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On January 21 2012 21:35 Euronyme wrote:
Americans envy the French in every way possible, the English have them as rivals.
There are also some irritation left as the French practically didn't fight in WW2, even though they practically caused it.
..... WHAT?
My favorite is when people call the French cowards, yet don't realize why Paris is home to so many timeless works of art. Or why we all aren't peasants and serfs still.
Also, Germany vs France wasn't a fair fight in either war.
c'est la vie
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On January 22 2012 08:18 Mondieu wrote:
Why all this hate towards the French all of a sudden ? taking a break from the weekly anti american thread ? There should be a thread like this fro every country on the world every week.
I don't hate the french. I love their writers and their romantic period in the 1800's. But they forget who kept them safe from the turks all those centuries, and because of that my country is still tens of years behind everyone in the west > <
You bait me kill ! Pour Poitiers ! Wait they're not turk ...
I love parisian, but only girls.
To be honest, I don't mind all the jokes on french people, as some of them are pretty funny. I'm sure a lot of people who have black/jew/white friends often lauch at them with them. If it's all in good fun, it's okay.
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I'm actually pretty surprised at how seriously some people in this thread are taking the issue. I bash people of all races and nationalities all the time and of course it's not because I seriously believe any of it. The entire reason these stereotypes are funny is because everyone KNOWS they're a baseless load of shit to begin with. Some of you guys need to develop a sense of humor...
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Actually, most Americans like france. The jokes about surrender and snotty people are all good-natured, and I think that France is the USA's #1 tourist destination. After reading this thread, it seems like Europeans bash the french 20X more than we do.
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On January 22 2012 12:08 hipsterHobbit wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 21:35 Euronyme wrote:
Americans envy the French in every way possible, the English have them as rivals.
There are also some irritation left as the French practically didn't fight in WW2, even though they practically caused it. ..... WHAT? My favorite is when people call the French cowards, yet don't realize why Paris is home to so many timeless works of art. Or why we all aren't peasants and serfs still. Also, Germany vs France wasn't a fair fight in either war. c'est la vie
Wasn't a fair fight lol? I really don't know if you're trying to defend France or Germany in saying that because it's such an arbitrary statement.
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On January 22 2012 12:12 GGTeMpLaR wrote:Show nested quote +On January 22 2012 12:08 hipsterHobbit wrote:On January 21 2012 21:35 Euronyme wrote:
Americans envy the French in every way possible, the English have them as rivals.
There are also some irritation left as the French practically didn't fight in WW2, even though they practically caused it. ..... WHAT? My favorite is when people call the French cowards, yet don't realize why Paris is home to so many timeless works of art. Or why we all aren't peasants and serfs still. Also, Germany vs France wasn't a fair fight in either war. c'est la vie Wasn't a fair fight lol? I really don't know if you're trying to defend France or Germany in saying that because it's such an arbitrary statement.
I'm obviously defending frenchmen against the accusation of being cowards by saying that there were much larger factors at play than the vigor of the French armed forces in both wars, and also pointed out that the inconsistency of those remarks with the fact that France had the biggest balls in Europe for >300 years prior to the wars.
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Probably something to do with World War II where the French just rolled over....
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This thread is equally as stupid as the Americans have no culture thread, lock please
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American Ideology , it'll remain there for the next 30 years.
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France = pure awesomeness
Dumb people with no culture are jelly of it and since they can't have it ( remember your french lessons gentlemen ? ) they bash that beautiful hexagon.
Who else than a frenchman could solve that mystery ?
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On January 22 2012 12:27 AcrosstheSky wrote:
Probably something to do with World War II where the French just rolled over....
Germany invaded France through Belgium. What's your opinions on the Belgians? Do you honestly believe any country in the world could have stood up to Germany in 1941?
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/interwaryears/section8.rhtml
Educate yourselves.
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I've been to Belgium, once, for a few hours, and one guy was a dick to me in a train station, and he probably wasn't Belgian, and I just realized now that my opinion that Belgium sucks/Belgians are assholes is based entirely on that.
If we really want to talk about the biggest fails in WW2, its funny how nobody mentions Neville Chamberlain, signing over the Sudetenland meant that Germany basically got the Czech border defenses for free to inspect and practice on. The whole policy of appeasement opened the flood gates for German aggression in a way.
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Living in America but having spent a large amount of time in France, I can say that my own personal experience is that Americans are stuck on the stereotype. Most of the people I've spoken to have never been to France or met any French nationals and so just use all the stupid old jokes they've heard all their lives. There is a lot of talk about the French being "rude" and "unfriendly" but I have never found this to be the case. I've spent time in nearly every major French city and I've always found them to be exceptionally polite, helpful, and kind. I think when the French are aggressive it's because people come there and expect them to speak English, rather than making the effort to speak French and respect their culture. Some Americans, emphasis on some, don't respect other cultures as much as they should, and that can rile up other nations. I absolutely do not blame other nations at all for getting irritated when they are not respected; that is true of every citizen regardless of country.
I do not speak fluent French by any means, but even the effort to speak it and to acknowledge and respect that I am in their country and should make the effort to learn their customs goes miles. I personally recommend, while acknowledging that I am by no means any world-wise or diplomatic-minded person, that everyone make an effort to respect the country you are visiting. Besides, why make enemies when you could make friends? Other countries are interesting!
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Well for one thing, France is not a very welcoming country in terms of English speaking travelers. From what I understand, speaking English tends to earn you the cold shoulder in France. Although this is understandable (it can be irritating to hear so much Spanish in America when you don't know a single bit of it), Americans tend to be somewhat spoiled, since it is the international language and widely spoken in many countries. I've heard of people from foreign countries that brag about their nation's greatness on the basis of how educated their people are in the English language. However, if the French are indeed stubborn against English speakers, American's are not going to like them very much.
