This may be the start of something big

Has the crocodile turned to eat it's masters two dangling truffles?

Hello France, this is your wake-up call.

Plus a hat tip, woot.

Have fun, Jacques. When it comes time to do a Mers el Khebir number on your boomers, we'll pay you a visit. Or to rescue your Jews. Otherwise, you're on your own.

If the Islamists are fighting in France, killing "moderates" who supposedly "sell out," then it's only a matter of time before they start attacking the general populace of France.

I don't think this is a wake up call. It's the first stroke of midnight. It's really too late for France. They have 5 million suicide bombers in their midst.

France is fucked.

"Assilmilate"????Who the ef are these clowns?They still think that they can assimilate the ROP into a civilized society?Either fight back or lay down in dhimminitude,there is no assimilation.

Good riddance..........

and #3, don't forget we need to take out those pesky IRBM's as well...

Police said the explosive, whose nature has yet to be determined, could have been planted by Islamic radicals upset at Mr Dermouche’s “selling out”, or by far-right militants.

Of course, those "far-right militants", like the ones in the movie of Tom Clancy's "The Sum of All Fears", so famous for their terrorist attacks across Europe.

/Sarcasm off.

Sydney (#4),

You are absolutely right.

When my wife and I went to Paris a few years back, we were quite frankly shocked at the number of Muslims living there. They were pretty nice to us (my wife is Asian, and I'm not Jewish), but believe me - we will never go back there after what the French did to America in 2003.

Honestly, the population was about 20% Eastern Euro, 20% Islamofascist, 10% racist Africans, 15% actual French people, and 35% tourists.

Ok, perhaps I'm a bit off on the percentages. But after all.....(Jafar or Thom, you can finish the sentence).

I honestly think France as been assimilated by the Borg, but these are Borg with splodeybelts. Time is running out..... I'll just watch from here.

#4 Sydney Carton
"France is fucked."

Sadly, too true. And so is the rest of western civilization if we all don't start waking up to this harsh reality. Islamic extremists do not want to be reasoned with or understood--all the nonsense the Left thinks is needed here. One cannot reason with a rabid dog.

Did the nightclub bombing in Bali or the church bombing in the Philiphines not register with Europe that the Yanks aren't the only ones in the cross hairs? Britain, Germany, are you watching? America too. This is no time to doze off in front of the Tivo.

#9 Cooper for President

Ok, perhaps I'm a bit off on the percentages. But after all.....

the French have sown the seeds of their own demise by importing a population antithetical to Western values.

Wow. Somehow the Guardian forgot to place blame, even inferentially, on Ariel Sharon or the Mossad.

OT -- WaPo, talking out of their asses again

Arms Issue Seen as Hurting U.S. Credibility Abroad

The Bush administration's inability to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq -- after public statements declaring an imminent threat posed by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein -- has begun to harm the credibility abroad of the United States and of American intelligence, according to foreign policy experts in both parties.

It amazes me that a news source (stop laughing!) can still be making the "imminent threat" mistatement after all this time. As we all know, Bush said we should act before the threat becomes imminent. You'd think that, since the WaPo's only job is to convey information to the reader, they'd at least get the facts straight.

Even moderate Muslims, however, say the law infringes their individual liberty and religious duty, and risks stigmatising and alienating a disadvantaged community.

I wonder if whoever wrote this managed to do it with a straight face. The mere idea that absent the ban on headscarves this "disadvantaged community" would not be (self)alienated is ludicrous. They are way past assimilation. France is on a slippery slope and doesn't know what to do. The theory that somehow France, through its favorable foreign policies toward the Arab world, would avoid trouble is coming unraveled before our eyes.

When it comes time to do a Mers el Khebir number on your boomers, we'll pay you a visit.

What a wonderfully obscure reference! Skookumchuk, whaddya bet there's been a working War Plan for that contingency for a few years now?

#12 SoCalJustice

Wow. Somehow the Guardian forgot to place blame, even inferentially, on Ariel Sharon or the Mossad.

Nah, they're just waiting to see how Al Jihad spins it before they pick up the slack. And why point at the Mossad and Sharon when they can say that the damned American cowboy, Bush, is to blame for igniting the "Arab Street"?

rayra,

And please, don't bother calling the USA for Rescue for the 3rd time in a 100yrs. That would be too 'Unilateral' of us.

4th time. Don't forget Indochine.

OT: Hamas says women who have transgressed moral norms can regain family honor by becoming splodeydopes.
Women who shame family can be bombers

#18 Elle Plater

Islamic Thinking on this one: If the women has to die anyway, she might as well take some Jews with her. Hows that for progressive thinking amongst Muslims?

/sarcasm

#18 Elle Plater

Maybe they'll start offering dental plans, paid vacations, and stock options next.

Disgusting.

Jaffar (#11)

You are quite correct, but you were supposed to finish the line with something critical of my (pretend) mental faculties.

;p

Thanks for taking the high road!

21 Cooper for President

Not at all. Doing my part to maintaining LGF's reputation for high-minded, civilized debate...

'tard.

:-)

Schadenfreude level is on orange, one step down from a red schadenfreude alert.

(Example of a red schadenfreude alert: when Notre Dame becomes a mosque).

#18 Elle,

Wow!

You have to admit, at least the Muslim world believes in a woman's right to vote.

She can die from an "honor killing" by her family, or she can blow herself up in a restaurant. That's what I call a free and just society (far superior to the patriarchal western world).

And SOME people here have the audacity to think the Muslim world is uncivilized! For shame.

PS: Valerie: Where are you from? And are you proud?

(Heh heh... couldn't resist) ;-)

'Coop

Coop fer Prez,

When my wife and I went to Paris a few years back

Hey now, shouldn't that be: the future First Lady and I?

;^)

French quagmire, anyone?

(I love it!)

Morons......secular, my anus.

OT: The Washington Post has an interesting article on Irshad Manji. 'Muslim Refusenik' Incites Furor With Critique of Faith

She describes her pursuit of freedom as having roots in childhood. At home, her father demanded obedience and was often violent. One night, she says, her father chased her through their house with a knife, and she escaped outside and took refuge on the roof. There, she had an epiphany. "I remember very clearly looking out over the neighborhood of homes. I thought even if my mother is home right now, she couldn't help me. It is here, in the wider world, I see open-ended possibility."

LOL, Jaffar.

Ok, my wife is asking why I'm laughing. Time to go now.

And Let's Roll, (#13) yeah, I am so sick of people misquoting the president. The "imminent threat" line has become an urban legend on the scale of George Washington threw a silver dollar across the Potomac, or Dr. Pepper causes sterility in black men.

Why do they get away with this stuff???

Alright. Time to eat Pop Rocks and drink Coke. Don't worry, Mikey from the Life Cereal commercial does it all the time.

PS: If any of our overseas friends are curious about how the Iowa Caucuses got started, why I hate Brazil, or why liberals believe in feng shui, take a look.

Adios!

I'm wondering what it will be like if France has suicide bombings on an almost daily basis. I can't imagine them actually getting tough with their immigration laws, and their police would probably wilt in the face of going up against the Arab gangs in their cities.

France's tourism industry, already the biggest sector of its economy, would probably crash and never recover. With France's economy in the gutter, it would probably pull down the rest of Europe also (except maybe Britian and some Eastern European states).

France would probably become more shrill on the international scene, blaming the United States and Israel. I can see France forming real and overt alliances, on paper treaties, with Syria, Iran, and other terrorist states. Their primary motivation would be an attempt to placate Arabs and to try to get on their good side. Unfortunately, like sharks, one the Islamists smell blood, there's no going back, and so all of France's efforts will probably only further isolate them from America and the rest of the Democratic West.

France might even try to placate the Arabs by repealing its laws against the headscarf, but would still probably apply those laws to Christians and Jews (making them obvious targets for the arabs). France would probably institute extreme affirmative action, government welfare, and other such tactics. To the Islamists, such actions would be a show of weakness, emboldening them as they take government money in one hand, and hold a bomb to the government in the other.

With France's economy sputtering, its international policy drawing it towards sinister allies, and its domestic laws a series of Islamist-based bribery, the conditions will be ripe for disaster.

France is in it's 5th Republic. I seriously think that the 5th Republic will fall, and France will have to endure a little mini-civil war. Whoever wins is anyone's guess. It might be like the situation in Russia after the fall of the Czar, when the Whites and Reds fought it out. Perhaps America would become involved at this point, sending in troops as "policekeepers" to prop up the faltering French republic. But whatever happens, France as we know it will soon be gone.

Cooper for President

Tsk, tsk, being jealous is not a quality for the leader of the free world. That is for the French.

Norman,

Good catch. Actually, I'm trying to win the election AND get Condi Rice to be my first lady (without divorcing my wife). I'm not sure that's legal outside of Utah, but a man can dream, can't he?

Oh well, Condi is better off being my VP (or the prez).

'Coop

Valerie,

I'm from OREGON. I have to be jealous. Yes, the PNW is a very beautiful part of the country, and I probably couldn't live anywhere else (except the White House, of course). But take every stereotype of an LLL, and those people run the state. No joke. Berkeley's got nothing on Portland.

Here's the most respected school in Oregon: The Eugene Peace Academy

Take a look (if you dare) but have a barf bag handy.

In conclusion, I am happy to say that I accept your generous invitation to your Texas BBQ in Dallas (or wherever) after the election (whether I win or not). I really appreciate it.

Thanks again. I can't wait!!

;-)

'Coop

Muslims are vermin that the French think are pets. Rats are mean. Welcome to the real world. A lot like Bush and his immigration initiative.

They're not against assimilation... they just see it going the other way.

Cooper, can tell you are from north of the Red River. You think you need an invitation.

Come on down bubba. Leave the cold, dark, and snow behind you. Walk along the beach of the Gulf of Mexico and plan your campaign. We fire up the grill year-round down here, so just head south and don't stop till you hear "Howdy, ya'll! You're not from around here are you?" You'll be in Texas.

I truely believe we are in the beginning of WW3, and I believe it will be atleast a one generation war, 30 to 50 years, much like the 'cold war'.

If we don't take it seriously we can lose our nation, our freedom and our lives.

We are facing an 'Idea', a belief which has no give, no thoughts of give and take. An idea which states that everything we belive in is wrong and must be destroyed.

We are at war, as is all civilization, against a religion which calls no nation or group of nations home.

This will be like fighting "fireants", find a group eliminate them and look for the next group.

No, no, no. The begining of WWIII happened long before this, long before 9/11. The Cole? Any one remember that? The taking of the U.S. Embassy in Iran?

Difference is America finally has a leader with "a working pair"!

Sure hope Jacques et Co. grow some.

Waiting for the Swedes to enlighten the French prosecutor about the nature of avant-garde performance art.

#10  Valerie, Texas born, Texas proud  

One cannot reason with a rabid dog.

That sums it up!

(Although there are 8 Democratic candidates who think they can . . . )

#37 Valerie, Texas...

Sure hope Jacques et Co. grow some.

That has got to be the funniest thing I have heard all day. Thanks Val.

There is one good thing about this: When Muslims take over France, and do so because the liberal politically correct wussies were afraid of being labeled racists and bigots, Americans will see them for the locusts that they are and put a stop to it here.

Wasn't the Cold War WWIII? I think of our current situation as WWIV.

Nantes. It's a beautiful city. Times sure have changed. France is on the brink of some ugly times.

I do not delight in schadenfreude, as I have met a lot of wonderful French people from Normandy who come every year to visit our D-Day Memorial here in Bedford. And our town has a sister city relationship, as do several other Virginia towns, and our children go back and forth with theirs to make a lasting connection.

Yes, a good many of them still remember what we did for them during the War, and are grateful, in spite of what their current leaders spew out on the media. If only these people got to speak, you would hear something different.

Every year our library is sent subscriptions from the two magazines that are published in Normandy as a gift from the people of Normandy, and I read about them and the culture.....I get my daughter to translate for me.

They are fairly close to Paris, but seem relatively undisturbed by the Muslim influence. They promote the local industries that have been in place for centuries : horses, apples and their products, cheeses, as well as clean industry and technology. Our former library director spent some time there and found it to be progressive as well as charming.

I hate to see an entire people condemned because of the acts of a stupid leadership and an urban corruption, when the people of the towns and countryside are the ones who have held up the bulk of the country's supporting piers.

Yes, France is on the banana peel, but I do not delight in its demise. There ARE people there who matter.

#28 Cooper for President: Don't worry, if sufficiently bagered the WaPo will eventually print a clarification, on page A21, encrypted. Great catch, Let's Roll (#13)!

And to think, if France hadn't been such a staunch supporter of ours in the war against Hussein, this would never have happened.

Now what if the Franco French are already planning their escape to Canada? They leave the rest of Europe high(er) and dry with a nuke-armed shariatopia in their heart (part of the EU too) and head for Canada. Surely their leftist francophile brothers would welcome them. And what would be a better policy for an overwhelmingly liberal Canada than opening the floodgates to unassimilable immigrants from the Ummah. Damn, that's going to be one big-ass fence we'll have to build.

#29 Sydney Carton: Good points about France's dire straits. My understanding is that they need to import laborers to prop up declining birthrates and the socialist pyramid scheme. Yet the immigrants on one hand, though allowed, aren't very welcome in the labor market or "proper" society. And on the other hand, the immigrants realize that they don't have to work at all, and still will be provided for by the treasury, and given a lifestyle even better than they had back home. The French economy has been stagnant (growth hovering in the 0-2% range) for what, three years now? Throw tourism into the toilet, and it looks grim indeed.

The rest of Europe has already been grumbling about France and Germany's bending the common rules for deficits, as well as pushing through unfair rules in their own favor. Tensions are apparently present with Italy already, the Eastern nations are dubious, and the Brits have a long history of antagonism there. Looks like things are going to get interesting all right.

#41 Brian

Your obviously an optomist. I try to be for the most part but in regards to Americans seeing WWIV for what it is, I don't believe it will happen. At least not until we lose many, many more lives than we did on September 11. The mainstream news media, where the majority of everyday Americans get their info, still do everything in their power to cowtow to the enemy. It will be a long hard road that the United States must travel in order to get the backbone to do what needs to be done.

Not far OT: A good article by Richard Schultz on "Nine reasons why we never sent our Special Operations Forces after al Qaeda before 9/11." Fear of being called cowboys, risk aversion, etc. Worth reading.

Link: [Link: www.weeklystandard.com...]

OT: Palis tells U.S. f**k off and pay us.

Erekat urges US not to hinge aid on Gaza probe

"I urged them not to link these two issues," Erekat said, adding that he believes the Palestinians are cooperating fully in the investigation. "I don't think it's appropriate or advisable to cut aid to Gaza and the West Bank in these circumstances."

Yeah, I mean, they only appointed the number one suspect as their investigator (report was on imra.org)and are a bunch of lying, thieving, murderous bastards. What reason to we have to cut off their money?

yeah just a comment on the imminent threat meme that a few of you have mentioned...i was surprised to see in my TEXTBOOK for political science, this line: "First, the weapons of mass destruction that the U.S. and British administrations cited as imminent threats prior to the war were not uncovered during combat or in the months following the conflict, despite intensive search efforts."

by the way, the textbook is actually quite evenhanded towards the whole thing, which is why that was so striking. despite the impartiality everywhere else this totally false statement found its way in. bummer.

#36 QuantumThnk : Well, except the "fireants" in this case show up at your door before settling into the soil and say "Excuse us sir, we'll leave now if you insist of course, and there's nothing we can do about it, but would you please allow us to set up permanent residence, start eating up your property, and sending the word out to other fire ants across the globe that they are welcome here as well?"

And you say "Sure. Oh, and do you have any expenses I can help cover?"

#48 dan

Hey, just think. After the yellowcake story finally starts getting reported and we find that Iraq shipped most weapons to other countries. You won't have to buy toilet paper for about 257 pages days.

On the "very thin and tarnished silver lining" side, I wonder how many millions Charles could make if things really do hit the fan, and he sells his blogging experiences in book format. Imagine all the people asking themselves "I watched the evening news and read at least the headlines every single day! How could this all have happened so unexpectedly?!"

They'd be some righteously pissed off folks after learning how the news media has been actively working at keeping the truth from them.

OT: Has anyone started a Yassin Death Watch yet, like the Arafish one?

I February 9th (just sounds right to me for some reason), this year.

Anyone else?

#51 Model4

Uh oh. Do we have another Nostradamus on our hands.

Charles: Quatrain 4:12

"Those that did not heed the word shall be forever smoten by those who they defended from smoting. Those that smoted shall blah blah blah (can't think of anything else so the joke sucks :-(

Model4 (#51)

I was looking for something earlier, going through the LGF archives, just browsing really, and there were posts where Charles expressed disbelief about one incident or another. I thought about how the things that were shocking to us a year ago, or less than that even, are predictable now, we anticipate things.

Was that even coherent? :-)

Posting while tired.

#52 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

100 bucks on Feb 29th.

#55 zulubaby

WAKE UP !!!!!!!

just kidding. were you talking about my post or yours. me thinks we are in the same boat.

#37 Val

Sure hope Jacques et Co. grow some.

Well he does have a love child in Japan.

Right Wing Conspirator (#57)

LOL, I was talking about my own post. I know what I wanted to say, I'm just not sure I communicated it properly. I'll try harder in future :-)

Made sense to me, but then I'm mighty tired too!

Sad as that is, think about all the weirdness coming from the LLL flip-side. I had Drudge's radio show on for background, and actually heard a grown-up call in to say that Laura Bush had murdered a boyfriend! We've got one side taking outlandish made-up conspiracy crap, and believing it like it was carved in stone. Then there's folks like you and I, practically begging people to just read the reports of what's actually verifiably going on in the world. Boggles the mind.

#38 Conneticut Yankee

It was the Israeli ambassador who did the performance art piece. It was called "The Souls of the Murdered Innocents Cry Out in Pain." Thought it was rather well done tForoo.

As for that piece of pro-homicide bomber agit-prop that spurred his artistic impulses, it is a perfect example of the Lefty Lemming thinking that is going to get us all killed. The Fellers, the ariists, wanted to understand the incomprehensible? here is what is to comprehend: they want us dead. Any questions? No? Good.

Now good night.

#52 Kragar

Yassin dead 1/20

Times change.

"...the French entered the city (Cairo) like a torrent rushing through the alleys and streets without anything to stop them, like demons of the Devil's army... And the French trod in the Mosque of al-Azhar with their shoes... Furthermore they soiled the mosque, blowing their spit in it, pissing, and defecating in it... Thus they committed deeds in al-Azhar which are but little of what they are capable of, for they are enemies of the Religion, the malicious victors who gloat in the misfortune of the vanquished, rabid hyenas, mongrels obdurate in their nature." ("Al-Jabarti's Chronicle of Napolean in Egypt", 1798)

2004:

The following sections from an article in the Indy-Islamofascist website, "Media Monitors," crystalizes majority muslim academic opinion of America's nation-building folly in Iraq, and Afghanistan. Before your denial-shield activates, another reminder: the Bush regime's oil-patch centrist plan to attempt exportation of democracy to the muslim tyrannies, cannot succeed. He is creating conditions for one-time elections, which Islamofascists will win - to the delight of his Saudi beneficiaries - and from which they will build a political structure which will pose the greatest threat that Western Civilization has ever faced.

MUSLIM SELF-RULE IS THE ANSWER
Abid Ullah Jan,
27 December 2003

[Link: usa.mediamonitors.net...]

"Instead of wasting innocent lives on both sides of the divide and wasting trillions of dollars of the tax-payers money, this is the time to say good-bye to the never ending colonialism and assist Muslims in transition to self-rule."

"Believing that the huge investment of life and public funds worth trillions of dollars in the Muslim world would bring peace and prosperity to the West is no less than living in fool’s paradise. The only reason is that this investment is going into installing and sustaining illegitimate governments for maintaining the status quo of the not too hidden forces behind the scene in the US.
In the absence of self-rule for Muslims, it is just a matter of time for the existing investment to backfire in the worst manner we can imagine..."

"Muslims yearn for self-rule only because Islam has a value-system applicable to government and politics. Islam’s Unitarian principle is not limited to the oneness of the creator alone."

"According to Islam’s philosophy, the existence of life in a classless society is all just one program of worship in every field, covering aspects, private and public. Therefore, Unitarianism is the fundamental principle that explains almost every aspect of doctrinal and practical Islam."

"...The Western form of government is a product of an attitude of human mind, whereby people become oblivious to the spiritual dimension of existence and concentrate on the material world."

"On the contrary, the philosophy of life in Islam does not allow different pursuits of life to become autonomous, totally independent, and severed from the Divine end."

"The battle cry for the Western position vis-à-vis state is “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God that which is God’s.” Islam responds with the slogan: Din wa Dawlah (Islam is religion and State). Even if this formula is not found in the Qur’an in the exact words, the entire Qur’an revelation is integrative in that it sees Muslims as moral beings who should think and act in a theo-centric manner at all times, i.e., in their capacity as State citizens, too."

"Indeed, it is a much-researched question whether there exists at all a definitive Islamic theory of State. German orientalists such as Gustav von Grunebaum and Tilman Nagel tend to affirm. In fact, the Qur’an does not refer to a State in the contemporary sense at all. Rather it assumes a moral community, the Islamic Ummah, which guarantees the right physical and spiritual environment for the successful implementation of its principles and norms."

"The reason that the focus of the Qur’an is more on individual and family life — the basic units of a society — than governance mechanism is simply to hold human beings from ignoring the Divine purpose of their creation. Under the Western set up of governance, power becomes the end and people are dedicated to political power rather than using power in the service of their spiritual well-being as well."

"Islam provides man with theoretical and practical guidance covering all aspects of life, of which the political aspect is but one. The world, in its view, is a place for the preparation of the soul for the hereafter and that this preparation fulfils the purpose of creation of man. One cannot therefore consider parts of worldly life as having no meaning with regards to that final purpose."

"Based on the above-mentioned principle, the government has an important role in governing according to the revealed code of life. The Qur’an considers all those as oppressors and transgressors who do not govern according to the revealed principles. Such rulers become authoritarian and autocrat despite all the badges of democracy and banners of human rights. The matter gets worse when masses realise that all the autocracy and violations of Islamic principles are for the purpose of forces behind the scene in US or UK."

"The rules of Islam require the existence of an authority, a State, with the authority to organize the myriad of relationships that characterize the society and the resources for producing a favourable environment for the people to fulfil the overall objective of human creation."

"Islam does not limit Aqeedah (belief) to a set of philosophical ideas, or a few rituals of utmost priority at the expense of the rest of the principles and values enunciated by the Qur’an and Sunnah. Aqeedah is, in fact, the basis, the engine that runs the Islamic State. Therefore, all injunctions of the Qur’an along with Sunnah need simultaneous implementation without any discrimination..."

FOLLY, 1798

General-in-Chief, Napolean Bonaparte, aboard the "Orient" as the French fleet prepared to invade Egypt: "Soldiers: ...The Roman legions protected all religions. You will find here customs different from those of Europe. You must accomodate yourselves to them. The people amongst whom we are to mix differ from us in the treatment of women; but in all countries he who violates is a monster. Pillage enriches only a small number of men; it dishonors our resources; it converts into enemies the people whom it is in our interest to have for friends."

"The first town we shall come to was built by Alexander. At every step we shall meet with grand recollections, worthy of exciting the emulation of Frenchmen."

ISLAM IS TERROR; MUSLIMS ARE TERRORISTS.

#59 zulubaby

Don't worry. That made perfect sense. About being desensitized with all the crap going on, correct? It's a bad situation to be in, because once that starts happening it is even easier to shove it under the carpet and pretend that it doesn't exist. (that is in regards to the major public, but you are right where you say that things that used to be shocking seem run of the mill now.)

#60 Model4

Your comment on begging people to read the news and reports more in depth. Don't get me started. I know how you feel. Very, very frustating to provide links, print out articles, etc... only to have them feel that they shouldn't be concerned about it. Aaaaarrgggghhhh !!!!!

#52 Kragar:

Put me down for 4/11. Can't think of a better present to my Dad than one more sadistic roasted via Hellfire.

It seems rather obvious that this was a 'straw man' attack to stir up the moslem community. Now they can look at one another all 'doe eyed', saying "Look what we must endure to follow allah." If 20-50 people died, I might consider it a legit attack---but no one was even HURT??? Sheeet....these are the goat f******s who are trying to construct WMD and involved in the GWOT? It's just to obvious.

The Barbarians at the Gates of Paris

Right Wing Conspirator (#64)

About being desensitized with all the crap going on, correct?

Now why couldn't I have just said that!

