I Usually Hate French Dudes

What are people saying?

1. Stephan Tual said on May 10th, 2007 at 9:52 am

   Wow what can I say - We’re a small company with limited means but we’re trying our best. Thank you Loren for the kind words - much appreciated!

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2. Loren Feldman said on May 10th, 2007 at 10:11 am

   Stephan

   You are one of the good guys, you get it. You are a doer and you should be very proud of what you’ve done. And I don’t say this because you’ve supported me. I say it because it’s true.

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3. TDavid said on May 10th, 2007 at 11:32 am

   “…because you’ve supported me.”

   Ahh, there’s the disclaimer!

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4. Loren Feldman said on May 10th, 2007 at 11:48 am

   Tdavid

   I dont do shit if I dont want to, you really need to believe that. I have lots of friends who have companies that I dont talk about. Yes he likes me and I like his company and? I know you wanna catch me doing something dishonest. It will not happen. I know it’s hard for you to believe but I’m just being me. Just sit back and relax. If I’m paid for something I promise Ill let everyone know, is that cool for you?

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5. Stephan Tual said on May 10th, 2007 at 12:19 pm

   LOL Tdavid, we couldn’t afford to pay Loren even if we wanted to

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6. Sameer said on May 10th, 2007 at 4:50 pm

   Good on you, Loren

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7. jvon said on May 11th, 2007 at 12:37 am

   I’m taking a break from ragging on the French for awhile. Their recent elections look promising, we’ll see what happens.

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8. Vince Williams said on May 11th, 2007 at 6:25 am

   I love the French. I admire them for not rolling over for the spoiled Bush-brat like Tony Blair.

   The people of the United States should be mature enough (unlike our ineffectual president) to value their unvarnished feedback.

   Where is the opprobrium for Communist China, which daily undermines the values that we claim to uphold?

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9. jvon said on May 11th, 2007 at 6:42 am

   Unvarnished? They were trading with Saddam, in violation of UN sanctions, which is why they were so opposed to the war. It’s cost them billions of dollars in lost trade. Don’t be so quick to assume they have the moral high ground — they don’t. Of course some people will just adore any group that stands up to our government, regardless of whether they’re right.

   I’m no fan of China either.

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10. Vince Williams said on May 11th, 2007 at 7:04 am

    Who said the French have or had have the moral high ground?

    The U.S. supplied Saddam with materials to make WMD. The U.S. government, including under Bush I, knew full well of atrocities being committed by Sadaam and the Ba’ath party, and continued to support him militarily and economically as long as it suited its purposes.

    I’ve been to France, and I like the French people.

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11. Loren Feldman said on May 11th, 2007 at 7:43 am

    Here we go with you two.

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12. Stephan Tual said on May 11th, 2007 at 8:40 am

    May I chime in?
    There are five mistakes you can make when forming an opinion regarding any country.

    1) Confusing the politics of their government with the opinions of their population (leading to comments such as “silly americans and their guns” or “silly french commies”.)
    2) Assuming the population acts as one and failing to understand that if there are 50 millions inhabitants, that’s 50 millions individual opinions.
    3) Assuming that the places you visited are typical of the rest of the places in the said country (Paris isn’t France the same way San Francisco isn’t the USA)
    4) Forgetting that the grass always appear greener on the other side of the fence. (ie, you wouldn’t find Paris so romantic after staying 3 weeks during a national garbage and transport strike).
    5) Ignoring that what really shapes the opinion you have of a country isn’t necessarily the objective facts that define that country, but instead your own subjective opinions on how things should be done, and the various experiences that shaped your trip.

    And I’ll add a 6th mistake for the road: beleiving the silly ‘Top 10 countries for…’ listing. They are all BS.

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13. Stephan Tual said on May 11th, 2007 at 8:41 am

    … I’ll conclude by saying, ‘live where you feel the happiest’. You’re lucky to live in a world and work in an industry where mobility comes de-facto, leverage that.

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14. jvon said on May 11th, 2007 at 10:35 am

    Ah, the WMD myth. Conclusively disproven, as far as I know. Aid to Iraq ended around the time that Saddam started using chemical warheads. And of course it was Bush I who chased Iraq out of Kuwait.

    But that’s all beside the point. We were talking about whether France took a principled stand against US aggression, or some such nonsense. I argue that it was nothing of the sort, that France was protecting a trade arrangement which was clearly forbidden by UN resolutions and which arguably made the war inevitable.

    As for the French people, I’m sure they are wonderful, and I can’t really blame them for not wanting to go overseas to mess with a bunch of unruly Muslims. I understand they have their own to contend with. “Les jeunes”, n’est-ce pas?

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15. jvon said on May 11th, 2007 at 10:37 am

    Oh and Vince only gets like this because he’s hot for me.

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16. Vince Williams said on May 11th, 2007 at 8:45 pm

    Thanks for your wise words, Stephan.

    Jvon, you are quite mistaken. it is a matter of record that U.S. companies were allowed to sell chemicals and materials to Saddam Hussein that could be used to make WMD.

    Also, Jvon, it doesn’t bother me that you’re bald, but if you don’t have at least eight inches, forget it.

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17. jvon said on May 12th, 2007 at 1:34 am

    US companies, and West German and French companies as well, yes. If there was anything illegal about that, I’m not aware of it. Of course the Iraqi USE of the weapons was unquestionably against international law, and this history was part of why we invaded.

    It’s amazing to me that people who will talk about how terribly dangerous Saddam was back in the 1980s (you’ll get no argument from me there) will insist that he was harmless in 2003 and we should have left him alone. The two positions would appear to be mutually exclusive.

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18. Vince Williams said on May 12th, 2007 at 5:47 am

    My point, Jvon, was that the U.S. has historically lent material aid and comfort to violent, evil dictators (Ferdinand Marcos, the Shah of Iran, the military junta in Guatemala) when that suited its purposes, but if it decides that such are no longer useful, or counterproductive to its policies (official or clandestine), it declares them persona non grata, and expects other nations to suddenly follow suit.

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19. jvon said on May 12th, 2007 at 1:02 pm

    http://www.command-post.org/archives/002978.html

    Hearing it on the news does not make it so. (Sadly.)

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20. Vince Williams said on May 12th, 2007 at 8:18 pm

    I don’t watch or listen to the news, Jvon, I read newspapers or my news feeds.

    You’re not paying attention to what I say (a common disorder of right-wingers.;-)

    I didn’t say anything about U.S. weapons exports to Iraq. I said ” chemicals and materials…that could be used to make WMD”.

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21. Vince Williams said on May 12th, 2007 at 8:31 pm

    See what listening to O’Reilly does to your brain?

    Love, Vince

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22. jvon said on May 12th, 2007 at 10:29 pm

    So now you’re saying that US companies sold Iraq chemicals that it used to make WMD’s. OK, I’ll buy that. That’s a hell of a jump from where this conversation started out.

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23. Loren Feldman said on May 12th, 2007 at 10:31 pm

    The two of you should just get a room already and oil wrestle it out.

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24. jvon said on May 12th, 2007 at 10:33 pm

    Liberals don’t need any oil, they’re naturally slippery.

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25. Vince Williams said on May 12th, 2007 at 10:55 pm

    I’m impressed with how Jvon finessed that one.

    I can’t remember where the conversation started, and I’m too lazy to sort it out, but one thing is paramount:

    Lesbian love is hot.

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26. Loren Feldman said on May 12th, 2007 at 10:56 pm

    Exactly.

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