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- spillingvoid, on 10/11/2007, -13/+771Thats really cool. We should also never forget that it was the French that allowed us(people of the USA) our freedom and chance to become a nation we should also try to never squander what was given to us by the French after all they did almost go bankrupt and have a civil war pretty much because of the help they gave us.
- zovres, on 10/11/2007, -7/+445I'm french and I can tell you that from what I have heard from my grand parents I will never ever forget the lesson that the US taught the world during WW2. and by lesson I don't just mean butt kicking I also mean compassion generosity and sacrifice.
Please remember that it's not because we disagree (and that we are rude...) that we don't like you. I we ever were to make a mistake we're counting on our friends to tell us what they think about it.
take care America. - jmpeagle, on 10/11/2007, -17/+315Did you know most of America had a positive view of the French before 9/11? After their refusal to support us in Iraq (which turned out to be the corrrect move), their popularity sank and yet even as we have come to realize that war was definitely not the answer, American's views of the French have improved but nowhere near the pre 9/11 levels. We could learn from them on social issues and they could learn from us on economic issues but our two countries should be friends.
They helped us fight imperial Britain and throw off the imperial yoke and we got the opportunity to pay them back in World War 2 by helping to rid the Nazis from their land. We both owe each other each other's existence except our politicians (with the notable exception of the newly elected Sarkozy) seem to thrive off anti-French/anti-American platitudes.
I don't see a return to a normal relationship though until we can get out of this boondoggle in Iraq. - reflex768, on 10/11/2007, -2/+255Yep. That plucks the old heart-string alright. Lovely gesture.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -11/+234I'm a patriotic American. The U.S. did a tremendous and heroic service for the Europeans during WWII that should not be forgotten. However, I am against my fellow Americans rubbing it in the face of the Europeans every time they disagree with our president. The fact is WWII ended 62 years ago. It is time to stop reminding them of what we did for them, literally a life time ago. If the Europeans owe anyone anything they owe the Americans who actually fought in the war gratitude. They do not owe the current American government, which is almost bereft of any combat veterans, let alone WWII Americans anything...let alone blind obedience. The Europeans are our friend and our allies, not our wingmen, not our slaves, not our colonies.
- tybris, on 10/11/2007, -13/+213No one in Europe really hates the United States, only their mistakes. Which, sadly, have been plentiful in recent years.
- Indyanna, on 10/11/2007, -3/+151While we're on the subject - a big salute to the heroes who were in the French Resistance, and to all the French who fought long and hard in WWII. Your sacrifices were not in vain.
- KibibyteBrain, on 10/11/2007, -7/+90Yep, that discredits their help completely. Just like the US GIs who gave their lives in WWII deserve no credit for stopping the Holocaust because that was not their main mission objective, which was in fact just to preserve western society. You shouldn't lose credit for doing something wonderful just because it wasn't your only or even main goal.
- greendalek, on 10/11/2007, -5/+82I know there's this popular American-centric view of the French being innate cowards and ready to surrender at a moment's notice, but stop and consider that view for a moment. It stems from the fact that the French GOVERNMENT surrendered to Germany. That's the government, NOT the people. Ever read about the French resistance? Ordinary folks, teamed up to kick the invaders out no matter what it took. THAT's a profile in courage. Go do some research, find out about real bravery. Sure, the government may have chickened out, but the French people sure didn't. Very inspiring stuff. I assure you it will definitely NOT match up with Bill O'Reilly's or Ann Coulter's dogma.
- washingtonydc, on 10/11/2007, -23/+88While France certainly helped us finance the war, I think it's a bit too much to say our independence "was given to us by the French." The US should have gratitude for the help given, but let's never forget that we achieved our independence ourselves. France was not helping us out of altruism--they were really getting back at the English. (and it wasn't just the French of course, many Dutch bankers loaned money as well.)
- Jabertsohn, on 10/11/2007, -26/+86You forgot the British you French bastards!
- ultraJesus, on 10/11/2007, -2/+59Thats really cool. I hope they do a similar thing on Sword and Juno beaches for Britain and Canada though.
Good for them. This is one of the coolest things I have seen people do in a while. - TheMuncher, on 10/11/2007, -1/+47Hah, this is kinda of an odd thing. I was on a student ambassador trip over the summer with a program called people to people, and we happened to be passing through Normandy the day that this was scheduled to happen. Well someone who was helping to coordinate the chain found out we were in town and invited us, along with another P2P group from Georgia down to participate. We came in looking for something to do, and since the other delegation was already assigned to be the ones opening the US flag, my delegation (23 from Alabama) got to hold and open the French flag whenever the helicopters flew over. After we had all walked out on the beach and spent about an hour opening and reopening the flag so the helicopter could get a good shot we were all taken back to the staging area where we were told how much of a big deal this was and how we should tell our parents to watch the news for it. Two days later after everyones parents have recorded a few channels of the news no one can find anything about it, and none of us had been able to find out what had happened to any of it until we got back and found this website. We're the kids in blazers holding the french flag, I'm top left corner for the opening.