#45 Julia The Terrible

I'd really rather not see France burn either, but if that's what it takes to wake them up....so be it. Any time I went through there, be it countryside or urban center, I got the same treatment...which is to say, like drek.
The French are some of the most arrogant (in the negative sense), rude, and condescending people I've ever met.
I was 16 and coming home from a visit to my relations in Switzerland and I had to get about on Euro-rail, stopping through the corner of France. I was attempting to be polite and I had studied French with my brother (who is fluent) to try to be at least polite (when in rome and all that).
And what did I get for my trouble? A rather nasty interrogation from two of they the Local Gendarmie in they lovely blue about whom I was and a Who, What, Where, When, Weither, Whence, and one big side order of Why about my trip.
Needless to say, at that age, I was more than a little rattled by all this, but I had noticed that other border inspectors had gone through and checked everyone else. And the train began to move and my little frightened brain remembered that we were going to cross the borders into Western Germany, all the while the little thugs (my guess is that they were having a bad day or something) kept tossing my luggage.
One of the prats had finally noticed something when we'd stopped on the other side of the border and a pair of West German border types had come on board to check and had heard the commotion, finding pair of a red-faced french cops and terrified little me shaking in my figurative boots
The look on the head guard's face was a combination of pure shock and outrage (my german was weak, aside from a smattering of telling them that I didn't know how to speak german) and I'm not sure what he said to the Frenchmen, but the older one turned an interesting shade of purple, while the other one calmed down and seemed to realize what kind of mess he and his buddy was in.
The head border guard had me taken off the train (after letting me have the dignity of putting my things back together and silently looking things over). After letting me calm down, he apologized (in english) for the French's behavior. I told him that, while I accepted his apology, it wasn't his to give. I asked what the problem had been (since my French was still rather rough, and didn't understand the ranting).
He shook his head, "His father was Vichy." in that tone that explained everything. I didn't really understand it, but he was nice enough to ask if this wouldn't spoil my impression of Europe.
"Not Germany, sir. You people got over your problem with Jews a while ago. I won't be sad of France takes a nuke however. It might civilize them." The head guard and the local train officials arranged to get me to the airport on time for my flight. They were good people.
There might be some good people in France. Say early and middle school age. Past that, the devil can have the lot of them.
I've mellowed a bit in my stance towards the place. But not much.

Model4 (#60)

I try to not overwhelm my friends. My one friend tells me not to send him long articles! LOL. Now I only send him stuff that I think is essential reading and give him a newsbrief every evening. He watches CNN so it's hard work for me :-)

#68 zulubaby

Hey, some of us just have a knack for literary prose. :-)

crap- the most versatile word in the english language. Besides f*** mind you.

Right Wing Conspirator (#71)

Besides f*** mind you.

My favourite word, just ask my mom (she hates that I swear so much.)

A poll on where the next car bomb will be in Europe would be good. Once they start having bombs like they have in Israel and now in Iraq the high pitched screaming will start. We won't need any acoutrements to hear the wailing over the pond.
I am sad about this, a beautiful country with much to be glad about. I wonder what will happen now to the war memorials and the war cemetaries. I said it before, we need to bring our dead home. All. Of. Them.

Yassin Deathwatch;

so far, here are the bets:

Kragar 2/9/04
RWC 2/29/04
Ms.Andi 1/20/04
Targetpractice 4/11/04

Anyone else?

totally OT

From the site that frightens kufrs:

angry cleric

It's annoying to read the translation because it's typical Arab hoowee (you know how they go on and on.) To bottom-line it, he's pissed that his little brothers can't stop yapping on the internet.

Also, it looks like Aaron's site is still open to the public.

Kragar (#74)

Put me down for 1/25/04 (totally random, first date that popped into my head.)

Now for some skandal.

Son of PA security chief nabbed for stealing car

The son of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei's security chief, Fuad Shuhada Ismail was arrested by Judea and Samaria Police on Saturday after he was caught driving in a stolen car.

Of course he's claiming that somebody just happened to "give" the car to him.

#72 zulubaby

Just send her this. She'll understand it more.
but don't put my name into the mix. I don't want the Senior Zulubaby to come here and yell at me. ;-)

#73 quark2GreatDane
The thing is, the high pitched wailing that we will be heariing is "Americas war on terror brought this on" or some f'ing reason to blame it on the Israeli-jordyptian conflict.

#76 zulubaby

Of course he's claiming that somebody just happened to "give" the car to him.

What? He's not blaming the "occupiers?"

They have a security cheif?

#74 Kragar(Proud to be Kafir)
My Outlook calendar isn't working. What day does Feb. 29th fall on. >-)

#76 zulubaby

I'm telling you, the media is really slipping up today. Shouldn't that read:

"An offshoot of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei's security chief, Fuad Shuhada Ismail was arrested today. The son, loosely related to Fuad Shuhad Ismail..."

#78 Ms. Andi

I before E except after C :-)

#78 Ms. Andi

Police arrested Ismail, who claimed that a resident from Ramallah had given him the car.

And yes, they have a security chief. He is, of course, a terrorist and criminal.

Palestinian Security Chief Dahlan Supervised Karine-A Loading from Dubai

An Israeli Writer’s One-Way Mirror

The Swedes really do love Israel - not:

Israeli embassy in Sweden has to move as it poses a threat to the other residence

After 50 years, embassy has to move

Right Wing Conspirator (#77)

My mother doesn't yell much. It's me you have to watch out for ;-)

#79 RWC

That will be a Sunday.

#80 RWC

Yeah I know buster. I was hoping no one would notice. ;)

#81 Kragar

I'm shocked, shocked I tell ya.

I think a lot of people on this site are missing the whole point of what is going on in France. Since most of the people here are American, that's not surprising. We just don't understand what is happening in France. To us the actions of the French leaders are just bizarre. How can they not see the danger?

Trust me. They see the danger. It's you who don't see it. You look at France and see 5 million suicide bombers. They look at France and see Napoleon. No, I'm not joking.

You have to realize, there are really TWO Europes. There is the Europe of the elites, the nobles. There is the Europe of the commoners, the peasants. The two do not mix. The nobles run things. The commoners live. That's the way it works. There is however an unwritten social contract between the two. The commoners get to have a certain unspecified minimum lifestyle met, and they get to live in a country that is 'theirs' in terms of culture. In return the nobles get to do WHATEVER ELSE THEY WANT as long as those conditions are met. Doesn't matter how wacky, crazy, irresponsible, or outright insane the behavior of the nobles become, as long as the basics are met, the people will let them.

When the social contract is broken, the commoners rise up and toss the current leadership and unite behind whoever or whatever promises them a return to that ideal. That's the way Europe has worked for hundreds of years, and it's not going to change anytime soon. Going backwards from modern times, the last three eruptions of the populace are WW2 and the Nazis, the Soviet revolution and the communists, and the French revolution and Napoleon.

That's what keeps the French leadership awake at night. Their economy's lackluster, the government budget is breaking (remember that minimum lifestyle need?), the population birth-rate is plunging, and now on top of it all, the foreign 'guest-workers' (read slave-labor) are making nuisances of themselves.

The ban on the head-scarves wasn't a sudden display of backbone. It's perfectly in line with their policies. They need to keep the immigrants quiet and invisible so as not to upset the people. Europeans are incredibly xenophobic, they hate and fear all outsiders. The more power and prestige the outsider has, the more they hate and fear them. They aren't anti-semitic exactly, Jews just have the unfortunate position of being often both visible and alien. So they hate and fear them, along with the Romany and whatever other local ethnic minorities are considered outsiders. Americans used to be considered sort of strange, half-witted Europeans (from the English colonies you know). Recently though they seem to have decided (at least in France) to treat Americans as outsiders, so know we're getting the xenophobic treatment too.

French leadership is worried that if the Muslims start pushing, all of their economic, demographic, and governmental problems will implode into a popular uprising, and I think they are right to fear it. Le Pen was a forerunner, ahead of his time, and other rumblings are visible if you look...

