Terorists closed down Eurotunnel and Calais

[Rockstar]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/travel-chaos-deepens-as-striking-french-workers-close-port-of-calais-and-invade-channel-tunnel-10339040.html

[Betonov]

The French are striking, nothing new.
It's been mainstream since 1789

[Oberon]

:har::har::har::har:

Wow.

Ok. :yeah:

You could at least spell Terrorist right. :03:

[Moonlight]

French ferry workers closed down Eurotunnel and Calais, that's better. :stare:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/travel-chaos-deepens-as-striking-french-workers-close-port-of-calais-and-invade-channel-tunnel-10339040.html

[vienna]

The French are striking, nothing new.
It's been mainstream since 1789

I do believe, aside from instant surrender, striking is their national sport...


<O>

[Herr-Berbunch]

Ferry workers! I hope they get arrested for intentionally burning tyres. Not only environmentally unfriendly it is an act of terror, thus they are terrorists.

Some British politician said today they France should concentrate on its own borders, if I were French I'd let the buggers through and say 'they're on your soil now, concentrate on your own vorders'.

[Harvs]

I do believe, aside from instant surrender, striking is their national sport...


<O>

I thought it was running :yep:

[vienna]

I thought it was running :yep:

They don't run; they stand still and give up...

...besides, running is so tres gauche, n'est-ce pas?...


<O>

[Frömmler Vogel]

Blessed are the Fromage eaters for they know how to stop working and fighting. Amen.

[Oberon]

Oh yes

http://www.warhistoryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Elt200903081629358249375.jpg

The French

http://models2u.co.uk/Shop/contents/media/l_6002_French_Line_Infantry.jpg

Know all

http://www.war44.com/misc/images/6/french_resistance_saboteurs.jpg

About

http://gb.fotolibra.com/images/larger-thumbnails/698823-jean-baptiste-donatien-de-vimeur-comte-de-rochambeau-overlo.jpeg

Retreating

http://www.angelfire.com/mb2/battle_hastings_1066/clovellhastingsstitched.jpg

[Cybermat47]

^^^

I think that, even after all these years, people are still petrified of Emperor Napoleon :)

[Jimbuna]

Whilst the original poster has not stated any opinion, posed a question or added any remarks whatsoever regarding the subject matter of the thread they have created I believe it reasonable that people will form their own views as to what the initial intention may be but what I would ask EVERYONE to do is not allow this thread to turn into an anti-French repository.

[HunterICX]

Whilst the original poster has not stated any opinion, posed a question or added any remarks whatsoever regarding the subject matter of the thread they have created I believe it reasonable that people will form their own views as to what the initial intention may be

As reported, just to take a piss because of what happened in the South Carolina thread. Seems it mattered a great deal to him that the guy had been labeled a Terrorist without the consent by the US federal Law to be labeled such.

So nothing but a childish act on his behalf.

[Cybermat47]

Wait... Rockstar, did you give this topic it's name just because of that thread that Oberon started?

Because frankly, I think we should all just move on from any disagreements we have with other people here - or anywhere, for that matter.

[Betonov]

Oh yes



The French



Know all



About



Retreating



It depends how you look on it.
When they're angry they know all about making the other guy retreat :)

[Oberon]

It depends how you look on it.
When they're angry they know all about making the other guy retreat :)

Never underestimate the French, in a tight spot they fight like wildcats. If it wasn't for them, my great-grandfather would likely either have died in 1940 or spent four to five years in a German POW camp.

[Betonov]

Never underestimate the French, in a tight spot they fight like wildcats. If it wasn't for them, my great-grandfather would likely either have died in 1940 or spent four to five years in a German POW camp.

Me, underestimate the French ??
You do know Napoleon was a Slovene national hero :O:

I really don't know where this ''french are cowards'' thing got from.
I'm guesing the US :hmmm:

[STEED]

I see no terrorists apart from some cheesed off French on strike. :hmmm:

[Oberon]

I see no terrorists apart from some cheesed off French on strike. :hmmm:

Indeed.

Me, underestimate the French ??
You do know Napoleon was a Slovene national hero :O:

I really don't know where this ''french are cowards'' thing got from.
I'm guesing the US :hmmm:

I think it started when the French wouldn't get involved in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. :hmmm:

[Betonov]

I think it started when the French wouldn't get involved in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. :hmmm:

How I didn't think of that :o

[Jimbuna]

As reported, just to take a piss because of what happened in the South Carolina thread. Seems it mattered a great deal to him that the guy had been labeled a Terrorist without the consent by the US federal Law to be labeled such.

So nothing but a childish act on his behalf.

I take your point of concern as reported, hence my post Wim but you are well aware I must maintain a neutral stance and without definitive proof must give the benefit of the doubt to everyone.

[Oberon]

I take your point of concern as reported, hence my post Wim but you are well aware I must maintain a neutral stance and without definitive proof must give the benefit of the doubt to everyone.

You mean that you aim to treat everyone the same, no matter what their sex, age, race, or religion?

Welcome to the PC Police my friend! :yeah:

Here's your badge:

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/41062451.jpg

[Onkel Neal]

No, being fair is not PC, never has been. But having a manic agenda to right all the social injustice in the world by shoving one's trendy views down eveyone's throat...that PC.:smug:

[STEED]

I take your point of concern as reported, hence my post Wim but you are well aware I must maintain a neutral stance and without definitive proof must give the benefit of the doubt to everyone.

Jim loves the job, downs a few pints while eating his extra hot curry has a think then a few more pints washed down with steak and chips followed by another 15 pints falls asleep wakes up and posts a comment. :03:

[Onkel Neal]

:har:

[Oberon]

No, being fair is not PC, never has been. But having a manic agenda to right all the social injustice in the world by shoving one's trendy views down eveyone's throat...that PC.:smug:

http://sriku.org/images/btcywtsitw-mg.jpg

[HunterICX]

I take your point of concern as reported, hence my post Wim but you are well aware I must maintain a neutral stance and without definitive proof must give the benefit of the doubt to everyone.

The proof is in the title.
the fact he made no effort to include something from the article
not 'having stated any opinion, posed a question or added any remarks whatsoever regarding the subject matter' thus ask yourself what is this thread about if you see a title like that and nothing but a link that leads to some article (I hope).
and he made a 2nd thread in close succesion to this pulling much of the same.

All this thread has done so far is to provoke and as an added bonus it was a perfect oppertunity for some to throw some mud at the French people.

No, being fair is not PC, never has been. But having a manic agenda to right all the social injustice in the world by shoving one's trendy views down eveyone's throat...that PC.:smug:

As in shoving federal laws down someones throat because one can't label a some guy a terrorist for his act of terror he inflicted upon that Church in South Carolina without the law defining it so?

[Onkel Neal]

You're pretending you don't know what we're talking about, but I think you do.

[Oberon]

You're pretending you don't know what we're talking about, but I think you do.

Who, me?

I can't say I've wanted to shove my views down anyones throat, but I cannot stand bigotry, racism and xenophobia, and if I see it then I do my best to counter it. Sometimes I've jumped the gun a little, primarily because over the past ten years or so, it's been common fashion to make gross generalisations about certain races and religions, and I've spent that time trying to counter these accusations and show their inaccuracies.

[vienna]

Indeed.



I think it started when the French wouldn't get involved in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. :hmmm:


Goes back even further; the French were vilified by the British and, by extension, the Yanks due to their very rapid capitulation to the Germans in WWII. There was also some grumbling about the level of resolve of the French forces during WWI...


<O>

[Betonov]

French resolve in WWI

http://i.imgur.com/TWbumVq.png?1

I'm not attacking you Vienna, but it seems someone talked out of his ass at one point in time and morons took the bait

[Sailor Steve]

We can trace a lot of different attitudes to a lot of different places, but the modern rash of French-bashing did indeed start when they stood against us on Iraq. Remember "Freedom Fries"?

And while I like a good joke, I try to remind people that the United States might not be here if not for people with names like Lafayette, Beaumarchais, d'Estaing, de Grasse, and Rochambeau.

[Oberon]

Goes back even further; the French were vilified by the British and, by extension, the Yanks due to their very rapid capitulation to the Germans in WWII. There was also some grumbling about the level of resolve of the French forces during WWI...


