Will You Follow the Boycott of French Products?

Post-9/11 Era Forum

This war has changed people: Some people seem to have this crazy idea of boycotting French wine, changing the names of items beginning with the name French (French fries becomes Freedom Fries), fashion designs, etc. etc.

Are you doing/going to do this as well?
Jump aboard the Band Wagon?
Why would you do this?

hmmmmmm although freedom kissing has possibilities.

Why would you perform the boycott?

The French have their own internal problems brought on by their actions.
Had they actually helped the coalition, maybe the Iraq would still honor the 60 billion dollar oil agreement they had. The new Iraqi Oil minister said, “Absolutely not!” The French supported Saddam for 30 years and looked the other way to all of the atrocities.
A boycott is frivolous although as a free people, it’s up to you.
Frankly I could care less about the French or Canada. They’re both a bunch of fence riders.
I drink American wine anyway.

Italian Wine !!

Doesn't bother me, Aussie wine sales to the US have skyrocketed since the Iraq situation came around. I think we're the no 1 producer of quality wine in the world now.

Keep ditching the French wine for the Aussie plonk!

Fred Hooper

I am going to France next April and I will be spending lots of money on wine (I've already got friends asking me to bring some back for them) and culinary tools (I am working towards my bachelor's in Pastry Arts). I can't wait to visit the vineyards in the Loire Valley and check out the culinary shops in Paris!

Meanwhile I was taking a wine class last semester that focused primarily on France and I am taking another one this summer in which we sample the best wines from all over the world. My school could be financing an entire winery, they buy so much wine from France. We have wine tastings in every wine class - usually 5 wines at a time. The best ones really do seem to come from France and Italy. Every week I taste something I like and then I try to find it at the little Wine Shop around the corner. I have quite a little stockade of French wine as I don't drink it that often.

My friends just cancelled their trip to France and they have decided to go to Scotland instead. They chose not to give the French their money!.....What can I say? Cest La Vie!

The US didn't put Saddam in power for starters. They supported the regime in a proxy manner for a few years at a much later date in the 80's.

80% of Iraqs weapons were bought off the French, Germans & Russians. A big dose also came from the Chinese and can you remember the US ever using MIG fighter planes, AK47's and T grade tanks? The US stopped selling anything to Iraq in the 1980's and trade came to a complete halt before Gulf War 1 which continued till today. Guess who kept selling weapons, had billion dollar contracts amongst other things past the first Gulf War until recently? Take a real hard guess on that one.

Who actually righted their long past wrongs recently and repaid a debt to the Iraqi people? Who actually decided to do something instead of protecting their self interests and continually supporting a monster past the first Gulf War?

Fred Hooper

Is that why the French went into the Ivory Coast and cut a deal with the current government against the wishes of the nations people? We all know da French love their little bars of Choclate and the Ivory Coast is the major cocoa producer in the world.

Hit 'em where it hurts the French most. The old purse strings.

Fred Hooper

I guess the French would be respected for their views if they actually didn't do all this crap behind the scenes, attempted to scuttle their allies plans for more euros whilst also pretending to play the moral police on the UN security council the whole time.

Kick em off the permanent council and let the Germans take their place at least.

Fred Hooper

No more arguments I can't think of any way of getting thru to right wing fascists so.... how about an old Barry McGuire protest song?


The eastern world, it is explodin’.
Violence flarin’, bullets loadin’
You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’
You don’t believe in war, but what’s that gun you’re totin’
And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin’

But you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
of destruction.

Don’t you understand what I’m tryin’ to say
Can’t you feel the fears I’m feelin’ today?
If the button is pushed, there’s no runnin’ away
There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave
Take a look around you boy
It’s bound to scare you boy

And you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
of destruction.

Yeah, my blood’s so mad feels like coagulatin’
I’m sitting here just contemplatin’
You can’t twist the truth, it knows no regulation.
Handful of senators don’t pass legislation
And marches alone can’t bring integration
When human respect is disintegratin’
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin’

And you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
of destruction.

Think of all the hate there is in Red China
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama
You may leave here for 4 days in space
But when you return, it’s the same old place
The poundin’ of the drum, the pride and disgrace
You can bury your dead, but don’t leave a trace
Hate your next-door neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace
And… tell me over and over and over and over again, my friend
You don’t believe
We’re on the eve
Of destruction
Mm, no no, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
of destruction.

http://www.newsbatch.com/iraq.htm

1st, thanks for ur extended answer, it's the 1st built one I got since very long time (excepting the ones from DreamZ).

actually, Baath became a tool of Terror under the arm of Saddam. At 1st, it was really democratic, I guess..

quote:

That Saddam Hussein, via his own planned quest for power, eventually hijacked the Presidency for Iraq does not equate to Joywiggle's statement that the "USA put Saddam Hussein in power". As far as your statement that the "CIA did help Saddam to rise to power"... at best I would say "the CIA's support of the Baath Party in the 1960's indirectly helped Saddam Hussein"

in the early 1960's, maybe u're right, but in the end of 1960's (more exactly) it seems some help was more directly aimed to Saddam. But maybe in that time Saddam didn't start the support to his family clan.