Muslim's conquering France? That's laughable. 5 million suicide bombers? Suicide bombers are fear weapons, and fear weapons don't work in Europe, haven't for centuries. The French won't surrender and implement shariah, they'll simply annihilate the muslims. Every last man, woman, and child. Fifty years of dust blows off of military capability in a hurry, and what are they fighting? Third world criminal gangs backed up by terrorists used to taking advantage of first world morality to strike minor blows against helpless targets. None of them will stand a chance even if they do outnumber the French natives. The French will destroy them, probably almost casually. And if it goes that far, they're not likely to be precise in their target selection and will probably wipe out the Jews and Romany as well, at a minimum. And then likely try invading somewhere else, North Africa would be my guess. Remember, the hyper-PC culture is that of the nobility, the commoners aren't so delicate.

If you doubt French courage, READ HISTORY. Check the accounts of the Hundred Years war for example. The English used to use invincible French courage to lure them into traps on a regular basis. Or how about this example, Sir Launcelot, the fearless paragon of chivalry, was French.

I don't fear a Muslim takeover in France. I fear the Muslims in France are sowing the wind, and it is the Jews, and the rest of the world who will pay the price, and end up cleaning the mess when they reap the whirlwind.

Ms. Andi (#78)

Give it time, give it time ...

Right Wing Conspirator (#79)

LOL! Seriously though, there have been lots of little irregularities in the media today. Was it you that caught something earlier regarding Jordan and Egypt?

OT: Latest load of crap from ISM

Unbound Spirit: Ayed Morar and Martin Luther King by Adam Shapiro

hmmm, let me reference RWC in #77 to sum up my thoughts on Adam.

"F**k the f**cking f**cker."

Aaaargh. Tried to post hitting the reload button - it doesn't work.

#83 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Are you sure ? Maybe it is, but that just means my little joke blew up in my face :-(

#85 Ms. Andi

Notice what. I ain't seen nuthin' I tell ya. And if I did, I ain't sayin' nuthin'.

#87 zulubaby

Yep. And you complimented me on the other thread for picking that out. Thanks. see, I serve some purpose sometimes. It was about Israel taking control of Gaza and the West Bank (I think) after the 1967 war. No mention of the palis anywhere.

Kragar (#88)

Just seeing his name is enough to set me off.

Right Wing Conspirator (#89)

That's right. It was a good catch. They don't even bother checking their facts, things are getting sloppy.

#88 Kragar

Will Adam Shipiro and his bitch-trog wife just die already.

My kingdom for a bulldozer.

#52 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir) 1/18/2004 10:27PM PST

feb 8th would be a good birthday present for my better half but feb 12th would be present for my grandmother

#92 jimmytheclaw

no fair, picking two dates. Can't let you in the running till you pick one.

#90 zulubaby

I know. It must be hard for the reporters, always having to check their articles just in case that thing called truth sneaks in there somehow. (ps- you don't have to type out my whole nic, just RWC is fine with me:-)

Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

revision to my Yassin death poll date - Feb 17th. (no reason for the date, just hoping I lose as long as it is sooner rather than later.)

OK everyone. Time to hit the hay. Have a good night all.

Speaking of ISMers, don't know if this was posted last week, but:

Arafat gives "martyr" honour to British peace activist

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said a British peace activist who died of wounds inflicted by Israeli troops last April should be considered a "Palestinian martyr".

"President Arafat has decided that Tom Hurndall should be considered a Palestinian shahid (martyr), who sacrificed his life in the name of freedom," the official WAFA news agency said Thursday.

-------------------------------------------------- ----------

Arafat, who has a poster of Corrie in his office, also declared her a "martyr" of the Palestinian cause and had awarded her the Bethlehem 2000 medal usually reserved to heads of state and high-ranking officials.

Evil.

#90 zulubaby

This is why there seems to be more and more "jounalist" are getting snippy with the blog world.

Goodnight RWC :-)

Ms. Andi, they're also being fired for lying. I don't know if you saw this post.

#98 ZB

Yes I saw that. What a pathetic creature. I wish more would find a similar fate.

#98 zulubaby

Yes I saw that. What a pathetic creature. I wish more would find a similar fate.

#95 Socal Justice

President Arafat has decided that Tom Hurndall should be considered a Palestinian shahid (martyr)

Wow, talk about pissing on someone's grave. Has anyone considered suing for libel (or is that slander)? I know I'd be pissed at getting called a Pali.

Now that I think about it, ISM are a bunch of idiots anyways, so being called a Pali is probably an honor for those dipshits.

whoooaaa

I thought I didn't post that correctly, so I did it again. sorry.

Ms. Andi, if journalists were bound by the truth we'd be sitting in silence.

#86. TreeFrog

Trust me. They see the danger. It's you who don't see it. You look at France and see 5 million suicide bombers. They look at France and see Napoleon. No, I'm not joking.

Muslim's conquering France? That's laughable. 5 million suicide bombers? Suicide bombers are fear weapons, and fear weapons don't work in Europe, haven't for centuries.

I don't even know here to begin here. That was a long post and your theory of American ignorance about Europe seems semi valid on the surface. You talk of French bravery and that the muslims are the ones who are in trouble for the terrible French.

You seem to forget one important detail about France. WWII Nazi Germany. France folded faster than a crack whore and a 50 dollar bill. You are underestimating the players and the stakes invovled in this chess game. The muslim isserections and this Jihad crap is only the spearhead. Political Correctness and Multiculuralism have taken hold of Europe since WW2. That welfare state of a country has been watered down quite a bit in the last few hundred years. It's not what you have read in History classes. Have you been there recently? I have. The policital and social elite that you speak off in Europe has gone Socialist (read Communist). The workers (producers ) must support the impoverished or via the welfare state system (Leaches). This is the Opposite of real capitalism and democracy. France has allot in common with the Muslims. Haterd of western culture. They can't even call a fucking computer a computer. They had to invent thier own word for it. (Which they did not deserve too) Chirac has stated publicy many times that it's the Anglo Saxon that are the enemy of France. France has had a long standing relationship with Arab lands. (Morocco has almost as many French as Arabs). France has not been a real power since after Revoluionalry war. Nice try but I don't buy your leftist view of Europe.

France will fold and quickly. There will be a cycle of violence followed by negotiations. Followed by more demands and more negotiations. This will go on for the next few years. France will cry for help at the last possible moment when they realize they have lost control.

Somewhat OT - More whining and seething:

French fury over US treatment of air staff

In the latest bout of Franco-American squabbling, hundreds of Air France pilots and cabin crew who have French nationality but were born in Muslim countries are furious at being singled out for stringent security measures when they land in the US.

Some of the 324 affected employees complain that they were treated like "terrorist suspects" after being separated from fellow cabin crew and grilled for up to four hours by security agents on arrival at American airports. The treatment, they say, was "discriminatory and insulting".

Read more here

Ou-la-la

There’s one thing good about al-jezebel, if you’re looking for the directives of islami media disinformation…go no further.

The centre-right government hopes the headscarf ban will prevent the far-right National Front from cashing in on racial strife in regional elections in March. Many on the far right resent immigrants taking influential posts.

Dirmoucha symbolises success among France's immigrants.(note: isn’t this nice to know? we can certainly expect islam to declare a quorum of 2 out of 7 million a success of french cultural integration.)

It'll be interesting to watch the euro-media handling of this, and other possible incidents, as al-j has its ‘forever outward pointing finger’ directed at the rising rightwing movement with the story itself pretty much relegated to back-page and search-engine status online.

There's something wierd about this; bomb goes off at 4:30ish a.m., no one around (mercifully), but why bother? This guy has just been appointed to a "French" post (not a Muslim post) so maybe it's a message not to cooperate with the French. Otherwise, if it's about the hijab, why not set it off earlier when lots of people were around to see it? Strange.

#107 Elizabeth

The Jihadis are just testing the waters. They will progress in severity as time goes or at least until France folds on the headscarf issue. Once France folds on this Issue. (They will do it quietly) it will be calm for a while until another issue flares up. Once the dam has been opened for bombings It's is hard to close it again. This is only the beginning of a long ordeal for France.

You seem to forget one important detail about France. WWII Nazi Germany. France folded faster than a crack whore and a 50 dollar bill. You are underestimating the players and the stakes invovled in this chess game.

They folded because they got out-maneuvered and surprised and were completely out of position, and then the Luftwaffe cut the communication links and they ended up with a larger, better army that suffered a near classic defeat-in-detail. Read Churchill's autobiography for a great first hand account of how completely confusing the situation was.

Besides, I wasn't aware the Jihadi's were manufacturing tanks in the suburbs of Paris, have to change my outlook there...

Political Correctness and Multiculuralism have taken hold of Europe since WW2.

