TheOrange 0 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Have you ever heard anything as silly? What is all this nonsense? I have just heard now on the US news that they are advising people to avoid French products, but not ones that are from companies employing Americans. They were debating what hotels US people in the US should go to. Are ones that are owned by French companies, but employ US citizens any worse than all-American hotels? You just had to hear this report to believe what these people were discussing. Update: they're now advising people to investigate where the profits are going if they buy products - as some "French products" are made in other countries.... And this one commentator is now saying that it will be "very satisfying" to see the French economy go into recession.... Ludicrous. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I try to boycott French products, principally French wine, whenever I can. Link to post Share on other sites
Lama 0 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 seems like the seppos havnt learnt anything from 9-11. they havnt learnt that they have a problem in being so ignorant to whatever is not american Link to post Share on other sites
barok 0 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 it's comments like yours, Lama, name calling and the like, that lead Americans to get turned off by people in other countries' attitudes. What good do you hope to bring by calling Americans "seppos" ? Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 What does "seppos" mean, then? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Australian cockney rhyming slang: septic tank = Yank. Actually, the French are lucky in that they seem to have a government that represents the will of the people on this issue. Unlike the British. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Hmmmm, not very nice is it. Right on about the British too, O11 Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 The funniest thing about this is that I bet the French couldn't give two hoots. In terms of working hours and social provisions, I know which country I'd rather be in. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Why is it that Seppo's always get offended when called SEPPO'S???? Aussie/NZ/UK etc all call each other in harmless fun and take it with a grain of salt but seppo's on the other hand.. chillout! Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Quote: Actually, the French are lucky in that they seem to have a government that represents the will of the people on this issue. Unlike the British. Yeah, Tony Blair is in a difficult situation now. How about the US? Do they have a government that represents the will of the people on this issue?? Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 In gerenal I dont think the American leaders are going about things the right way. Beening caught with fake documents about nucluear material and such recently. The media that plays up this evidence, then doesnt bring it up when it turns out to be false. I dont think (not all) Americans within America, understand that you cant solve problems by killing people. I did not elect the USA's leaders, does this mean that my country, or anyone elses country now, does not get a voice. The French are standing up, to point out that one country does not rule the world. In truth there will be a war and people will die. More hate towards the USA will fester and the cycle will go on. Violence begets Voilence Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 > Violence begets Voilence Spoken like a true Irishman! (sorry, that was rude...) Link to post Share on other sites
Lama 0 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 calm down barok, if the - dare i say it... nah i wont - yanks (is that better?) would lighten up a bit and become a bit more open minded then i think they wouldn have to call their FRENCH fries - "freedom fries" yeah for sure Ocean, seems like the french are the ones to look up to in all of this... not just black ban boycot, stick a band aid on it and hope it will all go away.... they seem to be the ones with the real democracy these days.... having a president who listens to the people... not like flack jacket johnny howard, blair or bush Link to post Share on other sites
barok 0 Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 Your comments are just inflammatory Lama, and that's what I object to . . . how would you like it if I said: "Didn't those Prison-island hicks learn anything from the Bali blast? They haven't learned that when they open their mouths, they get killed" My guess is probably not very much. Despite it being the exact same garbage that you spouted, I am not saying it, because it's ignorant, an because I like Australian people. I just think that your earlier statement is crap. It sucks when innocent citizens lose their lives from terrorism, based on hatred towards their government. It sucks even more when jaded onlookers use it as an example to blast America, Australia, or whatever country for that matter. So it's not the use of the word "seppo," so much that I object to. Moreover it is your use of the term when referring to the death of 3000+ people of many nationalities as an excuse to say "USA is ignorant, be more open-minded." Although yes, it is good that France's government sides with the will of their people, by no means is their position admirable. France has big oil dealings at stake, so their stance towards a war is much more pro-business than anti-war. Of course the same can be said for America's interests (I think America want s control over Iraqi oil fields). Americans want the French to be on their side for obvious reasons. It is alarming to American people that the French have such a negative attitude towards America, especially since America saved France twice during the 20th century. I think if there was ever a war with France's independence on the line again, America wouldn't do too much to help. All of that said, I don't support a war in Iraq without UN support. I think the Freedom Fries thing is embarrassing - I don't like banning speech, as is happening quite a bit in the USA these days. http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/14/dixie.chicks.apology/index.html I think people, French, American, Australian, Iraqi, whatever, should be aloud to say whatever they want, but should take a hard look at what they are saying, because it might upset somebody. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 barok, I see your point, but things have gone beyond 9/11 - way beyond. One of my American friends who has been in the military and been a good few times round the block calls 9/11 a 'pin prick'. That's quite a cynical view, but if you think about it, it's not far from the truth in the big scheme of things. The response of the US, flying in the face of world opinion and international law, is making life more dangerous including for Americans. The further they take this, and the longer they go on ignoring the 'feelings' of other countries, the sooner their power will decline. And it should be said that if Americans are only learning now that the French don't like their foreign policy, they haven't been paying enough attention. Link to post Share on other sites
