My Dad's house in the east end was hit by a doodlebug in 41, although he was only 3 he can recall a blast of air and dust as he sat in the anderson shelter, all that they salvaged was one of my aunt's dolls. He was sent off to Rhyl (cruelty knows no bounds) whilst his parents remained in London and patched up wounded soldiers, I have my grandfathers pocket watch which was given to him by soldiers who he helped, it's got a nice inscription on the back.
Just out of interest, anyone know how many American bases there were on French soil post WW2? I know ours has lessened considerably since the repayment of Lend Lease was completed in/about 2005. Which reminds me did the French contribute to Lend/Lease??
Mines a pint of Spitfire ta
Is it worth pointing out that more French civilians were killed by the Allies bombing French towns than British civilians were killed by German bombing in the entire Second World War?
Oh, this is about a few silly comments some cyclist may or may not have made, so probably not.
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😉
johnners - MemberIs it worth pointing out that more French civilians were killed by the Allies bombing French towns than British civilians were killed by German bombing in the entire Second World War?
Yes dammit why not!
Any other takers?
[url= http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html ]French Military Victories[/url]
it's probably also worth pointing out that the person responsible for the most dead french people ever, was Napoleon.
Jesus christ TJ, its a JOKE 😀 smile more, dont take life too seriously you'll never get out alive.
does he know where they were hiding it??I have my grandfathers pocket watch
CaptainFlashheart - Membertankslapper - Member
Pastis anyone51, I hope? A Ricard at a push.
💡 I've got some Henri Bardouin in the larder. Glaçons?
oh and fwiw as a dual nationalitied-up frog, I reckon its all sour grapes. Thangewverymuch, I'm here all week.
FWIW - on France 2 television yesterday, where Laurent Jalabert is one of the commentator/experts, the presenter asked Jaja what he thought about Cav.....
Jaja thinks that Cav and his team are a great problem for the tour because they're too fast. He went on to comment about Cav's arrogance, saying that he's young, and that the tour needs young riders like him. Jaja think's he's great.
I think he's great. A fantastic sprinter for sure. Plus, first thing he does after he wins, he goes and thanks/hugs the team.
Please leave all the French bashing bollocks out will ya? It doesn't say much does it?
"My Dad's house in the east end was hit by a doodlebug in 41"
I'm sure your fathers house was bombed in 1941 during the blitz, but he'd have to wait until 44 for the doodlebug's.
CESM came from Grounds keeper Willy in the Simpsons.
I've alwasy found it to be quite offensive and wholly inaccurate.
Considering the way that just a few years before the Yanks started with all this they/Clinton went to great lenghts to stop anybody taking action in the Balkans. While Clinton minced about in the UN, the Brits at a local level descided to engauge Serbs who fired at them. The French, they took off the UN berets, repaint the camo over the UN white on their vehicles and attacked Serb units carrying out war crimes.
The Yanks did nothing until Kosovo kicked off.
I have my grandfathers pocket watch which was given to him by soldiers who he helped, it's got a nice inscription on the back.
Did you keep it up your ass?
(hopefully you get the joke)
I've alwasy found it to be quite offensive and wholly inaccurate.
Of course it is, thats because tongue in cheek insults always are, clearly the original piece is an intentional wind up on the part of the press and no doubt by other contributors. I have no doubt nobody on here believes the C E S M thing any more than the average CESM believes that yer average Brit is in fact Le Bouef Roti or is personnified by a few dozen football hooligans.
Anyway any update on American bases and Lend/Lease just out of interest ? 🙂
PJ266 - MemberJesus christ TJ, its a JOKE smile more, dont take life too seriously you'll never get out alive.
So its OK to make zenophobic and predujudicial jokes? I very much doubt any french person would find it funny.
Luckily, for those of us who can appreciate a joke, TJ is there to take offence at anything and everything on our behalf. Nice of you to shoulder the burden, old chap.
No worries CFH I would have thought you would have disliked this type of "joke" as well
PJ - know any good ones about black folk?