Of course it has, the great noble whites will look after the poor brown folk...hasn't that always been the heart of the PC movement? Fit's their preconceptions just fine, they'll treat them like the clever little savages they are until they get out of line...and then shoot them.

Have you been there recently? I have.

That's not exactly unique you know...

The policital and social elite that you speak off in Europe has gone Socialist (read Communist).

That's not as much of a drawback as you think. In the short term, Command Economies can generate spectacular output by cannibalizing civilian output for military output. Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia both put out astonishing quantities of military hardware given their respective pre-war conditions. It wouldn't have been sustainable, but then it didn't have to be.

France has allot in common with the Muslims. Haterd of western culture.

They don't hate western culture, they hate the fact the English co-opted it. Hence the anti-americanism. This doesn't invalidate my theory. Just because they hate america doesn't make them allies with the jihadis. The current French leadership is attempting the usual pass-the-blame trick and is trying to play us off against each other while they grab power in the middle. More likely to end up being hit by both sides, but I never claimed what they were doing is smart.

Nice try but I don't buy your leftist view of Europe.

Errr, leftist? How so?

France will fold and quickly. There will be a cycle of violence followed by negotiations.

In the face of what? Car bombings? Gang rapes? The muslims have no ability to project military power. The only real threat they have is their ability to gain WMD. This is where I think the French leadership is making their biggest, of many, mistake, is in underestimating the ability of various Muslim countries (read Iran) to develop WMD and delivery capabilites. But even so, a few nukes in the hands of terrorists WILL NOT DESTROY FRANCE. Paris? Certainly. Millions of civilians. Yes. France? No. And it worries me what they will do afterwards, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING the levels of anti-semitism and anti-americanism.

You misread my post. I'm just warning that America seems to have forgotten that the greatest threat to America is, has been, and for the foreseeable future will continue to be Europe.

Islam is a threat certainly, but the worst they can do is vaporize some of our cities, or kill millions with bio-weapons. None of that will destroy America. Hurt, certainly, destroy, never. Europe is a different story, only there can a threat that would truly threaten the United States be born, China and India being about a century away still. Americans will never tolerate militant Islam in the United States, moonbats aside (to paraphrase Foxworthy, it's not that there are that many of them, we just can seem to keep them away from the microphones). President Bush's approval ratings speak to that.

Europe on the other hand, for all the talk they do about how sophisticated they are, tend towards all or nothing responses. Right now we're getting the nothing. I fear for the all.

The point of my post was really that we need to pull Islam's teeth now, before the idiot's end up setting off Europe, again, for the bazillionth time.

TreeFrog writes:

The French won't surrender and implement shariah, they'll simply annihilate the muslims. Every last man, woman, and child.

Based on what? Memories of how it used to be?

The French have lost a whole lot of wars in the past 150 years, from the 1870-1 debacle with Germany, to WWI (a Pyhric victory that decimated it demographically), not to mention WWII, Indochina, and Algeria.

Do you think the French still KNOW how to win a war?

It takes more than miedeval memories of past glory. The 20th century hasn't been kind to them from the military point of view. And their political class since 1973 has shown itself to be cowardly in the extreme.

Add one last thought.

I honestly don't think the French are afraid of the jihadis. That's why they appease them. If they were afraid of them they wouldn't, they'd be taking concrete steps against them.

And before someone brings up WW2 again, remember the French weren't afraid of the Germans before WW2. They'd beat them in WW1 (with help but in the after-glow of victory they glossed that over), and now the German military was crippled, they were led by a silly populist good only for giving vein-bulging political speeches, and were protected by the most advanced defensive emplacement of the time, the Maginot Line.

It's obvious in hindsight they were overconfident, but that's a modern judgement.

The question is really, would a mass revolt of the Muslim immigrants be a serious threat to France? I don't think so. Remember, the French have already walled off most of the immigrant enclaves far more thoroughly than the Israelis are even attempting with the much slandered security fence.

For being PC crippled, they've retained the ability to completely separate out Muslims from their own population, and seal them off with little difficulty.

The real mistake they are making is assuming that the foreign elements would be as easy to deal with as the local elements.

My fear is what would happen in Europe if someone smuggles a nuke into Paris via the local muslim community...

#109 Treefrog

The point of my post was really that we need to pull Islam's teeth now, before the idiot's end up setting off Europe, again, for the bazillionth time.

Unfortunatley, pulling Islam's teeth, as you put it, is much easier said than done. Europe is already a powderkeg and someone has already lit the fuse.

As for your comments about an all or nothing response, you make that sound like a bad thing. Islam has declared war against the rest of the world. If the choice is do nothing and let them win or destroy them utterly, well then, sorry, but I'm going to side with the "destroy them utterly" crowd.

#110 It takes more than miedeval memories of past glory. The 20th century hasn't been kind to them from the military point of view. And their political class since 1973 has shown itself to be cowardly in the extreme.

True, but everyone they lost to has been another modern European power, excepting Indo-China, and we didn't do real well there either.

If they do have a populist uprising, they won't be under the current political class, so quality of leadership is a big question mark, could be Napoleon, could be Charles de Gaulle.

They have all the building blocks to build a decent military force: technology, appreciation for teamwork, notion of self-sacrifice and patriotism, appreciation for critical thinking, etc. That they haven't managed to successfully combine them doesn't mean they won't, and in any case, North African refugees aren't exactly known for martial glory either. The last decent fight they put up was with the Almohads in Spain, and that wasn't an unqualified success by any stretch.

#112 As for your comments about an all or nothing response, you make that sound like a bad thing. Islam has declared war against the rest of the world. If the choice is do nothing and let them win or destroy them utterly, well then, sorry, but I'm going to side with the "destroy them utterly" crowd.

True, that's not what worries me. It's the fact they'll likely also purge the Jews and other ethnic minorites, and probably end up sparking another war inside Europe that the US will end up getting sucked into that bothers me. Do we really want to end up fighting a French-German alliance again?

I'd rather preempt the whole issue and keep the exchange to slinging bad taste jokes back and forth across the atlantic then ICBMs.

#114 Treefrog

Unfortunately, I don't think Europe will be able to do anything against Islam without it spilling over in to all aspects of their life, society, and culture. Too many long time hatreds, slights, and prejuidices have been simmering for them not too. When, not if, this breaks in to open conflict (guerilla warfare, public uprisings, terror attacks on a daily basis) the EU will collapse like a sand castle at hightide (and hopefully take the U.N. with it).

As for the a European Alliance forming as a threat to the U.S., I personally would consider that threat minimal at best at this time. While some nations might become "rogue" (I really hate that term, Barbarians is a better fit IMO), I think squabbles with their immeadiate neighbors makes the likelyhood of ICBM being lobbed around Western, Central, and Eastern Europe before any get launched our way.

#115
That's the threat in the short run. The danger to us is that anyone doing the aggressing will know they have to keep us out of it, and threatening us with nukes might seem a good way to do it.

It's the intermediate zone where a coalition block of European nations would prove nasty. France+Germany+Russia for example would be very dangerous. They'd eat each other alive the minute the outside pressure is off, but that's cold comfort in the mean time.

Agreed the EU is ineffectual, but the question of whether we really want it to go down is what we might get in it's place. This is Europe we're talking about, the birthplace of National Socialism, Communism and most of the other stupidities of recent history, and while they didn't last they were...er...excessively interesting while they did.

I think it's farfetched that the French, even under some revolutionary fascist government, would pick a military fight with the most powerful nation, well, ever.

Far more likely that they incidentally take out Israel while leveling the rest of the Mideast in retaliation for something or other...

#117
Deliberately, no. But they might try annexing or picking a fight with someone we're allied with and daring us to get involved. How many times has some tin-pot dictator bet the lazy fat americans won't get involved? You'd think they'd learn by now...

#43   Julia the Horrible

I couldn't agree more with you about the Norman French. I just spent three days working in Caen, wonderful, wonderful people and a beutiful, clean, friendly town. SUCH a difference from Paris and Lyon.

My French is OK, not brilliant, but OK. Everytime I would begin talking in French, many of the Normans would switch to English automatically with a little wink and smile.

Nice few days.

Oh, and the seafood and Calvados, yum yum.

OT, in today's OpinionJournal

"The Case Against Bush's Immigration Plan" - Victor Davis Hanson

OT: It finally looks like Al-Arian is going to be called to account for his actions:

US Patriot Act to be Tested on Palestinian

Merde in France is in fine form. Hitting them for sixes all over the ground.

