frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

Well, take all this back to "I don't like Le Pen." He's written some things that can be taken very badly, if you read them as an attack on a race. But, if adherents of a religion of hate are statistically from one race, isn't it cheating to critique him for racism when he's really speaking of the distasteful characteristics brought on by the religion?

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

I suppose so, but I think you are mis-assessing my criteria for what would make a French leader I would like. At a starting point, it would be one who would lead the country such that it was a worthwhile ally of the US. To my assessment, Le Pen probably fails on that point alone so I am not sure I need to parse whether or not he is a racist as opposed to a run of the mill anti-religionite. Also, i doubt his hygiene is very developed, which is just another one of those odious traits of the Frenchies.

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

they're not gonna elect an American.

I could care less if said leader was anti-religious or not. I would settle for honourable. An honourable leader of France, even were he completely opposed to our foreign policy, would be wonderful. We would know where he stood, we could use logic to persuade him, and he would likely support us in our basic premises anyway.

(Obviously, "he" is short for "he or she." Still love Margaret)

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

I think the bottom line is this:

the french suck. And they smell badly. Can we agree on these two self-evident truths and move on?

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

You are not far off. Although 73 failed (parental notification for teen abortions) which was the only bright spot. I just can't believe the redistricting initiative failed. You know that since Delay, Waxman and Pelosi were against it, it had to be good.

Unions suck. 40 million spent to keep Gerrymandering, bad teachers and bloated budgets.

Go figure. I now have a new mission in life. Destroying unions.

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

All I know is Le Pen has threatened to scupper the new WTO deal solely over the European CAP. The man is a pig.

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

yes

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

I don't have a problem with this on general principle. The idiotic freedom fries thing was very conflicting for liberal fracophobes.

My poor father, who has been railing against the French for 47 years, even went so far as to step foot into Paris (which is admittedly not a bad place to step foot) in an attempt to reassess his opinion on the French (and their wine and their women and their food and their art). He did say that the taxi cab driver was marginally nicer than the last time he'd been to the City of Lights. But the smell had certainly not improved.

The food was reportedly good. As were the wine and the women and the art.

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

No. They more lick than suck, and the younger set have discovered deodorant and regular showering.

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

While you're shopping for one for France, see if they have an extra we could buy cheap...

I agree the French are chickenshit fair weather friends with no honour.

But Honour is not merely appearing to be honorable. Its not merely saying you're for God, Mom and Apple Pie and get misty when you hear the Star Spangled Banner. Its not just crafting a public image of being resolute, decisive and less movable than a face on Rushmore. Its not Karl Rove spinning you as The Everyman who gets behind Jesus Lovin Folks.

Honor is not lying. Honor is telling the country the reality of your policies, instead of naming them with monikers which imply they help people they acctually hurt. Honor is having the balls to stand up and say "I stand for rolling back some of the New Deal and making people more accountable for themselves instead of relying on govt to save them" and letting people vote on that simple principle - and losing if the populous doesn't agree. Honor is being transparant about your agenda.

Bush is not honorable. He just plays at that on television. At least Chirac is a smarmy liar to your face.

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

3!

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

Exactly, but most if not all of those items can be obtained in general commerce, with a hygiene upgrade. It's the beauty of the market.

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

disagree. The whole "Bush lied" bullshit is what's not honorable. Want to re-hash the entire conversation? Go read Podhoretz this week. I don't have the energy to fight the "if we say it enough times, people will believe it" bullshit.

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

this is not your best work. and you know I say that as someone who loves you. Platonically.



Cite please?

frere Jaques, frere Jaques, dormez-vous?
 

I will bet you Bush's hygiene is fairly highly developed. Spanky?