<O>

French resolve in WWI

I'm not attacking you Vienna, but it seems someone talked out of his ass at one point in time and morons took the bait

I think between the British and French there's always been rivalry, always, and we do vilify them a little. In WWI though, I think a lot of the time it was the French villifying us for not doing more to help them. For example, when they got bogged down at Verdun, our role was to attack at the Somme to relieve pressure from Verdun, only we promptly got bogged down at the Somme as well.
In regards to WWII, there definitely would have been a fair bit of grumbling about the French, but mainly amongst those who didn't know just how much of a fight they put up in the retreat to Dunkirk and Calais. It would have been a bit like how the British Army were annoyed at the RAF at Dunkirk because they felt that the RAF wasn't giving them any cover on the beaches as they were bombed and strafed by the Luftwaffe, in fact the RAF were there in force and being absolutely savaged in the skies. The army just couldn't see it because of cloud cover.

Lots of things happen in wars that make people misjudge others. Certainly from a laymans viewpoint the French capitulated without much of a fight, but when you look at the battles that did take place you realise that they fought as hard as they were able to but were outmaneuvered by the Wehrmacht.

Not pointing fingers at you vienna, I know what you mean about the old myths and that, and good lord the skies must be falling if a Brit is defending the French here. :haha:

[vienna]

Three things, Betonov:

1. It would be interesting to have had a source for this chart;

2. Like a lot of other impressions and assumption out there about various nations and peoples, a great deal of those are rather colloquial and parochial and provincial in nature, much tainted by popular feelings for or against those being referred to; unfortunately, the French have rather a spotty reputation on a large number of levels, much of it probably unearned. But that is the case with a lot of nationalities or groups; one of my exes is of Polish decent and she had to endure a period during the 60s and 70s when "Pollock" jokes were the rage. However, the courage and resolve shown by the Poles throughout history against various invaders and occupiers is legendary. In modern times, from the valiant stand against the Reich (including a suicidal cavalry charge against Wehrmacht armor and artillery) to the constant, very strong, and, ultimately successful opposition to Soviet occupation, there is little doubt of their resolve; yet they are saddled with an image "dumb Pollocks". Fair? No. But such is the way popular perception often manifests. (BTW, that particular ex was twice cursed: she also had to endure "dumb blonde" jokes...);

3. Attacks don't really bother or offend me; after all, I do have goodly number of exes who have inured and immunized me, as it were...


<O>

[vienna]

A few posts have been posted since I submitted my last post (I do not touch type, so it does take me a while), so I would also like to add that one of the main issues leading to the vilification of the French was the WWII capitulation and the subsequent establishment of the Vichy puppet government in France and the perceived collaboration with the Nazis, particularly in regards to the persecution of those the Nazis viewed as "undesirable". But, again, France did have a very active and effective underground resistance. Perhaps if the French populace had done something more overt, such as the Warsaw uprisings, perceptions would be different...


<O>

[CCIP]

That just reminded me of the old Russian/Soviet stereotype of "Belorussian = coward", despite the fact that Belorussians suffered by far the greatest losses in WWII of any nation or ethnicity (roughly 25-27% of the population of Belarus was killed in the war). :hmmm:

[Oberon]

I think the Liberation of Paris would probably be the nearest, only the Allies didn't stop and wait for the Wehrmacht to slaughter those involved in the uprising like the Soviets did for Warsaw.

[vienna]

I think the Liberation of Paris would probably be the nearest, only the Allies didn't stop and wait for the Wehrmacht to slaughter those involved in the uprising like the Soviets did for Warsaw.

There is a particular difference, however. The Liberation of Paris took place as the Wehrmacht was already withdrawing and the French Resistance and the Free French forces were fully backed by the combined might of the US and UK forces. The Liberation was more of a rout than an insurrection. The Poles, on the other hand, staged their insurrections while fully under the heel of the Wehrmacht and the SS and did so without any Allied forces to back their play. The difference is akin to a guy being menaced by a street gang: in the one case, the gang is in the process of running away when they catch sight of his very large and powerful friends coming around the corner. In the other case, the guy is standing up and going toe to toe against the gang and there are no friends coming around the corner. I do believe the latter is more impressive than the former, but that's just my perception...