[Link: www.merdeinfrance.blogspot.com...]

well...speak of the devil, our(choke, cough, gag) 'allies', Blame it on America

124 abu hoo-hoo

Good link. Apropos of this, the BBC in its CEEFAX page, has a rundown of the leading articles in the European press. The papers they quote from are

1. Le Monde

2. Le Liberation

3. Le Temps

4. Sudduetche Zeitung.

Interesting selection.

BBC is now a uniformly Left wing media organisation. I cant find a single conduit in its output, that gives any opinion except the LLL one.

From the Frontpage article

France has a long history of anti-Americanism, which has now turned into an obsession. Everything negative occurring in the planet, or for that matter even in France, is the fault of the USA. Blame it on America has turned into a national sport.

Yet, a recent poll in France showed that a majority of Frencg engineers and scientists wish to wmmigrate to USA.

Such paranoia and even greater schizophrenia. It cant be good for the soul.

OT, but who is this [deleted] guy and why is he putting comments on all the old threads?

The big picture is the left is disintegrating.

It's not going to be pretty. It wasn't pretty when it was 'integrated'.

OT: Islamists Ensalve Black Africans

[Link: frontpagemag.com...]

Well, Kofi? I'm waiting...

128 b

A rabid animals always at its most dangerous when its cornered.

OT-
Castro death rumors
From Command Post.
Charles, can we start a Castro death thread?

#129 Jewels

Don't you know? The U.N. would rather talk about the problem and hope it goes away rather than do a damn thing about it.

Update: For the Yassin Deathwatch, we have the following entries

Kragar 2/9/04
RWC 2/17/04
Ms.Andi 1/20/04
Targetpractice 4/11/04
Zulubaby 1/25/04

Anyone else?

133 Kragar
Put me down for 1/24

#133 Kragar

Please put me down for February 14.

OT, El Norte The case against Bush's immigration plan. BY VICTOR DAVIS HANSON

133 krager

i'll take 1/30 but pls don't let anything hold it back on my account :)

I'll take 2/27

#121 Marianne :-o I see you beat me to it!

#133 Kragar:

I'll go 2/15/04.

Found this on Sullivan--a call to bring back the Baathists in Iraq. And guess which country it comes from? I'll give you a hint: Allons enfants de la patrie, la jour de gloire est arrive...

[Link: comitesirak.free.fr...]

This is OT,but weird,and French and Quebec! Maybe French want to take over the world.:):)
[Link: comitesirak.free.fr...]

ot - oh brother, al-Guardian barf alert: threats, intimidation, treachery and conspiracy by the rulers of the world and their minions:

It also operates a private, and rather secretive, emailing list. The only way to join is by invitation from an existing member - and even then, its organiser, Harv Weiner, "may refuse a subscription to anyone for any reason".

Hate Mail

Sorry, sacramouche, I guess great minds think alike!

Well, got to go for now

here are the people in the pool so far.

Kragar 2/9/04
RWC 2/17/04
Ms.Andi 1/20/04
Targetpractice 4/11/04
Zulubaby 1/25/04
Jim in Virgina 1/24/04
J.D. 2/14/04
abu-Hoo-Hoo 1/30/04
V the K 2/27/04
Elle Plater 2/15/04

Charles, could you maybe make a thread so we can keep track of this? I'd hate to miss anybody who guessed right.

I predict a civil war in France for a seperate Muslim State say within..10 years. If that long.

110% OFF TOPIC
Fox news has an article on the "Academic Bill of Rights"

I found the following statement to encapsulate the left perfectly:...

p>

"Professors C. Charles Mate-Kole and Evelyn Phillips said in a statement that anyone who protested reparations "stood on the same platform that produced apartheid, Hitler and the KKK."

[Link: www.foxnews.com...]

OT: A little levity this morning:

Praying at the Western Wall....

A CNN reporter is assigned to cover Israel. She is searching for a positive and emotional human interest story, reminiscent of the one she heard about the man in Sarajevo who risked his life during the the recent war to play the cello everyday in the town square.

In Jerusalem, she hears about an elderly Jew who has been praying at the Western Wall twice a day, everyday, for a long, long time. So she decides to check it out.

She goes to the Western Wall and there he is! She watches him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turns to leave, she approaches him for an interview.

"Excuse me, sir, Rebecca Smith, CNN News. Could you tell me how long have you've been coming here to pray?"

"For about 50 years."

"50 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?"

"I pray for peace between the Jews and the Arabs; I pray for all the hatred to stop; and I pray for our children to be allowed to grow up and live in peace."

"And how do you feel after coming here for the past 50 years?"

"Like I'm talking to a wall."

#144, Kragar
That Sheikh ain't stiffed yet because of the Yanks, They are wading in Arab shit which stinks like the sewers of hell & they do not want this constipated turd.
Yes the evil joooos tried to stiff him once but that was before the butcher of Baghdad was flushed out of his sewer & since the greatest strategic threat to Israel in the pig farm was dealt with, Israel is responding quid pro quo & will not stiff him before the Yanks hand over power to the local swine & the swineherd is famished for more bacon.
So Iam ready for pork sausages on 02-jan-2005

#141 Kat

Not only alike, but simultaneously!

OT: Iraqi Shia don't get what they want. Start to seethe.

[Link: news.bbc.co.uk...]

OT:Bomber art attack furore spreads

[Link: news.bbc.co.uk...]

hmmm....

OT:Saudi Court Finds In Favor of an Author Sued for 'Secularism'

[Link: www.memri.org...]

*falls out of chair* I can't be reading this right. someone pinch me.

Oops - Please read the "greatest strategic threat to Israel" as the "Wild Boar" & " was dealt with as " made a living Hamburger".

Kragar-

You know how on the Price is Right sometimes somebody will bid a dollar higher than somebody because they are convinced they are too low, or will bid a dollar because they are convinced the other person is over?

Here goes, if Israel was going to off Yassin as a result of the checkpoint bombing it would have happened by now. They were just trying to scare him into acting straight. Target Practice is 4-11-04, I'm going a month higher, 5-11-04. (After, unfortunately, a particularly grisly bombing with civilian casualties).

Missed Westward Ho's comment, I'd bet my money on him now.

OT I found this at Andrew Sullivan's site - French-backed insurgency in Iraq?

What the hell is this?

#155 Ed Moran abu This Space for Rent

Thanks Ed,
Many posters thought that me is a c*nt because of the ho in my moniker which was purely chosen to express my solidarity with the west - I got it from a line in a poem which said that " Westward Ho the light is brighter"

Will the Sixth Republic be the Caliphilate of France?

Oh the perverse joy of seeing Muslim civil war in Western Europe....

Moderately OT, but is Barbie in trouble?

www.detnews.com...]>

Between increasing political activity, more incessant whining about discrimination, and now this--a broad side assualt against one of our country's most beloved childhood institutions (designed by a Jewish woman no less!)--could the United States be seeing the first wave of the pan-Muslim assault? Scary times indeed.

OT: Shirin Ebadi Says Khatami Should Resign
OT: Arundhati Roy at WSF: `Western Powers Using Corrupted Version of Feminism'
OT: Ramsey Clark at WSF: "Shock and awe is nothing but hi-tech terrorism"

Not sure, but my link to the referenced story was not included, here it is:

[Link: www.detnews.com...]

www.detnews.com...] target="_blank">

Also moderately OT, but also showing just how depraved Chirac is in his disdain for the USA, here is an interesting editorial in the NYT's (a paper held with great disdain by many here ;). Admittedly, I must agree with the point being made:

[Link: www.nytimes.com...]

Eww....Do I really want to register at the NYT...

OT: A Sign of the Apocalypse. Clinton does something right

[Link: nypost.com...]

Tree frog: Some damn fine posts, very illuminating and well thought out. I think some of those disagreeing with you might have to admit they're expecting the French to actually agree with and abide by their own PC rhetoric at all times. They forget PC and other such movements were mainly targeted at the US, though nurturing them in Europe has created some inevitable spillover at home when the activists realized the similarities between the cultures, and lip service to the talking-points has to be observed.