Weegeoff 0 Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 The problem in the USA is the press. It may be free but it is totally one sided. They do not get two sides of any story. Most of the Yanks have no idea why the Palestinians are blowing themselves up. They have not been told that there are Jewish settlements on the Palestinian land. If people went over to the States and threw people off their land and then said this is mine. they would kick up a fuss The British Forces are one of the best in the world that is why the US want them on their side. They will send them in first as cannon fodder Then the film crews to film the brave boys coming over the hill.And they will bend History once more As soon as you get US body bags going back to the States watch what happens then. Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 Lama - you mispelled your name - it should end with an e, not an a. I was gonna ask you about Bali but I see Barok beat me to it. Bonehead. American press one sided? Hardly. There are 5 major sources of news - ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and CNN, in the states, all owned by folks with slightly different views, and all reporting the news with their own slant. Commentary is almost always slanted, not matter where you're from but no matter how you report it though, pix and videos don't lie. BTW - If you think the US news is one sided, you should check out the stuff on Al Jeezera, and other arab news sources... I used to get irritated at the anti-americanism I see here but I've come to realize the source of most of it: Folks who choose to live here in Japan and not America or even their own country. So based on that, its easy to understand how some folks base their opinion on America from the net and the news. I've only lived in the US, Portugal, Korea, and Japan so the reality is, what I know of the rest of the world is what I've been told by my friends or seen on TV or the net. Taking a vacation somewhere doesn't make a person an expert on that country either. I will say this though - The great majority of Americans don't want to take over the world nor live in/occupy other countries. They are quite content living in America. I can't say the same for American business though but then again - all business is about making money, and spreading your business around the world means you make more money. That applies equally to all countries, not just the US. Those of you working here in Japan should understand that best. The bottom line on the above paragraph is it takes all kinds to make the world go round. It would be pretty damn boring if we all looked like me and all made firewood for a living. I don't want everyone to be an American, or even dress, act, or talk like an American - in fact one of the reasons I love my wife and her home country of Japan is that she is not American. I'm a rice not potato, kind of guy. But what I want is for each country to have the same basic rights and freedoms as I do. Most countries enjoy those rights, but there are a few left in this world that do not. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, their leaders will see the light and allow their people to enjoy the same freedoms you and I enjoy. I was watching Jay Leno the other night, and he was talking about the french issue. One of the biggest (if not biggest) French owned hotel chains in the US normally has French flags flying outside the front of their hotels. Anyway, they felt security might me an issue, so they replaced the French flags with American Flags. Jay Lenos comment: The war hasn't even started yet, and the French have already surrendered. peace out, Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 BTW - weegeof - if you truly think americans have no clue, then you are the one who needs to get one. As for sending in british troops first - you obviously know nothing about modern warfare. The first thing to go in will be cruise missles, stealth bombers and THEN the british troops. Link to post Share on other sites
mogski 0 Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 Quote: Originally posted by RayInJapan: ...modern warfare... Is that what they are calling oil exploration these days? Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 I agree that the American television media is more one sided than not. 5 companies with different views? Hardly. A degree or two difference doesn't make for much difference in reporting. This being said it is possible to get news from sources other than the television. A lot of left of center news sources are just as one sided though. But it is just as easy to read your news at the BBC website as it is the CNN site. Along with that, NPR (American National Public Radio) does a very good job of representing all sides of an arguement and newspapers tend to be more balanced than the tv news. As for the Americans not knowing about the Palestinians side of the conflict...The problem isn't that. The problem is that most people don't care about either side. But American people interested in world affairs should be able to find an accurate view. Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 Quote: But it is just as easy to read your news at the BBC website as it is the CNN site Yes, but that doesn't mean people will do it. Probably won't. Link to post Share on other sites
cheeseman 1 Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 I could never boycott any of the wonderful French cheeses. No reason to either. Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 OK heres an example about new bias. In the late 1980s some french spies bombed the Rainbow Warrior owned by Greenpeace that was moored in Auckland (an NZ city for you yanks ) harbour. The spies must have been utterly pathetic because the NZ police caught them. So when I was studying in Osaka my roommate was French and one day we were talking about this. She swore black and blue that the ship had been in the exclusive economic zone of French Polynesia (and Muroroa Atoll) and refused to believe me either way. I guess the people of France were told something different? So my point here is there is news bias in every country and there are ignorant people all over the world, who knows how the things you belive are real have been bent and what the truth really is? BTW youre pretty staunchly patriotic RayinJapan. Chill out a bit dude, not hard to see you spend a lot of time with military types. Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 uhhh...I am in the military - US Air Force for 23 years now... "pretty staunchly patriotic"...thank you for that compliment. Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 I thought you were a civilian employee! Just some of the stuff you said reminded me of some friends. Take any compliments you like, if you like being staunchly patriotic then good on ya! Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts