Andy Rooney on the French

04-02-2003, 11:04 PM

You can't beat the French when it comes to food, fashion, wine
or perfume, but they lost their license to have an opinion on
world affairs years ago. They may even be selling stuff to
Iraq and don't want to hurt business.

The French are simply not reliable partners in a world where
the good people in it ought to be working together. Americans
may come off as international jerks sometimes but we're usually
trying to do the right thing.

The French lost WW II to the Germans in about 20 minutes. Along
with the British, we got into the war and had about 150,000 guys
killed getting their country back for them. We fought all across
France, and the Germans finally surrendered in a French
schoolhouse. You'd think that school building in Reims would be
a great tourist attraction but it isn't. The French seem
embarrassed by it. They don't want to call attention to the fact
that we freed them from German occupation.

I heard Steven Spielberg say the French wouldn't even let him
film the D-Day scenes in "Saving Private Ryan" on the Normandy beaches. They
want people to forget the price we paid getting their country back for them.

Americans have a right to protest going to war with Iraq. The
French do not. They owe us the independence they flaunt in our
face at the U.N.

I went into Paris with American troops the day we liberated it,
Aug. 25, 1944. It was one of the great days in the history of
the world. French women showered American soldiers with kisses, at the very
least. The next day, the pompous Charles de Gaulle marched down the mile
long Champs Elysee to the Place de la Concorde as if he had liberated France
himself. I was there,
squeezed in among a hundred tanks we'd given the Free French
Army that we brought in with us. Suddenly there were sniper
shots from the top of a building. Thousands of Frenchmen who
had come to see de Gaulle scrambled to get under something. I
got under an Army truck myself. The tank gunners opened fire on the building
where the shots had come from, firing mindlessly
at nothing. It was a wild scene that lasted, maybe, 10 minutes.

When we go to Paris every couple of years now, I rent a car. I
drive around the Place de la Concorde and when some French
driver blows his horn for me to get out of his way, I just
smile and say to myself, "Go ahead, Pierre. Be my guest. I know
something about this very place you'll never know."

The French have not earned their right to have an opinion about
President Bush's plans to attack Iraq.

On the other hand, I have.
:nod:

Bert24b · 04-02-2003, 11:15 PM

That sums it up about as concisely as I've heard it put in a while. I think he's definitely correct about the French being eager for the rest of the world to forget the embarassment they suffered during WWII.

-Bert

whirlwind · 04-02-2003, 11:27 PM

well not just ww2!...basically every military campaign theyve ever been in has been an embarrassment to them!! lol i sat and thought today...what war did they ever win? and danged if i could think of one! i had a platoon sgt once tell me that in every french field pack they were issued a white flag! lol

wes · 04-03-2003, 12:37 AM

My Dad trained British and French troops in WW 2, he got mad at the Brits because EVERYTHING stopped at "tea time", but he totally hated the French because they wouldn't do what he told them, till the French Officer told them it was alright.

7mmag6 · 04-03-2003, 12:49 AM

What the hell is this world coming to, the best rapper is white, the best golfer is black, the french think we are arrogant, and the germans dont want a war

whirlwind · 04-03-2003, 12:51 AM

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big Dog · 04-03-2003, 05:32 AM

The only war the French ever won decisively was their own revolution for independence - but then, they fought the French!

ROTFLMAO!!

dhermesc · 04-03-2003, 08:35 AM

7mmag6

Best post I have seen in a while. Maybe its a sign the end is near.

As for the Andy Rooney story,its about time he got something right, but even a broken clock is right twice a day.

04-02-2003, 11:04 PM	#1
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	Andy Rooney on the French You can't beat the French when it comes to food, fashion, wine or perfume, but they lost their license to have an opinion on world affairs years ago. They may even be selling stuff to Iraq and don't want to hurt business. The French are simply not reliable partners in a world where the good people in it ought to be working together. Americans may come off as international jerks sometimes but we're usually trying to do the right thing. The French lost WW II to the Germans in about 20 minutes. Along with the British, we got into the war and had about 150,000 guys killed getting their country back for them. We fought all across France, and the Germans finally surrendered in a French schoolhouse. You'd think that school building in Reims would be a great tourist attraction but it isn't. The French seem embarrassed by it. They don't want to call attention to the fact that we freed them from German occupation. I heard Steven Spielberg say the French wouldn't even let him film the D-Day scenes in "Saving Private Ryan" on the Normandy beaches. They want people to forget the price we paid getting their country back for them. Americans have a right to protest going to war with Iraq. The French do not. They owe us the independence they flaunt in our face at the U.N. I went into Paris with American troops the day we liberated it, Aug. 25, 1944. It was one of the great days in the history of the world. French women showered American soldiers with kisses, at the very least. The next day, the pompous Charles de Gaulle marched down the mile long Champs Elysee to the Place de la Concorde as if he had liberated France himself. I was there, squeezed in among a hundred tanks we'd given the Free French Army that we brought in with us. Suddenly there were sniper shots from the top of a building. Thousands of Frenchmen who had come to see de Gaulle scrambled to get under something. I got under an Army truck myself. The tank gunners opened fire on the building where the shots had come from, firing mindlessly at nothing. It was a wild scene that lasted, maybe, 10 minutes. When we go to Paris every couple of years now, I rent a car. I drive around the Place de la Concorde and when some French driver blows his horn for me to get out of his way, I just smile and say to myself, "Go ahead, Pierre. Be my guest. I know something about this very place you'll never know." The French have not earned their right to have an opinion about President Bush's plans to attack Iraq. On the other hand, I have. :nod:

04-02-2003, 11:27 PM	#3
whirlwind Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: oklahoma Posts: 3,751 Images: 1	well not just ww2!...basically every military campaign theyve ever been in has been an embarrassment to them!! lol i sat and thought today...what war did they ever win? and danged if i could think of one! i had a platoon sgt once tell me that in every french field pack they were issued a white flag! lol __________________ De oppresso liber !

04-03-2003, 12:49 AM	#5
7mmag6 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 337 Images: 1	What the hell is this world coming to, the best rapper is white, the best golfer is black, the french think we are arrogant, and the germans dont want a war __________________ This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine

04-03-2003, 12:51 AM	#6
whirlwind Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: oklahoma Posts: 3,751 Images: 1	LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! __________________ De oppresso liber !

04-03-2003, 05:32 AM	#7
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 10,412	The only war the French ever won decisively was their own revolution for independence - but then, they fought the French! ROTFLMAO!! __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.

04-02-2003, 11:15 PM	#2
Bert24b Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Hampden, Maine Posts: 144	That sums it up about as concisely as I've heard it put in a while. I think he's definitely correct about the French being eager for the rest of the world to forget the embarassment they suffered during WWII. -Bert

04-03-2003, 12:37 AM	#4
wes Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Loveland Co Posts: 1,905	My Dad trained British and French troops in WW 2, he got mad at the Brits because EVERYTHING stopped at "tea time", but he totally hated the French because they wouldn't do what he told them, till the French Officer told them it was alright.

04-03-2003, 08:35 AM	#8
dhermesc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: East Central Kansas Posts: 1,762	7mmag6 Best post I have seen in a while. Maybe its a sign the end is near. As for the Andy Rooney story,its about time he got something right, but even a broken clock is right twice a day. __________________ Liberty is for those that claim it.