Posted: 10/8/2004 11:30:41 AM EDT
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http://www.drudgereport.com/flash5.htm French President Jacques Chirac warned Thursday of a "catastrophe" for global diversity if the United States' cultural hegemony goes unchallenged. Speaking at a French cultural center in Hanoi ahead of Friday's opening of a summit of European and Asian leaders, Chirac said France was right to stand up for cultural and linguistic diversity. The outspoken French president warned that the world's different cultures could be "choked" by US values. This, he said, would lead to a "general world sub-culture" based around the English language, which would be "a real ecological catastrophe". Citing Hollywood's stranglehold over the film industry as an example, Chirac stressed that only with government assistance could countries maintain their cultural heritage. Vietnam is a former French colony, but only around 375,000 of its 81 million people speak French. English is considered by most people a far more valuable and practical second language, particularly among businessmen. What american culture is he worried about? The non bribed kind? Bobwrench |
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It's not our damn fault that everyone tries to imitate us. It's not our fault that everyone wants to come here. It's not our fault if learning English instead of French is just more useful in this world. Sounds like Chirac just wants to get uppity. FVCK the French. |
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Yeah, I saw that today too. Don't get me started on the French. Who the heck CARES what they think? I say, thank GOD for whatever moral/cultural/economic values that the US has LEFT. I'm sick of foreign countries lambasting the US because we stand up and do what's RIGHT. To heck with globalism. The USA needs to do what's best for the USA. It's not our fault that so many of the European countries gave in to socialist ideals ... They crapped in their OWN nests. I pray that the USA continues to look out for #1 ... I am confident we will as long as conservatives are in the White House. I'll tell you another thing ... I've got no use for the UN. Kerry has stated in the past (according to various news sources including The DrudgeReport) that he'd like to see the UN play a larger role in US matters. Yeah, that's great ... Three words, Mr. Kerry: "Oil for food" ... |
The French are just sulking because the have become a total irrelivence in the World… Airline Pilots have to speak one of two approved 'International' Languages… English and French… guess how many choose French… They also hate all things "english' because they have spent the last 1000 years being beaten by people who speak English, then spent the last 85 being whipped by German speakers. Only the French could be on both sides in WWII AND get attacked by BOTH sides in WWII… the Germans in 1939 and the British in 1940 when we sunk their fleet to stop it falling into German hands… Fuck the French and the Horse they rode into town on…  Andy |
yeah right… whatever… EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT… US WAR OF INDEPENDENCE WON BY THE FRENCH! |
+1 They're just whining about how irrelevant they've become on various levels. |
| Any businessman who has ever dealt with a French owned company knows the French are some of the most arrogant (for no apparent reason) assholes on earth. I cringed when I saw Jim Micali, CEO of Michelin, (but not one of the big three) on TV today. It figures he is an attorney. A real SOB. Too bad Hitler didn't get to finish doing the world a favor. |
Who are they? Nobody! I wish Pres. Bush would find a way to bomb them!
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I kind of agree with part of what he said... if countries what to maintain their own cultural identity, they must take steps to preserve it. These steps may be harmful to well being of that society and cause them to fall behind other societies in the world. France is a great example of this... they have their history & their pride, but are growing more irrelevent every day. That said, many countries around the world clearly prefer to embrace what is offered here as opposed to their own heritage, suggesting that to them, their "culture" is not that unique and may not be worth saving. This also begs questions about culture in the US: What do we do to maintain our culture? Do we have a "culture" that is identifiable or do we allow it to morph over time in response to changes in technology/immigration/external affairs? (I think the latter.) |
serious question: why is FRENCH an approved language instead of Spanish? Who the hell speaks french besides the french and the HAITIANS? 
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The support of the french was vital to the success of the Americans in the war and they kicked some british booty. |
It's the official language in a number of the worlds worst african shitholes… Mali, Niger, Cameroons… and don't forget Quebec.  Andy |