Fine fishing once more 🙂
I very much doubt any french person would find it funny.
You'd be surprised. You should hear what the French joke about the Brits. If you get upset by ignorant people then you're going to lead a sad life really aren't you...
(Speaking as a dual nationality Rosbif/Frog)
So its OK to make zenophobic and predujudicial jokes? I very much doubt any french person would find it funny.
Give it a rest, nations take the mick out of each other all the time. What about the aussies and brits? A couple of my French friends are constantly joking about the British and I laugh along. Have you ever considered giving a sense of humour a try?
Calm down TJ, almost Friday, you can lecture us all properly then.
I work with loads of Frenchies, are insufferably snooty but I like a lot of them. Really are the sophisticated smooth continentals of urban legend. Think a lot of the arrogance is really just Parisians, believe me everyone else in France HATES Parisians.
Speshpaul is very right on Bosnia. The French were dropping like ninepins at Sarajevo airport when we were sitting tight and the Yanks were throwing verbals from 3000 miles.
TJ : You don't get it do you? I'm not speaking for anyone else at all, but personally I am sick of self appointed thought police telling me what I can and can't say/do/think. You don't know me any more than I know you, so what gives you the right to make some moral judgement about me or my behaviour?
For the record I am a well travelled 50 year old businessman, politically I consider myself to be a social democrat and therefore disenfranchised by the political system in this country. I am also an enthusiastic European citizen and fully supportive of a federal europe. I love the differences between the nation states and would strongly defend their right to their own national identity. Conversely, I am extremely disrespectful of the little Englander/Scotlander/Irish/Cornish/Welsh mentality, which I think is utterly xenophobic and counter productive. I would willingly take up arms in the defence of the human rights of others. I don't read any newspapers whatsoever, and I do my best to see the bigger picture in respect of all things.
I like women, sausages, beer, bikes, banter, and making bad jokes.
I do not like racism, or racism being used as a cudgel in social situations to berate other people.
yeah yeah yeah, I get the joke 🙂
Speshpaul - I'll have to check with him but I'm sure he was 3 when the house was destroyed, born in 38, which makes it 41/42 and he definately said it was a V1, but as you say the germans didn't start using them till 44...... I'm seeing him on Sunday, I'll ask.
[i]......zenophobic and predujudicial jokes[/i]
What have the buddhists got to do with it ???
G - I'll answer that.
My post was 2 fold - one to try to make some folk think about the use of a stereotype of cowardly French in a joke which I believe to be unfunny.
The second point was it was simply trolling 🙂 very funny to see how many people getting so indignant defending their right to use pejorative sterotypes because "its only a joke"
I say once more - fine fishing today 🙂
Good. So you turned this thread into an enormous side-on unlubricated elephant-pleasuring for amusement. Well done. 🙄 🙂
" say once more - fine fishing today "
Makes a change from rifling through the patients' lockers I s'pose......
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My post was 2 fold - one to try to make some folk think about the use of a stereotype of cowardly French in a joke which I believe to be unfunny.The second point was it was simply trolling very funny to see how many people getting so indignant defending their right to use pejorative sterotypes because "its only a joke
I'm not totally sure what you do for a living, but I suspect its not neccessarily at the coal face of life so to speak, dealing with the rough and the ready on a personal and intimate basis. Basically your holier than thou politically correct attitude will do little good in most such situations, apart from pissing people off and getting up peoples backs. If you genuinely want to deal with underlying racism may I suggest that you reduce your "trolling" to a mere crescendo! You may get a better result, always assuming that is your objective.
[i]I'm not totally sure what you do for a living[/i]
TJ's a part time "wiper'n'swiper" with a sideline in warehouse burning...