I feel like this is kinda what is going on in Canada today with French speaking Quebec. Having to deal with a second language and having a people that demand the rest of the nation recognize a secondary language, because they, a single province, speak it as their native tongue, does not seem very fair. Apparently this is the reason that shipping costs to and from Canada are so high. This being said, there seems to be a constant battle between the English and French language that will just fuel this rivalry/hate.
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ive actually heard someone say to a clerc in a paris shop:english motherfucker,do you speak it!
yeah the guy was probably trying to be funny(found it funny myself).or he was just a jerk.
For every funny guy visiting paris,we get 10 jerks,guess why lots of parisians are rude to tourists:o (far from a majority i might add).
What some of you guys said is true,if you want people in paris to be nice to you,just start you phrase with excusez moi ou bonjour,you dont have to say any other french word afterwards,i guarantee theyll be polite and friendly.
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Being as honest as I can think as an American, I'm pretty sure it has something to do with France not offering it's support to US during most of the recent wars America has been in. But, I really don't remember why we do/did it (I personally don't).
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On January 22 2012 12:19 hipsterHobbit wrote:Show nested quote +On January 22 2012 12:12 GGTeMpLaR wrote:On January 22 2012 12:08 hipsterHobbit wrote:On January 21 2012 21:35 Euronyme wrote:
Americans envy the French in every way possible, the English have them as rivals.
There are also some irritation left as the French practically didn't fight in WW2, even though they practically caused it. ..... WHAT? My favorite is when people call the French cowards, yet don't realize why Paris is home to so many timeless works of art. Or why we all aren't peasants and serfs still. Also, Germany vs France wasn't a fair fight in either war. c'est la vie Wasn't a fair fight lol? I really don't know if you're trying to defend France or Germany in saying that because it's such an arbitrary statement. I'm obviously defending frenchmen against the accusation of being cowards by saying that there were much larger factors at play than the vigor of the French armed forces in both wars, and also pointed out that the inconsistency of those remarks with the fact that France had the biggest balls in Europe for >300 years prior to the wars.
Well I don't think many people are serious about that accusation, it's more of a joke people like to make. I wouldn't say France had the biggest balls in Europe in the centuries leading up to the war though early on they were always rivaled with England/Austria, they really only had dominance when they peaked in the Napoleonic wars which went to shit in the end, and then they were ultimately overthrown by Prussia in 1871 as the big-boss of Europe. You're right though that people often overlook the details of French military history in the 300 or so years leading up to WW1, but it just goes back to the fact that it's just a joke, not a scientific claim of fact lol.
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From my understanding, Belgium pretty much saved France's/Entente's ass in WW1 by delaying the Germans far longer than they should have. WW1 was a complete mess on all sides though to be fair.
And are you really trying to compare Belgium to Germany/France in terms of what should be expected in military strength?.
Also, are you really telling people to educate themselves and linking sparknotes lol?
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On January 22 2012 13:34 GGTeMpLaR wrote:From my understanding, Belgium pretty much saved France's/Entente's ass in WW1 by delaying the Germans far longer than they should have. WW1 was a complete mess on all sides though to be fair. And are you really trying to compare Belgium to Germany/France in terms of what should be expected in military strength?. Also, are you really telling people to educate themselves and linking sparknotes lol?
Funny thing. A major reason America went to war with Germany was because German U-boats kept targeting American tradeships in an attempt to starve England. The reason England went to war with Germany is because Germany went to war with Belgium. And the only reason Germany went to war with Belgium was because they wouldn't let German troops travel through their country in order to avoid the fortress wall that France had built over the years along the German/French border. Although I'm sure most of you guys know this. I just find this thought hilarious, because everyone was basically some degree of neutral before the war. And both England and America had at times considered joining Germany's side of the battle.
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On January 22 2012 13:45 [Agony]x90 wrote:Show nested quote +On January 22 2012 13:34 GGTeMpLaR wrote:On January 22 2012 12:41 hipsterHobbit wrote:On January 22 2012 12:27 AcrosstheSky wrote:
Probably something to do with World War II where the French just rolled over.... Germany invaded France through Belgium. What's your opinions on the Belgians? Do you honestly believe any country in the world could have stood up to Germany in 1941? http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/interwaryears/section8.rhtmlEducate yourselves. From my understanding, Belgium pretty much saved France's/Entente's ass in WW1 by delaying the Germans far longer than they should have. WW1 was a complete mess on all sides though to be fair. And are you really trying to compare Belgium to Germany/France in terms of what should be expected in military strength?. Also, are you really telling people to educate themselves and linking sparknotes lol? Funny thing. A major reason America went to war with Germany was because German U-boats kept targeting American tradeships in an attempt to starve England. The reason England went to war with Germany is because Germany went to war with Belgium, who, because they were originally neutral, England felt was an injustice. And the only reason Germany went to war with Belgium was because they wouldn't let German troops travel through their country in order to avoid the fortress wall that France had built over the years along the German/French border. Although I'm sure most of you guys know this. I just find this thought hilarious, because everyone was basically some degree of neutral before the war. And both England and America had at times considered joining Germany's side of the battle.
Entire reason I always thought the Schlieffen (spelling?) plan was completely backwards lol, but I'm no expert. Too add insult to injury, Italy ended up flopping over too when they were an original member of the central powers. I kinda feel bad because so many things went completely wrong for Germany lol, but Wilhelm II deserved it for ditching Bismarck.
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EPT