- devboy00, on 10/11/2007, -2/+47True dat. I know people from around the world, and from what I can gather, we are all pretty much the same. It's the people in charge that are causing all the trouble.
- ohthehumanity, on 10/11/2007, -0/+42Let us also not forget who gave us our most prized symbol of freedom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_liberty - HarryBauzonia, on 10/11/2007, -1/+42Here's a link to the whole story.
http://www.ambafrance-us.org/news/statmnts/2007/omaha-beach_2007.asp
To French people: Thank you. That's a beautiful gesture. - Xirto, on 10/11/2007, -0/+39I'm a Canadian and I was there on June 6th this year to commemorate D-Day. The French didn't forget the Canadians and the British at all. The article talks about Omaha Beach which was in the American sector together with Utah beach. If you go to Juno beach, Sword beach or Gold beach you will find plenty of monuments in honor of the Canadian and British soldiers.
- cassholio, on 10/11/2007, -7/+43karakh-thank you for your generous lesson in douchebaggery. Well played.
- kreatre2007, on 10/11/2007, -1/+33The drive by media isn't interested in promoting positive stories like this. That's why we never hear about it. Thank God for the internet. Otherwise, the only news we would get is what THEY want us to get.
- turbomofo, on 10/11/2007, -1/+32Let us not forget that France is our oldest ally. I've been to those beaches in Normandie and in those towns nearby I saw the American flag up and down the streets.
- mashw, on 10/11/2007, -4/+34I'm a Brit and any time I try and explain why I think America is the best nation on Earth to someone here I get disparaging and flippant remarks. America and what it stands for inspires me, it really does. We here in England are far too concerned with governing and less about exercising our freedom. Circumstance of birth should not be a source of pride in my opinion, so patriotism is blind following.
Brit's resentment about Americans saving the allied effort in WW2 is uncalled for aswell, the brave men and women here would have probably successfully defended Britain from invasion but the rest of the European countries didn't have the advantage of being an island. Be proud to be American you Americans, criticise the hell out of yourselves but be glad you were born there, don't wear the maple leaf on your bags wear the stars and stripes. - washingtonydc, on 10/11/2007, -1/+30I'm not disagreeing with how much impact Von Steuben had. But to say JPJ was the only American to have any real impact? That's completely short-sighted.
Just off the top of my head, what about Knox taking the cannons at Ft Ticonderoga? What about Adams securing the aid of the French and the Dutch? What about, um I don't know, George Washington crossing the Delaware? The Revolution is filled with Americans performing incredible feats which had a very tangible outcome on the war. - HarryBauzonia, on 10/11/2007, -23/+51Damn.
I came here to say something nice about the French, but instead I have to risk insulting them by correcting your stupid ass.
The reason the French government (and the Russian government) was against our move into Iraq was because they were making money there. They were violating UN sanctions and selling Saddam goods and weapons which were banned.
Notice I said government and not people. The people actually have some sense as evidenced by their election of Mr. Sarkozy. - blackjack75, on 10/11/2007, -6/+34And the canadians.
- dgh1973, on 10/11/2007, -16/+44Anti-French sentiment is completely stupid and very right wing. So people are pissed because they saw through our invasion of Iraq as a ploy to get oil... good on the French for knowing better.
Remember General Lafayette, remember the statue of liberty. - EarlOfLade, on 10/11/2007, -7/+32Did you come? Was it good for you?
- DangerCollie, on 10/11/2007, -1/+25This whole thing with France was overblown from the beginning. If you spend any time in Paris you'll see the memorial to US airmen and other reminders that the French remember the sacrifices we made on their behalf. Like we should remember they came to our aid at a critical time in our history. We've had our differences, too. But overall we're more friends than not.
Only the ignorant twits on the extreme right, who seem to have all the answers for damn all everything, can't seem to see our history with the French the sometimes complicated but normally friendly. - hfactor, on 10/11/2007, -3/+26True. America is going the wrong way, and we are afraid for your democracy. But criticism only seems to result in "opinions" like
"French = pussies", "Germans = nazis" etc... Stupid nationalism has to come to an end. We should be friends and allies to tackle the problems of the future. - hfactor, on 10/11/2007, -1/+24Just sad.
- Pilot85, on 10/11/2007, -3/+25I never hated the French. Before or after. In fact, I just got totally hammered in London (multiple times, heh) with a couple Frenchmen. Rock on France.
- KibibyteBrain, on 10/11/2007, -4/+26France's main, very necessary, role in the war was merely in supporting the US. Europe was and is very conservative politically when it comes to the rights of an established State and the idea of a rebel colony of the world superpower ever being respected as a government would have been laughable without the support of a major European power. So basically, France stuck their neck out for us, which gave the rest of Europe and excuse to honor the new country in spite of the fact England wouldn't even concede defeat.
- dhVyse, on 10/11/2007, -3/+24Dispite all our anti-french jokes and 'freedom fries' etc, I still like to believe that most Americans know France is a true ally, and the French people a good people. Any nation that gives a gift as great as the Statue of Liberty is a fine nation in my book.