I think it's important to distinguish between perceived racism (as seems to be the case here) and a course of conduct that actually places someone at a disadvantage in society. If a black kid called me a honky I might be momentarily offended. However, I have never been placed at a substantial disadvantage in UK society because of my ethnicity. Historically, racism usually involves entire systems of control and exclusion which are noticeably absent from Cav's interactions with the Peloton.
i'd like to know if our french cousins have different words for "pavement" and "dog toilet". i'm not sure that they do.
Historically, racism usually involves entire systems of control and exclusion which are noticeably absent from Cav's interactions with the Peloton.
Oh I don't know - he's singlehandedly excluding any of my compatriots from winning any sprint stages 🙂
I was waiting for someone to come up with that knee-slapper. 🙂
Glad to be of service 😉
Having dual nationality also I take no offense from any comments whatsoever even TJ's 😉
It's friendly rivalry not racism. Very much like the Six Nations etc (see houns' post above)
HMB
Is it bad if i say i do know some racist jokes TJ? and yes, i did laugh/gasp at them. Spectacular troll btw.
Spectacular troll btw
Where?!
Hakuna matata, bitches! 😆
G - Member.........................................
I'm not totally sure what you do for a living, but I suspect its not neccessarily at the coal face of life so to speak, dealing with the rough and the ready on a personal and intimate basis. Basically your holier than thou politically correct attitude will do little good in most such situations, apart from pissing people off and getting up peoples backs. If you genuinely want to deal with underlying racism may I suggest that you reduce your "trolling" to a mere crescendo! You may get a better result, always assuming that is your objective.
I will answer that - foolhardy tho it may be. Please note I did not cry "racism"
I work right at the front line. Bank work in healthcare and I have worked with groups from drug addicts and offenders in prisons to elderly mentally infirm.
I have travelled widely on every continent of the world. I have lived penniless on the street and I have been well off. I have seen more of life than the majority of people at a guess.
I do find it very amusing the vast over reaction to a couple of short posts pointing out that stereotyping all french as cowards could be seen as offensive given the suffering in the wars and the heroic actions of the Maquis. Thats all I did. Cue major frothing at the mouth from a few folk.
G - do you not think you over reacted slightly? I have posted this to try to show that I am not as you seem to see me. I like to get people to question their actions and words. there is [i]IMO[/i] a subtle undercurrent of xenophobia on this site. Sometimes I like to challenge it.
I think theres a subtle undercurrent of xenophobia everywhere nowadays. Its when people arent smart enough to realise that its merely taking the piss and are influenced by it is when it becomes a problem.
+1
+2
(But I think TJ is in for a sledging frankly)
I find racist and xenophobic jokes pretty funny.
I guess that makes me a xenophobe and a racist, even though I don't dislike any race or nationality*.
I'm over it, the world goes on. I have to laugh at summink, don't I?
*'cept the germans. They're always really rude to me and they don't wash their dishes.
G - do you not think you over reacted slightly? I have posted this to try to show that I am not as you seem to see me. I like to get people to question their actions and words. there is IMO a subtle undercurrent of xenophobia on this site. Sometimes I like to challenge it.
Ha! I knew you'd bite eventually, So thats trolling right back at yer TJ 😉
Actually I pretty much agree with what you say most of the time, but absolutely not the CESM thing. I do honestly believe that by constantly carping about these things you are missing the real point. There are national traits and people do conform to them. That though is not necessarily negative, nor is it so to enjoy some banter over it. Where things become a problem is where people do get serious about these issues, like for instance believing that Afro Carribeans are lazy, or prone to drug abuse or somethign equally stupid. Or to the contrary believing that becuase of some banter about CESM, that intelligent and articulate people actually believe that the French are collectively cowards. In terms of the French, the real story is that in the 20th century they have as a nation been quite clever at manipulating international politics to their own benefit, some might say wisely refusing to become involved in things that don't concern them, and perhaps wisely taking a non confrontational path in a situation where there was little they could do about their circumstances. Who knows how we would have been in the same situation.
In short, its better out than in, at least it can as you say be discussed and perhaps addressed that way. If its driven underground that will not resolve anything, presuming of course it needs resolving.
