Yes we started late, but we stayed late too. We finished up in the pacific, with little or no european help. We kept W Berlin open with our airlifts. We pumped billions of dollars into war torn europe. The french provided teh victory wine. They were grateful and fully expressed it then. Its now almost 60 years later. We need to quit holding it over their heads, but this showing up late garbage is silly. The french are free to make what ever choices they want. Thats what it is about, freedom. But I am also free to think that they are putting their financial ambitions above the good of the rest of the world.

Damn, you beat me to it pest. gg.

That's about as reasonable a statement of opinion that I've read on this thread, pest.

I can't fault it.

I'm not an advocate of saying "We did this for you, you owe us this" because you then go down the forever spiralling route leading to ripostes like "Yeh, but think back 100 years when we did this for you, if that didn't happen then...".

Oh what about when that ape-man decided that trees were no longer fun anymore, what if that hadn't have happened? Who bloody cares!

"What ifs" acheive nothing.

It's silly.

Again, a good post, pest.

the french gov said they did not sell any technolgy to iraq now we all know that is bullshit but so what the US sold them antrax and other deadly nervgas's all cuntrys have sold military tchnolgy at some point but who cares france dosnt want war fine dont care they can say and do what they want you can call them pussy and gay and thats your opinon and i respect that. also when the US went to war in Eu they did it for england not france. feance was just a pluss

i wish i could eddit my post for spelling

World War I, World War II. Marshall Plan. Lafayette has been more than repaid! Understand? Good.

[quote=Oddball]OK this has got to be the most supreme piece of crap ever to come out of someone's mouth. Americans claim they helped out Europe....but they showed up late.

Also the French soldiers were the only regualrs who could stand up to the Germans and British soldiers in the American Revolution. The Colonial Regualrs just didn't have the training or experience.

SO a certain country wouldn't friggin' exist without France so all you Americans pissed off at France can just STFU[/quote:30f55]


I have nothing against France, but I feel they think we owe them some sort of debt and we owe them nothing. Their opportunisitc, selfserving assistance in the Revolution nonwithstanding. You say the USA would not have existed without France, debatable. However, France would certainly not exist now if it had not been for the USA and it's Allies. Period!

[quote="Jedi Marksman":b5f67]World War I, World War II. Marshall Plan. Lafayette has been more than repaid! Understand? Good.[/quote:b5f67]
you forgot about vietnam also

I'm not being funny, and it's not my conversation, but what does 'nam got to do with the French? biggrin:

Edit: Er has not does

vietnam was owned by the french(formally called french indochina) it would have been nice to see france support us in vietnam but they didnt

Gotcha, thanks. 'nam is slightly before my time so I won't go into it.

I'll take your word :)

[quote="Simo Häyhä":4fe6a]vietnam was owned by the french(formally called french indochina) it would have been nice to see france support us in vietnam but they didnt[/quote:4fe6a]

The french bailed out of indo china, we moved in "to stop communism". It was a very different world back then. Todays attitudes cannot be applied to yesterdays situations.

The French got their asses whooped in Nam. Watch We Were Soldiers for some info about it.

[quote="Simo Häyhä":1e29e][quote="Jedi Marksman":1e29e]World War I, World War II. Marshall Plan. Lafayette has been more than repaid! Understand? Good.[/quote:1e29e]
you forgot about vietnam also[/quote:1e29e]

(Snaps fingers)I certainly did. Thanks, Simo. biggrin:

I must say that by discounting the fact that the Americans owe the french for favours past (due to favours repaid) that the original statement "The French owe us for World War II" is an irrelavent one.

As I said, it's a silly argument.

You can go on for hours and hours arguing that the French owe this and the Americans owe this.

Bottom line is the French are perfectly within their rights to have their opinion of America since these new turn of events.

As do all the other countries that do not support the war or Bush's actions.

Just because a person helps a child defend himself from a bully it does not mean that child is then obligated to agree with and support that person if they then go and do something later on that they do not believe in.

That's a loose analogy but it is still true, depending on the situation and context of course. I'm sure said child would be sure to help the person who helped them if they were attacked at a later time, if they could, however.

9/11/01 America was attacked and the French supported you then (through charity funds at the very least). They aren't monsters. You didn't see the French veto the retaliatory strikes on Afghanistan, did you?

I'm sure that opinion of my country is lower now, as well, as we have stood by Bush's ideals all the way.

I don't mind that, I generally am happier having America as an ally than any other nation, but at the same time I understand why this alienation is taking place.

I agree. The French are perfectly within their rights as a sovereign state and as indivuduals to have their opinions. I'm saying no debts are owed on either side.

This is really cool. All of the "fringe" (or unofficial) War in Iraq topics are drawing to peaceful and amiable closes.

I really need to double check this is actually aa.com...