rule of general benevolence. Better yet: the very fact that they are willing to speak of their own weaknesses is tribute to their all-encompassing kindheartedness and humanity, to be contrasted with the blindness of people living in a capitalist system like America…
See, everything rests on the person's (I should say the people's) character, intent, and inherent goodness or lack thereof.
And evidence to the contrary will be quickly marginalized…
(Thanks to Joe Nerio)
(Danke zu Franz Hoffmann)
While the mainstream media throughout Europe has been going on about the illegal war in Iraq, as well as the supposed benefits of soft power and multilateralism, Richard Perle provides the citizens of Germany with some basic truths…
(Thanks to Gregoire)
Here are more reasons to castigate Uncle Sam for intervening in Iraq, unnecessarily and treacherously…
Meanwhile, Franz Hoffmann informs us that Karl Vick's report explaining how 80 Percent of Iraqis Say They Are Likely to Vote appears only on… page 13 of the Washington Post!…
(Thanks to Diplomad)
America is the rogue nation, acting unilaterally, egoistically, and treacherously at every turn of the road.
If only those oafish Americans could understand how dialogue. understanding, and multilateralism work, and how we must all share to live together in this world of ours, they could let themselves be inspired by what in government-driven societies makes the Europeans so naturally generous, so naturally wise, and so naturally solidaires…
(Kop Khun, RV)
| Home of the 5th |
Chez la 5ème |
| "We were not in Kabul. We were standing outside their French public high school - a short ride from the Eiffel Tower."
| "Ce n'est pas à Kaboul. Nous somme en face d'un lycée publique français - à quelques minutes de la Tour Eiffel.
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We are socialists. We are enemies of today's capitalistic
system for the exploitation of the economically weak, with its' unfair salaries,
with its' unseemly evaluation of a human building according to wealth and
property instead of responsibility and performance. We are determined to destroy
this system under all circumstances"
-Adolf Hitler,
1927
| Answer: you can get pizza dough 'yeast free' | Réponse: tu peux bouffer la pizza sans les champignons |
| Question: What's the difference between French pussy and pizza dough? In French the joke is about mushrooms but what the hell. Thanks to Gregory.
| Question: Quelle est la différence entre une chatte de nana franchouille et une pizza? Merci à Gregory.
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As one Iraqi caller to the BBC talking point put it very well this morning: “Europeans don’t understand what it is to live under this kind of regime”, and went on to sensibly comment positively on the American liberation of Iraq.