- Pilot85, on 10/11/2007, -0/+20Yeah, we jumped in after pearl harbor. We were a different country then - isolationists were power in the U.S., and they wanted us out of the war. But don't tell me we did nothing. You people need to learn your history - see what we did BEFORE we entered the war.
- nwoantibody, on 10/11/2007, -10/+30I love when stupid Americans talk ***** about the French and then go cry at the Statue of Liberty from pride of being American.
- vertinox, on 10/11/2007, -0/+20And the millions of Russians holding up 2/3 of the total of the German war machine on the Eastern front. Keep in mind if the Ruskies had rolled over in 1941 or 42 we would have been looking at 2 million Germans in France instead of 200,000.
- NeoSporin, on 10/11/2007, -15/+33I think you're forgetting Canada o.O
- pdangelo22, on 10/11/2007, -5/+22i agree with you, americans started hating the french after their refusal to support us in iraq. now that most americans realise the french were RIGHT, going in was a MAJOR mistake, it's just a pride thing. we should swallow it and move on. unfortunately, most americans are too arrogant to see this logic
- humanerror, on 04/03/2008, -0/+17"Circumstance of birth should not be a source of pride"
Well said. It all comes down to that, doesn't it. If everyone realized this we'd get along so much better. - Scaryclouds, on 10/11/2007, -5/+21...Dude shut up...
- shackleton1, on 10/11/2007, -9/+25The British and Canadians have been airbrushed out of D-day. See also: Saving Private Ryan.
- zeromancer, on 10/11/2007, -1/+17if by 'experts in history', you mean that we know 9th grade history, then you're spot on.
- mcmlxxii, on 10/11/2007, -5/+20"The reason the French government (and the Russian government) was against our move into Iraq was because they were making money there. They were violating UN sanctions and selling Saddam goods and weapons which were banned."
I don't think that's the whole story either. When it suited the US they sold Saddam shiploads of weapons too. To ignore that while pointing the finger in the direction of the French is no less than blatant hypocrisy. To give France, Germany and Russia some credit, they suggested that the UN allow Hans Blix to finish his job. Had he done so it would have been clear that there really were no weapons of mass destruction, and the US + UK's tissue-thin argument for war would have developed a large hole.
According to polls taken at the time, the majority in the UK did not want the war and it still angers me today to think of that smug ***** Blair taking us into what has inevitably developed into a bloody mess. We have a long and honourable tradition here in the UK of taking the piss out of the French, but in this particular case I do think the way the US behaved over France's decision not to go into Iraq was childish and stupid. - tobybuk, on 10/11/2007, -30/+45This comes from an age where we could tell right from wrong. USA and the UK stood up to the Nazi regime and eventually good prevailed, but not before millions were killed and the horrors of the Holocaust were perpetrated. I think every single free thinking person, whichever nation they come from, owes a huge debt of gratitude to the people who gave their lives to overthrow the evil Nazis.
We also owe it to these people to respect and cherish what they were fighting for: Freedom and justice. Which is exactly why we could kick the buts of the ***** politicians who pretend to aspire to these goals but in reality follow the money monkey and are in it to feather their own nests.
Ask yourselfs why we had idiots renaming French fries to freedom fries. Did they truly believe that making war on Iraq would magically change the oldest society in the world to our idea of 'freedom' overnight? No. These politicians were using the memory of these WW2 heros and trying to associate themselves with them and leech off the respect they have. Utterly disgusting behavior.
We should go onto the street and burn the US and UK flags. Why? Well, read this: http://www.flagburning.org/ - whataboutdave, on 10/11/2007, -0/+14SPR was not a movie about war - it was a movie about soldiers as people. In other words, they were not trying to document the assault on D-Day, but instead a small squad. Plus, it wasn't like the Canadians Americans and British all landed on the same beaches - they had separate assignments. It would make no sense.
- kiwiboyus, on 10/11/2007, -5/+19Great article. You know the Aussies and us Kiwis were there too and we lost a lot of our young men too. Just saying.
- coyoteblue, on 10/11/2007, -1/+15Ireland refused to help Britain in World War II because at the time of the potato famine, Ireland was under English rule, and the English government basically let over a million Irish die. Ireland's anger at the British government resulted in it's remaining neutral during World War II.
- tatung, on 10/11/2007, -0/+14The Who are British. The Guess Who are Canadian.
- coyoteblue, on 10/11/2007, -6/+20Most of Europe has been torn apart twice in the last century, with a good deal of the fighting taking place in France. If you take this into account, France's wariness to jump into the Iraq conflict, or any war for that matter, is a little more understandable.
- Crimsoneer, on 10/11/2007, -5/+18and don't forget what you stand for, because in the past years some of us worried you had.
- crichton101, on 10/11/2007, -2/+15Harry, stop treating rumors as fact. Where is the proof anything was shipped to Syria? I remember some Bush supporters suggesting that, but there was never proof. So if you have any, please show it. Likewise with your claim of the Russian techs dismantling missles and sending parts back to Russia. Please prove you have real facts and not the same kind of facts that Dick Cheney uses, which is hearsay and rumor, and ofcourse his habit of using out right lies.
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