Bush's Eurotrip 2

DealMonkey

Lifer
Nov 25, 2001
13,136
1
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Any hope that Dubya can pretend to be a statesman for at least three days? Any hope at all?

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Bush back to face his European critics
(Filed: 04/06/2004)

The brevity of President George W Bush's latest European jaunt, which was due to begin early today, should save him from the jet-lag that discombobulated him the last time he came to Paris.

In 2002, at the end of a long swing through Europe, he arrived at the Elysee palace visibly tired, called President Jacques Chirac "Jack", and mocked a member of the White House press corps who attempted the courtesy of asking their host a question in French. The performance left the French stunned by Mr Bush's resemblance to his Texan cowboy caricature.

His goal now - in three days - is to overcome differences on a new United Nations resolution endorsing Iraq's caretaker cabinet while marking the 60th anniversary of D-Day.

He is due to meet the Pope today, and to dine with Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian premier, before going to Paris. There, he will have dinner with M Chirac tomorrow before Sunday's D-Day ceremonies in Normandy, and then back to Washington.

Rome's carabinieri are braced for a huge anti-war protest. But no police will be there to guard the American leader when he meets the Pope who, according to a Vatican aide, has "one or two things to say to him" about war and peace. Mr Bush is, none the less, to award the Pope the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian award, for his long years of service.

France's anti-war lobby is divided over protesting about Iraq during the D-Day anniversary. A rally has been called for tomorrow evening at the Bastille, but the organisers are not expecting a mass turnout.

The opposition Socialists have called on people not to protest out of respect for the D-Day tribute. Pierre Moscovici, the party's foreign affairs spokesman, said Mr Bush's visit should not be used as an excuse for "anti-Americanism". He said: "We have shared values and a long friendship with the United States. We should absolutely not think that Bush and America are one and the same."

However, the Communist League said Mr Bush should not have been invited to the D-Day ceremonies.

Franco-US relations are still overshadowed by the bitter disagreement over the Iraq invasion. Few in the Paris administration can conceal their hope that the Francophile John Kerry brings the Bush presidency to an end.

No one has forgotten Mr Bush's national security adviser Condoleezza Rice's terse summary of America's policy to the European opponents of the Iraq war: "Forgive Russia, ignore Germany, punish France." And the dismissal of the French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" - by Willie, a character on the Simpsons cartoon show - has also left its wounds.

All the same, a PR effort is being put into Mr Bush's visit. In a French television interview, Laura Bush said of her husband's relationship with M Chirac: "I am sure Jacques Chirac appreciates people like him who say what they think."

Mr Bush, asked by Paris Match if he would be inviting M Chirac to his Texas ranch - an invitation given only to America's closest allies - he said: "If he wants to come and look at cows, he is welcome to come and look at cows." Hardly an invitation to get M Chirac packing his camera, but better than the silence that persisted between the two men for several months last year.

At a press conference this week, M Chirac said he had "never been angry" with America, despite the divergence of views.

However, there is some unease that Mr Bush might use his D-Day speech to make comparisons between 1944 and Iraq. Yesterday, the defence minister, Michele Alliot-Marie, said: "Parallels are always difficult, even dangerous, when we are in extremely different circumstances."

telegraph.co.uk
 

Gaard

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2002
8,911
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Mr Bush is, none the less, to award the Pope the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian award, for his long years of service.
We give that to non-citizens? ;)


I wonder if Bush will be getting any Freedom Fries with his dinner in Paris?
 

Kappo

Platinum Member
Aug 18, 2000
2,381
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0
Would bringing them a white flag and requesting that they use this as the national flag be considered "mocking"? :D

How about "thanking" them for showing us that pussification of a nation is definatly a bad thing? ;)
 

maddogchen

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2004
8,903
2
76
And the dismissal of the French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" - by Willie, a character on the Simpsons cartoon show - has also left its wounds.

LOL

I seriously hope that they're not really mad about that. It would be sad if they got upset at a made up Simpsons character generalizing Scottish feelings about the French.
 

nutxo

Diamond Member
May 20, 2001
6,800
469
126
Originally posted by: Gaard
Mr Bush is, none the less, to award the Pope the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian award, for his long years of service.
We give that to non-citizens? ;)


I wonder if Bush will be getting any Freedom Fries with his dinner in Paris?

