Perhaps Mr. Larrington might find this Brit's outrage with the French and the "old Europeans" at
least of some interest.
Subject: FRENCH DISSING IN THE U.S.A, Mar 17 2003 By Tony Parsons
http://www.mirror.co.uk/columnists/tonyparsons/
I HOPE that the continent of Europe never again needs help from the United States of America. I
hope that there's never some murderous little tyrant - another ******, another Milosevic - that
Europe needs help in taming. I hope that there's never some economic catastrophe that requires
American dollars to make it right, as they did at the end of the Second World War. I hope that the
euro experiment works. I hope that all those peace-loving souls in Belgium, Germany and France can
somehow muster an army to protect themselves. I hope that the continent I live on never again
needs to go cap in hand to the Americans. Because if that black day ever comes, I have the feeling
that America might just tell Europe where to go. On the eve of war, there is a tangible anger in
America. But surprisingly little of it is directed against the Iraqis. It is the French who are
detested. "This is all about oil," the Brits hear all the time. And Americans think it is "all
about oil" too. The $50 billion worth of oil contracts that France has with Iraq. In American
eyes, that is why the French are so keen to avoid war. Anti-French feeling in the United Kingdom
is never more than a passing fancy, a jokey bit of "hop-off-you-Frogs" banter. Not in America. The
cafeteria in the House of Representatives no longer serves French fries - chips to you and me. Now
they sell something called "freedom fries". That sounds nuts - and of course it is. But when a
furious Congresswoman presents a "bring home our dead" bill demanding that the 75,000 American men
and boys who died in France during two world wars be dug up and brought home, you realise that
this is more than "hop-off-you-Frogs" banter. Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite says, "The remains
of our brave servicemen should be buried in patriotic soil, not in a country that has turned its
back on the US and on the memory of Americans who fought and died there." That's the difference
between the British and the Americans. We do not feel that the British casualties in two world
wars died to liberate the French. We believe that we were fighting for our nation's survival. Just
like the Russians. It is different for Americans. Throughout the 20th century, through two world
wars and one Cold War, America gave all the blood and money Europe needed to keep it free. They
feel that the current crisis has proved that Europeans are, when all is said and done, an
ungrateful bunch of Euro bastards who do not give a flying baguette about the 75,000 American
graves in Europe. Anti-European feeling goes right across the board of public opinion, even among
the millions of Americans who are passionately against attacking Iraq. America is united in
feeling betrayed by Europe. America is finally starting to understand that - to Europe's eternal
shame - there is an opinion that 9/11 was America's comeuppance. Secretaries and waiters leaping
from the top of the burning twin towers? The fault of American arrogance. A terrified
four-year-old girl cowering at the back of a hijacked plane? Blame it on America's support for
Israel. A stewardess with her throat slit by a carpet cutter? One in the eye for American
imperialism.
Those 3,000 dead, murdered on live television? Europe blames America.
When 9/11 happened, you might have expected to see Palestinians dancing in the street.
But who would have expected the grim look of satisfaction on the faces of old Europe?
But the British are absolved of Europe's sins. Those who are against the war admire Britain
because we had a peace march where one million people filled the streets.
Those for the war admire Britain because Tony Blair has been a true friend to America. And
although the man on the M25 might make jibes about Blair being a "poodle", among American hawks
our Prime Minister is seen as dangerously strong-willed.
THERE is a school of opinion in America that believes the war could have been over by last
Christmas if Tony Blair had not been so keen on proceeding through the correct diplomatic
channels. Nobody calls Tony Blair a poodle in the USA.
It has been good to be British in America these past few weeks. For America has been reminded
that Britain is the best friend it has in the world, joined by blood, language, history, instinct
and culture.
When will the British wake up from their pathetic little dreams of being Europeans and realise
that we have been looking for our future in all the wrong places?
Who wants to be European today? Who wants to be an ungrateful, unprincipled, two-faced, pacifist,
Euro-grasping, oil-hungry Lilliputian?
No matter what happens over the coming days and weeks, it is true what they say.
The English Channel is far wider than the Atlantic.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." --Edmund
Burke (1729-97)
"Lord, We pray for peace but understand it is worth fighting for.
Protect our troops as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for their selfless acts. Amen/
--
Gator Bob Siegel EasyRacers Ti Rush