quote:

Admittedly, though, even then I am skeptical because while the CIA did support the Baath Party coming to power back then, I have no reason to believe that given the absence of the CIA that the Baath Party wouldn't have eventually prevailed anyways. They were a fiercely determined and dedicated organization and Saddam Hussein was hell bent on rule... and would use any means necessary to achieve his goals.

that's an interesting point. I'd answer "maybe yes and maybe not" ...
It'd be worth to ask this point to a surviving member of Baath Party of 1960's.

quote:

The notion that "the USA put this big bad evil thug, Saddam Hussein, in charge of Iraq" is a load of bologna, to put it mildly.

it's an easy shortcut... But it's not 100% wrong.
Maybe the CIA didn't know what would be the consequence of its help, but then it means CIA played a bit too much with the fire.

quote:

As far as the article you linked to... It reads like a boring partisan bedtime story from an ingenuous author, Jonathan V. Marshall, whose sole intent is to mislead the naive. That, in and of itself, isn't surprising given that the Independent Institute is a Libertarian-oriented think tank.

it's "funny" (or depressive, depending of the mood) to see that right wing always says that left wing lies, and that "pro-wars" always say that "anti-wars" tell bullshits, and vice-versa...

Actually, I didn't get my info from this link. I had it for 2 medias in France, and I searched for it on Internet, to provide a link for the readers of this forum, coz I think it's more convenient for the debate : it helps to show that I don't imagine what I said... it doesn't mean what I said is the true, but at least, I hope it show I'm not completely in the moon .... and it provides information for the ones who didn't know about this point.
There another link :
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0420-05.htm
the words there are more moderate... But surely still not on the good side for u ...

BEING FREE ALLOWS YOU TO MAKE DECISIONS LIKE FRANCE, LETS SEE TURN HER BACK ON US, WELL PART OF FREEDOM IS THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE SO I CHOOSE TO BOYCOTT FRENCH CRAP. yOU SLAP US WELL JUST LOOKED TO ME IN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT FRANCE HAS BEEN SLAPPED BACK....AND I DO MEAN HARD.......SERVES THEM RIGHT..........GOT WHAT THEY GOT COMEING TO THEM FROM THERE OWN ACTIONS.........MAN THE POWER OF FREEDOM IS VERY STRONG ISNT IT FRANCE........GOD BLESS AMERICA AND HER ALLIES AND REMEBER YOUR FREEDOM DIDNT COME TO YOU WITHOUT A COST ALSO SO A SIMPLE THANKYOU WILL DO NEXT TIME YOU SEE A SOLDIER OR VET.

"Boycott German cars and French cheese? Try telling that to the workers at the Mercedes-Benz assembly line in Tuscaloosa County, Ala. Or those at the Dannon Yogurt plant in Munster, Ohio, the largest of its kind in the world -- owned by Paris-based Groupe Danone. They hold some of the estimated 4.9 million American jobs that exist as a result of European direct investment in the U.S." - Joe Rossant of BusinessWeek Online

in the same register :
Evian USA belongs at 51% to Coca Cola Inc. ...

USA is going to boycott itself (at 51% )

Joywiggle,

Earlier, in response to your accusation that "the USA put Saddam Hussein in Power", an accusation that you later revised to "the USA helped Saddam Hussein get in power", I had told you, in summary, that the best you can say is:

"Saddam Hussein's career benefited from the CIA's support of the Baath Party coup in the 1960's"

You then replied with this:

Joywiggle,

Originally you had said:

"Who do you think put Saddam in power in the first place and handed him weapons to keep Iran under control? Hint: It wasn't France. Another hint: 4 words, the first word starts with U and the fourth ends with A."

As far as "the USA putting Saddam in power" you later recanted saying "the USA helped put Saddam in power". I told you that is misleading and the best you can say is "Saddam Hussein's career benefited from the CIA's support of the Baath Party coup in the 1960's"

Your latest reply to that is:

TALK YOU GARBAGE ALL YOU WANT BUT THE BOYCOTT OF FRENCH PRODUCTS HAS ALL READY HURT THE ECONIMY OF FRANCE AND WILL GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER. NEXT TIME YOU WANNA SCREW SOMEONE FRANCE YA BETTER THINK TWICE. JUST A THANKYOU WILL DO

You sleep in the bed you make.

I like French bread - i will eat French bread - i like French fries - i eat French fries. A difference of opinions does not stop me from liking something with a name in it - or the place it is from.

no rowdyrjp but buying oil and selling restricted arms to iraq does. Helping iraqii officals escape dureing war does. Selling weapons to dellibertly counter us weapons does. You wanna make shady deals thats one thing. all countries do but to do it to hurt one of your allies is totally differnt. Think about it. Also giveing iraqiis info on us movement and defense capabilitities and putting our soldiers in danger deffently pisses me off and alot of other americans also. Some maybe not but the majority yes, your feeling the cramp now, you tell me.

I had French Fries with Lunch