We shower illegals with medical care, civil rights, education and welfare, why not give foreigners medals! You a xenophobe or something ?

;)
 

JellyBaby

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
9,159
1
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Do you think he would make additional strides if he also picked some parasites off Chirac's backside?
 

maddogchen

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2004
8,903
2
76
Rome's carabinieri are braced for a huge anti-war protest. But no police will be there to guard the American leader when he meets the Pope who, according to a Vatican aide, has "one or two things to say to him" about war and peace. Mr Bush is, none the less, to award the Pope the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian award, for his long years of service.

No police huh? I hope a Secret Service agent chokes the Pope to death with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Boy I'm in a foul mood today.:evil:
 

AcidicFury

Golden Member
May 7, 2004
1,508
0
0
Originally posted by: maddogchen
Rome's carabinieri are braced for a huge anti-war protest. But no police will be there to guard the American leader when he meets the Pope who, according to a Vatican aide, has "one or two things to say to him" about war and peace. Mr Bush is, none the less, to award the Pope the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian award, for his long years of service.

No police huh? I hope a Secret Service agent chokes the Pope to death with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Boy I'm in a foul mood today.:evil:

And then the Swiss guards will pwn the SS agents. They're some of the most highly trained soldiers in the world behind the Navy Seals.
 

Infohawk

Lifer
Jan 12, 2002
17,844
1
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I just hope he doesn't evoke Iraq or the war on terror when he does the WW2 stuff. Like the WW2 memorial, it shouldn't be sullied by his orwellian wars.
 

PELarson

Platinum Member
Mar 27, 2001
2,289
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Originally posted by: Gaard
Mr Bush is, none the less, to award the Pope the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian award, for his long years of service.
We give that to non-citizens? ;)


I wonder if Bush will be getting any Freedom Fries with his dinner in Paris?

Probably not but I wouldn't be suprised if they had Ketchup by you know which company on the tables!
 

Infohawk

Lifer
Jan 12, 2002
17,844
1
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Originally posted by: Genesys


i was thinking the same thing! :laugh:

For a long time only technically savy people could use usenet. To use usenet you had to be able to connect to the internet by yourself (this is when it was hard) and you had to know how to set up a news client and configure it to connect to a news server, etc. Alternatively, you were at a university and were fairly educated. There was a developed code of etiquette on usenet that meant conversations were generally intelligent and suscinct. Life was good for the usenet users.

Then, aol decided to give its users easy access to usenet. In one day, the etiquette went out the window. Conversations were no longer as intelligent and suscinct. The most popular complaint was that of, "me too" which aolers would post when they agreed with something. You see, before aol nobody ever posted just to say me too. Why? It's completely useless. It doesn't help anybody to simply say "me too." It wastes time and forces people to view a basically empty post. To this day, usenet oldtimers still joke sadly about "me too" posts.
 

Mardeth

Platinum Member
Jul 24, 2002
2,608
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Well, this thread definately strengthens my view that americans generally are childish and immature.
 

maddogchen

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2004
8,903
2
76
Originally posted by: Mardeth
Well, this thread definately strengthens my view that americans generally are childish and unmature.

You should head over and see OffTopic :D That will really cement your views.

By the way, immature not unmature.
 

Mardeth

Platinum Member
Jul 24, 2002
2,608
0
0
Originally posted by: maddogchen
Originally posted by: Mardeth
Well, this thread definately strengthens my view that americans generally are childish and immature.

You should head over and see OffTopic :D That will really cement your views.

By the way, immature not unmature.

Yeah and my english sukcs :), I thought it sounded unnatural.
 

JellyBaby

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
9,159
1
81
Originally posted by: Mardeth
Well, this thread definately strengthens my view that americans generally are childish and immature.
As an American I hope to remain childish while gaining maturity in much the same way a Monarch butterfly evolves from slug to flyer. Perhaps even someday I'll make a long airborne migration to parts unknown, too. The tricky part is getting out of the slug phase..
 
Aug 14, 2001
11,061
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Originally posted by: Mardeth
Well, this thread definately strengthens my view that americans generally are childish and immature.

Yes, because Europeans are so much more mature. :roll:
 
Feb 10, 2000
30,029
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No one has forgotten Mr Bush's national security adviser Condoleezza Rice's terse summary of America's policy to the European opponents of the Iraq war: "Forgive Russia, ignore Germany, punish France."

Did she really say this?