<O>

[Oberon]

There is a particular difference, however. The Liberation of Paris took place as the Wehrmacht was already withdrawing and the French Resistance and the Free French forces were fully backed by the combined might of the US and UK forces. The Liberation was more of a rout than an insurrection. The Poles, on the other hand, staged their insurrections while fully under the heel of the Wehrmacht and the SS and did so without any Allied forces to back their play. The difference is akin to a guy being menaced by a street gang: in the one case, the gang is in the process of running away when they catch sight of his very large and powerful friends coming around the corner. In the other case, the guy is standing up and going toe to toe against the gang and there are no friends coming around the corner. I do believe the latter is more impressive than the former, but that's just my perception...


<O>

Not going to disagree. I have the highest of respect for Poland, and a lot of respect for the French. I find the whole situation in the UK today with people turning against Eastern European immigrants to be quite distasteful, as someone put it on Dan Snows twitter feed today "We weren't complaining about Polish immigrants then" (meaning 1940 during the Battle of Britain). Alas it seems we have short memories in this country. :nope:
Honestly though, both nations deserve respect for their resistance, and I hope that if our nation ever found itself in the same situation that we would be able to cope as well as both of them did. :yep:

[vienna]

Not going to disagree. I have the highest of respect for Poland, and a lot of respect for the French. I find the whole situation in the UK today with people turning against Eastern European immigrants to be quite distasteful, as someone put it on Dan Snows twitter feed today "We weren't complaining about Polish immigrants then" (meaning 1940 during the Battle of Britain). Alas it seems we have short memories in this country. :nope:
Honestly though, both nations deserve respect for their resistance, and I hope that if our nation ever found itself in the same situation that we would be able to cope as well as both of them did. :yep:


Before I say this, I want to stress this is in no way an extension of any "French bashing"; that being said, I do believe, if invaded and overrun, the UK would have not so easily established a puppet regime and would have, as Churchill once said:

Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

A brilliant speech and fully exhibiting the UK fighting spirit. Here is a link if anyone is interested in reading the whole speech; it is well worth the time:

http://www.winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches

God only knows what the resistance would have been if Japan had even thought about landing in the US (particularly if the landed in Texas)...


<O>

[Betonov]

Vienna, I wasn't atacking you, I was saying how WWI showed the French were anything but cowards.

Here's your source (https://www.pbs.org/greatwar/resources/casdeath_pop.html)

[Schroeder]

My grandfather was stationed in France with the Luftwaffe during WWII (1943-44). He said that they always watched their backs when making out while off duty and they had to be in groups of at least 3 people when leaving the barracks. Of the three people two had to be armed with pistols and the third one with a submachine gun. All because of the Resistance.

[Oberon]

Looks like there has been a real terrorist attack in France today, I'll be putting this in a seperate thread.

[Onkel Neal]

Who, me?

I can't say I've wanted to shove my views down anyones throat, but I cannot stand bigotry, racism and xenophobia, and if I see it then I do my best to counter it. Sometimes I've jumped the gun a little, primarily because over the past ten years or so, it's been common fashion to make gross generalisations about certain races and religions, and I've spent that time trying to counter these accusations and show their inaccuracies.

You forgot homophobia :O:

[Betonov]

Homophobia is nothing more than wrongfull thinking, that one is good looking enough to be attracted to both sexes.
Usually the opposite stands.

[Oberon]

You forgot homophobia :O:

Mea Culpa

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/11839326504_3689f6d956_o_d.gif

[Jimbuna]

Jim loves the job, downs a few pints while eating his extra hot curry has a think then a few more pints washed down with steak and chips followed by another 15 pints falls asleep wakes up and posts a comment. :03:

Something along those lines :)

[STEED]

Something along those lines :)

Best unpaid job in the world. :DL

[vienna]

Vienna, I wasn't atacking you, I was saying how WWI showed the French were anything but cowards.

Here's your source (https://www.pbs.org/greatwar/resources/casdeath_pop.html)

I never took anything you said as an attack, Betonov; it is just in your posting of the chart, you made the comment of it not being an attack, so I just wanted to let you know that,as I stated, I am more than a little inured and do have a rather thick skin, so no harm, no foul and all is well... :up:


<O>

[Betonov]

Ah, okey then :up:

You must understand, my English, despite it's quality, is not my first language.