Yeah, the French lose in wars, but that's usually when fighting against Western armies, or abiding by pristine Western concepts of chivalry. A lot of us picture them refusing to look at Muslims as the enemy, and thus eventually being overwhelmed by a gang of 30 thugs they will not confront. I think you're right in that they'll snap on like a light switch, and every Muslim/Arab/Magribi will be deemed a mortal enemy, no matter how innocent he or she may be. And that's a war "the French" will win hands down.

Interesting that you point to an African spillover. Looks like France to this day is using Africa as a blow-up doll to sate their vanity and lust for colonial power (Italy/Abysinnia). Let's not forget who's been rummaging around the Ivory Coast, the Congo, and regards Mugabe as a statesman. During hostilities, it isn't too hard to imagine some slight or threat being perceived from Africa, and their invading and staying.

I guess then the big question would be how the rest of the West would react. Would they clean house with methods that would look tame by comparison? Or would bleeding hearts turn on France rhetorically, even physically? And heaven forbid, would nations like America open her doors to taking in the problem that France finally got around to evicting? For our sakes, I hope it's a "back to the Ummah" strategy, with containment and zero-tolerance for WMDs until a real reformation comes about.

#121 Marianne: I look forward to checking that out, first because VDH is pretty darn wonderful, and second because the WSJ is too damn arrogant (even for me!) on their open-borders stance. They hit the pro-business upside and try to sweep away those that disagree by ignoring their better arguments. Of course to their credit, they post reader comments that run 90% against their view, and are good about letting those that disagree with them post op-eds on their pages as well.

Yassin death watch: Dies without any Israeli assistance whatsoever. The real poll is how many Jews will be murdered under his leadership without Israel stopping him.

Well. A car bomb to protest headgear bans. This will mean all of the leftist protestors, who applauded 9-11 (and Khobar and Cole and Bali and Jerusalm and Tel Aviv and Haifa and and and) as justifiable revenge, will now see that the formerly rational, understandable violence of Islamic heroes like bin Laden has crossed over the line into extremism.

They'll see that they've been marching with the wrong guys. They'll reconsider their support of jihad murderers, stop calling Israeli martyrs Zionazis, and will send money to ADL and Magen David instead of Hamas and CAIR. They'll join with their democratic Jewish former foes in unity to oppose evil in all its forms, rejecting the paradigm that enforced equality is more important than liberty. They wil vote for Pres Bush and eschew the silly overwrought machinations of Dean and Clark.

France will abandon its fruitless attacks on its long-time defender and erstwhile allly, the US, and will unconditionally support us in our efforts in Iraq, repudiating all pretense and perfidy, giving restitution for violation of sanctions and for lying at the UNSEC to embarass us.

Oh, and indymedia will apologize to Charles and discredit Rachel Corrie.

/bitter sarcasm

145 Burning Feet Man, your sort of right.

1. they wont want a seperate state they wll want it all.

2. 10 years? looks like its allready started.

OT: Crunch time in Iran. place yer bets

[Link: www.theage.com.au...]

P.S. Yes, I'm one of those that sometimes sees France as rolling over and handing the keys to the country to the jihadis. Maybe holding their coats while they torch the Louvre. Didn't want that last post to sound like I haven't said otherwise. But there's a clarity to tree frog's view that I sometimes feel is more likely.
/having it both ways

#162 Jewels

Its painless, trust me. They don't email you and it gives you access to what the enemy is bantering on about.

Remember Jewels:

You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.

Eric Hoffer (1902-1983)

#163 Jewels -

That's amazing. Hooray for Clinton!!! (Am *I* actually saying that?)

Although I would disagree with Ralph Peters' statement that Carter was better as an ex-President than as President.

Ah yes indeedy, our fiends the French

#156 grayp

scaramouche and kat tagged it a little earlier and its got some very interesting search results. it looks like some alliance made in hell, now expelling the old paddy-wagon but distinctly putrescent odor of islam.

I think its almost sort of not fair to rag on France for folding when in reality, Israel folded, and the US has no plan to discontinue catering to house of saud or keeping islamic migration under control. Had "the world" done something to disallow the islamic bullshit to fester in Israel, there probably wouldn't be the situation we see today. But, allowing and abetting islam to destroy Israel was like thinking you can throw gasoline on a fire to get rid of a neighobor and think the rest of the neighborhood wouldn't be affected. Look at what Israel is facing and that's what all of the rest of us are facing. Before making fun of France, look at our own backyard.

Wow, I'm saddened. It couldn't happen to a more loyal ally! Frenchie got bit in the arse by the fleas they were being all nice to.

Frenchie: DOWN with the U.S. It's their fault! Oh, wait, OW! what's that? something's biting me in my . . . .

Mulsim flea: I'll use you up like the tool that you are, Jacqster!

Frenchie: Ok, how can I please you again? What shall I do? Put down americans again?

Muslim flea: Sure, whatever. Now turn around and let me use you like the tool you are, Jacqster! Hey, you ever hear of a bath with lots of soap?

Frenchie: Ok, was that fast enough?

Sorry, Franchie Frye, and don't call us crying again. You're a loser. get lost!

model 4, Brian,
Tree Frog's post just like Reagnites posts, unlike what Bigel thinks,or whoever thinks that the mother of Western CIVILIZATION will go down without A Fight - she will not - her old murderous instincts are being provoked - Iam convinced that when push comes to shove Europe will start another genocide - & it will happen - I love the Grandma for her culture .. she will shove the bottle up yo ass if she is threatened & she is - so watch out RoP or Heil Mo's [bigoted word]s

Kragar (whenever you get back)

you're all too optimistic. unfortunately, after years of mostly empty threats, I don't think Israel is going to follow through, especially now that Yassin surrounds himself with more kids than Michael Jackson. Put me down for 4/24/08 of natural causes (Jooooos get blamed anyway)

Apologies if this has been linked to before.. it is Nelson Ascher of EuroPundits Jan 17th essay.

The Final Battle

Today, thanks to Bush's decisiveness, the main theatre of operations, the wider Middle East, is being secured while the American homeland is being increasingly put off limits. The place where terrorists can now live unmolested, raise funds, organize , prepare for the next strikes or where they can hide when they're about to be caught, is Europe, the UK included.

After the Islamists blow up the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre Dame, expect a joint military operation to liberate France, led by the successor to Pope John Paul II. Whomever he is, he'll see himself as the defender of Catholic and Western civilization, and will cut a deal with the Eastern Orthodox Church to urge a joint German-Russian-Polish-Spanish attack to liberate France from the infidels. The French will BEG the Germans to invade.

#172

I think you are exactly right.

And add, who would of ever thought they'd live to see one of the religions devolve into abject nihilism. This is something that always seems over the next hill. But it's here in all its 'gory'.

Treefrog, excellent posts. Your remarks on the French were right on target. You have a keen awareness of "La France Profond".

Slightly OT, but speaking of "Quagmire"...

The US just lost its 500th GI in Iraq.

Compare that to China, which lost 50,000 troops in its unsucessful invasion of Vietnam in 1979, in SIX WEEKS, IIRC. (Yes, that is the same amount of troops we lost in the entire 20 years the US was in Vietnam.)

So Iraq is 1/700 as deadly for the US as Vietnam was for China, in terms of deaths in a given time period.

And the US lost twice the amount we've lost in Iraq just in a single day in Omaha Beach. Or the same as we lost during the days of the "Island hopping" campaign in the Pacific theater, every single day.

Kragar (Proud to be Kafir):

If you come back here, please put me down for 2/1/04. Use the Superbowl as news cover and no one will even know he's dead (or care, for that matter).

#86 TreeFrog

Interesting piece you put up there, and the following ones. It is not only in France the radical muslim problem exists. So far I still think that if threatened, the people will strike back and throw out or kill the radicals who have accumulated the last decade.

And then one can always speculate what will happen to the moderates/secularized muslims. Intern them like the American-Japanese during WWII for everybody's safety? (The movie "The Siege" comes to mind). Will they side with the radicals because they feel threatened by the non-muslims. Not to talk about the (few I think) non-muslims that will stand by muslims whatever what.... One can just wait and see.

#104 Egfrow
France folded so fast because the Germans had superior military. As I understand it it was the Germans who kinda invented the Blitzkrieg and did the unsuspected. From history we know that most new warfaring tactics have a habit to overwhelm the opposition. Dunqerque is still a day to remember, both as how it could happen the allies got in the position, as well as the fantastic effort, by most everybody with a boat and could help, to fetch the soldiers to UK.