• Marighost@lemm.ee
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    2 days ago

    I’ve made fun of the French all my life for being smelly cowards, but perhaps we Americans are the smelly cowards.

    Sorry France. Clearly you know how to get shit done.

    • calcopiritus@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      As a Spaniard, France has witched it’s place with America in my head.

      You know america fucked up when it can overcome the implicit hatred towards your neighbor.

    • grue@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Those folks have been militaristic badasses through history, from sacking Rome, to Jeanne d’Arc, to Napoleon, to the modern French Foreign Legion. But they make one tactical error with the Maginot Line, and everybody calls them “cowards,” SMH.

        • wolframhydroxide@sh.itjust.works
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          1 day ago

          To be fair, since we’re talking about their historical militarism, we can definitively blame the French for being the reason English is so hard to learn and is an inconsistent, bad language all-around. Never forget 1066. Also, before we get the circlejerk going, let’s remember that the French government plays dirty just like everyone else, like their insanely unethical nuclear testing in the pacific and their later state-directed terrorism against new Zealand in an attempt to continue said nuclear malfeasance.

          ETA: (To be clear, as an american, I’d much rather be French right about now, but we need to be realistic. All humans are crappy in large groups when given unchecked power. I just want to be clear we should be hailing the French people, not the French government)

    • borokov@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      We have a long history of complaining and resisting to quite anything, bad or good. And also cutting head from time to time.

    • Glytch@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      We Americans have been propagandized all our lives to look down on the French, even before they whole “freedom fries” dumbfuckery.

      We need to show them more respect.

      • Camelbeard@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        It’s the same with other EU countries, NATO article 5 has been triggered once, after 911. We came to help and lost many soldiers in Afghanistan etc. Now Russia is a major thread to Europe and the US is actively helping Russia.

      • JustAnotherKay@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        I used to get into arguments about the “cowards” thing. Like yeah, they forfeit a time or two and lost a few fights. So have most countries, whether they let you know about it or not.

        They have also been a global super power for at least as long as America has existed, or longer, depending on what you consider to be a super power. So yeah, they brushed up against a couple of rough patches in that time lol

        • Glytch@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          They’re also a big part of the reason America won the Revolutionary War in the first place.

          • JustAnotherKay@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            A big part

            I would argue America wouldn’t exist without Frances aid, at least not in the form that it does now. Whether that was different founding fathers because of lives lost or still being an English colony one can only guess

        • KubeRoot@discuss.tchncs.de
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          2 days ago

          I can tell you that the attitude in Poland is along the lines of “we had a defensive pact, but when we actually got attacked, France just refused to come and help, then promptly surrendered”.

          • fibojoly@sh.itjust.works
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            1 day ago

            People need to remember that when France came to honor their pact to help Serbia, we all got WWI and Petain wasn’t too keen on doing that again.
            Not defending his decision because I don’t think there is anything much more shameful than abandoning an ally being attacked, but it’s important to maybe understand context.

    • fibojoly@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      There are still people here who were there for the Resistance.
      That’s the mentality you guys need to start adopting, because clearly the nice way hasn’t worked so far.

    • P1k1e@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      The man speaks truth, perhaps we were lied to so we wouldn’t look too closely at the united powerhouse of their working class

      • Kahless@infosec.pub
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        1 day ago

        Yup, that’s what it is all about. Divide and conquer. The consolidation of capitalism is happening globally. We are more than them. The only way for them to keep their stolen riches, is to put a wedge between everyone. Imho there is nothing more ridiculous and self harming than nationalism, classism and all of the other -isms.

      • MonkRome@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        On the other hand, in my admittedly short visit there, it seemed like the public sector was broken there. You have to summon a magical spirit to find out what day of the month the post office pretends to be open. You have to be currently on fire for the fire department to consider showing up to an emergency… Beautiful country, excellent food, but, I’ve never seen such a dysfunctional “developed” country. If I was a citizen I’d be pretty pissed all the time as well.

    • Hadriscus@lemm.ee
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      2 days ago

      I’ve never personally burnt a Tesla to the ground, afraid my citizenship may get revoked 🇫🇷