What are the best friends of your country?

[dah328]

Haven't you noticed the particularly anti-French sentiment on the Style Forum?  Alors pourquoi en rajouter...

That's a bit of an overgeneralization.  As I recall, the petition to ban all discussion of Hermes and Facconable products on the Style Forum garnered only mild support and died in committee.  On the other hand, the ubiquitous political discussions often criticize positions held by the French government among others.  I also recall that even in those discussions, members appear to be pretty evenly split between the two dominant political persuasions.

To the rest of your point, I would agree.  The topic as phrased holds the potential for significant divisiveness and little edification.  Why fan the flames?  Besides, the concept of friendship is most whole between individuals and not measured by identical political views.

dan

 

[Styleman]

Quote:

(alchimiste @ Feb. 21 2005,23:07) Read the list in a previous post: these are people who are not very likely to be your friend. Americans from more civilized states can be fine people though.
Which exactly are the more civilized states?
NY, CA, and DC. - That's it (at least in most Brits opinions)

 

[nightowl6261a]

NY, CA, and DC.

I think of GA, VA, NM,FL, CO...to be very cicvilized, just more conservative...but we still love the Brits. But they seem to be more friendly to America, only because they stand united behind our leaders.
Oh yes, and to let you in on a thought, DC is not a state, and has no voting rights on a National level.

 

[Styleman]

Quote:

NY, CA, and DC.
I think of GA, VA, NM,FL, CO...to be very cicvilized, just more conservative...but we still love the Brits. But they seem to be more friendly to America, only because they stand united behind our leaders. Oh yes, and to let you in on a thought, DC is not a state, and has no voting rights on a National level.

NY, CA, and DC.[/

That was just a bit of humor. Thanks for the info on DC. I was unaware.

 

[RJman]

As my license plate states, Washington DC -- Taxation without Representation...

Best friends of the US...

Hmm... doesn't friends include those who try to keep you from making a fool of yourself? Still, the French are inclined to be contrary when it comes to geopolitics.

People we seem to think are friends:
UK (well, just Tony Blair).
Saudi.
Pakistan, despite their grossly irresponsible nuclear salesmanship and their probably harboring Bin Ladin.
Japan.
Russia... look deep in its eyes and past the hard-edged autocracy and see a friend...
Poland
Italy (Berlusconi makes Bush look squeaky clean).
...

 

[ernest]

Ernest,

Haven't you noticed the particularly anti-French sentiment on the Style Forum?  Alors pourquoi en rajouter...

Fabienne

This is just jalousie and competition. Most of people like French.

You criticize someone only if you feel in danger because he is better in some area where you would like to be the best. If you are the best, you don't need to criticize anybody.

As French are among the most famous and greatest modern civilisations in the world (culture, food, fashion, way of living, weapons, technology, history, pattents...) it is logical to find people being anti-French.

Who is anti Danish? Nobody? Why? Because it is a small unknown country that most of US even don't know the existence.

 

[hopkins_student]

Quote:

(Fabienne @ Feb. 22 2005,15:55) Ernest, Haven't you noticed the particularly anti-French sentiment on the Style Forum? Alors pourquoi en rajouter... Fabienne
This is just jalousie and competition. Most of people like French. You criticize someone only if you feel in danger because he is better in some area where you would like to be the best. If you are the best, you don't need to criticize anybody. As French are among the most famous and greatest modern civilisations in the world (culture, food, fashion, way of living, weapons, technology, history, pattents...) it is logical to find people being anti-French. Who is anti Danish? Nobody? Why? Because it is a small unknown country that most of US even don't know the existence.
Oh, how I would love to respond to this. But then this discussion will degenerate to a pissing contest between the French and the Americans and nobody wants this. Ernest, you get a free shot.

 

[ernest]

I like Americans  because  =

- they have european origin for most of them = like me
- they have no taboo with money = like me
- they started from scratch and managed to built the richest Nation in the world in several generations = so they are intelligent and have the sens of business = like me
- they built a society based on freedom
- they are open people = like me
- they speak English

I just dislike the puritanism and the lack of culture of the  uneducated red necks and farmers (unluckily the majority of the population) who would like to lead the world and say what is good and what is bad when they even didn't know where was Irak before the war (same for Bosnia or even Yugoslavia).

I guess that these people don't use internet so much and don't care about clothes. They may prefer watching TV or playing video games. So here when have the most educated Americans.


PS
America is so large and so different between one State to another that is is diffcicult to be called a country.

For exemple = what has in common
a guy from Salt lake city with someone from Las Vegas or NYC ?
a black from Harlem with a jews from Brooklyn?
a mexicans from Tampa with a chinese from LA?
a guy from the South with someone from Alaska?

I mean in the way of living and ideas.

 

[Fabienne]

Digging his own grave, digging his own grave... (shakes her head). How about those Danes, huh? Â

 

[alchimiste]

Ernest, maybe you should consider wearing bulletproof shoes.

 

[nightowl6261a]

Ernest, maybe you should consider wearing bulletproof shoes.

I might have some if you are in need Ernest, but really, these are good points:

I like Americans  because  =

- they have european origin for most of them = like me
- they have no taboo with money = like me
- they started from scratch and managed to built the richest Nation in the world in several generations = so they are intelligent and have the sens of business = like me
- they built a society based on freedom
- they are open people = like me
- they speak English

But then you had to go here:

I just dislike the puritanism and the lack of culture of the  uneducated red necks

I resemble that comment.

I guess that these people don't use internet so much and don't care about clothes. They may prefer watching TV or playing video games. So here when have the most educated Americans.

I love video games, tv, and clothes, but I am educated, believe me.

 

[globetrotter]

Quote:

(Fabienne @ Feb. 22 2005,15:55) Ernest, Haven't you noticed the particularly anti-French sentiment on the Style Forum? Â Alors pourquoi en rajouter... Fabienne
This is just jalousie and competition. Most of people like French. You criticize someone only if you feel in danger because he is better in some area where you would like to be the best. If you are the best, you don't need to criticize anybody. As French are among the most famous and greatest modern civilisations in the world (culture, food, fashion, way of living, weapons, technology, history, pattents...) it is logical to find people being anti-French. Who is anti Danish? Nobody? Why? Because it is a small unknown country that most of US even don't know the existence.
E, how big is France? how big is Denmark? are you sure that Denmark is a "small country" Denmark is a country that is happy with its position in life. it used to be an Empire, it had a few periods when it was very influential, and now it is a marginal country and has no pretense of imposing its way of life on the world. that is why nobody hates the danes. there are a few good reasons for liking the Danes - they really had a resistance to the Germans, but they don't talk about it to much, unlike some other countries that seem to talk about it a lot more about their resistance a lot more than it actually existed....

 

[Fabienne]

GB, did that really need a response other than a knowing smile? Or perhaps no response at all?

 

[globetrotter]

a smile works

actually, I love france, and like the french, but I think that what I said about Denmark is very accurate - the biggest problem with France is that it hates to see that its time has passed. France is a lot like an aging diva who wants to believe she is still a young, atractive girl. instead of focusing on her positive points, she tries to recapture the type of power she had years ago.

 

[Fabienne]

a smile works

actually, I love france, and like the french, but I think that what I said about Denmark is very accurate - the biggest problem with France is that it hates to see that its time has passed. France is a lot like an aging diva who wants to believe she is still a young, atractive girl. instead of focusing on her positive points, she tries to recapture the type of power she had years ago.

Yep, it's a fairly common viewpoint. But the president of the United States still wants to have dinner with the aging diva.