France rejoins nato !

Charlie Farley

Supporter
With typical flamboyance and fanfare, France's President, this week, announced that France is to rejoin Nato's military command after 40 years of self-imposed exile.
It was in 1966, that President Charles de Gaulle pulled out of the heart of the alliance, claiming it undermined French independance and sovereignty.
While its allies have publicly welcomed this return, a fundamental question seems to have been ignored, namely, do we really want the French back ?
Since World War II, the French and its army have been seen by many as standard bearers for surrender, cowardice and military ineptitude.
But at least they have made us laugh. Here's a selection of jokes about the people memorably described in The Simpsons TV series, as cheese - eating surrender monkeys....

Q. What do you call 100,000 people with their hands up ?
A. The French Army.

Q. Why are there so many tree lined roads in France ?
A. Because the German Army likes to march in the shade.

Q. Why do the french get the most votes in the UN ?
A. Because they vote with both hands.

Q. Why is the French fighter aircraft called the 'Mirage' ?
A. Because it doesn't exist.

Q. Why is the French Foreign Legion the only decent fighting force in the entire French Army ?
A. Because it's made up of foreigners.

Q. What does the new French Army flag look like ?
A. A white cross on a white background.

Q. What is the shortest book ever written ?
A. French War Heroes.

Q. What is the most useful item in French armoured units ?
A. A rear view mirror.

Q. Why do the French have glass bottom boats in their navy ?
A. To see their other ships.

True Quote :
" I would rather have a crack German Division infront of me, than a French one behind me "
'General George S Patton'.

A long time ago, the British and French were at war. During one battle, the French captured an English Colonel. The French took him back to their headquarters and a French General began to question him. The French General asked " Why do you British officers all wear red coats ? Dont you know the red material makes you an easy target for us to shoot at ?"
In his British way, the Colonel informed the General that the reason British officers wore red coats, was so that if they were shot, the blood would not show and the men they were leading would not panic.

And that is why, from that day until now, all French officers wear brown trousers.

Ok, jokes aside, i would like to end this , with two true examples of why i feel at the least , antagonistic towards chauvanist French opinions of themselves.

1. An officer in the US Naval Reserve was attending a conference of officers from the US Navy and French navy. A French Admiral complained that whereas Europeans learned many languages, Americans learned only English. Without hesitating a US Admiral replied: " Maybe its because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies, Kiwis and Americans, arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German!!"

And this is the killer :

In 1966 , upon being told that Charles de Gaulle had taken France out of NATO and that all US troops must be evacuated from French soil, President Lyndon Johnson told Secretary of State Dean Rusk; " Ask him about the cemeteries, Dean ! "

So, at the end of the meeting, Dean asked de Gaulle if his order to remove all US troops from French soil also included the 68,000 plus American soldiers buried in France from World War I and World War II.

De Gaulle never answered.

Vive le France !!
 
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"

So, at the end of the meeting, Dean asked de Gaulle if his order to remove all US troops from French soil also included the 68,000 plus American soldiers buried in France from World War I and World War II.

De Gaulle never answered.

He dam well better have not, See he was not as stupid as he looked

Paul
 

Pete McCluskey.

Lifetime Supporter
Je pense qu'il est très méchant cochon de vous english chiens à dénigrer le grand empire français. I fart dans votre direction générale.:thumbsup:
 

Keith

Moderator
Sorry mate - I think that's all well out of order. Move on....:worried:

If you've never served your country - you will never understand.

Pete, I don't speak that good French - but I totally agree mate and I think you're being kind. :thumbsup:

Charley, whatever your name is - get a life and post your racist crap somewhere else....:veryangry:
 

Dave Bilyk

Dave Bilyk
Supporter
As an Englishman I am appalled to see this on our multi-national forum and feel compelled to speak out for our French forum members. Firstly to welcome them back into the alliance and secondly to thank them for the sacrifice and bravery of their resistance fighters who did so much to shelter and guide our downed pilots and lost soldiers back home, sometimes to the cost of their own lives. That our country and culture has been preserved is in some part due to them.
It is easy to pick holes in military strategy when a battle is lost, and some of the biggest losses have been attributed to the ineptitude of our own leaders in France WWI so stones and glass houses come to mind.
I think an apology would be in order to the French members of the forum.

Vive la Resistance
Vive la France

Dave
 

Randy V

Moderator-Admin
Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
Now now gentlemen....

I believe the first post was meant entirely in jest and was not penned by Andy. Point in fact - I just did a search in google and find it all over the place - although I did not compare them word for word..

While I may not care much at all for the government of France - I really don't care a lot for America's either..

The people, on the other hand, are people like you and I. Many of them are fellow gearheads that come here for the camaraderie surrounding SuperCars like the GT40, Lolas, P-Cars etc..

Although this is basically an unrestricted forum - we should try to remain somewhat cognizant of each other's feelings..

Let's carry on with enjoying that camaraderie shall we?

Thank you all...
 

Pete McCluskey.

Lifetime Supporter
Oh dear
I am a Scot and I welcome it. We have been allies with our French brothers since about 900 AD.

Peter,
I believe that the French translation for "I fart" is 'Je pete'

Keith,
Mais il est bete :embarassed:.


AULD ALLIANCE - LE LIEN FRANCO-ECOSSAIS

Hehehe, I thought it was 'Je Jimmy'.:heart:

Frankly this joke has been around since I kicked the bars out of my playpen, and I'm sure Charlie meant it as jest, as was my reply. Personally I think there is a big difference between taking the piss out of a race, I.E. Irish jokes, Kiwi jokes etc and racism.
 

JimmyMac

Lifetime Supporter
Je pense qu'il est très méchant cochon de vous english chiens à dénigrer le grand empire français. I fart dans votre direction générale.:thumbsup:

Pete
I believe your quotation was from one of Monty Python's King Arthur sketches :jester:
And I am also sure Andy intended no harm.
 

Keith

Moderator
To all who replied. Thanks for the comments but in a moment of 'red mist' I penned a response to Andy's post, but I still mean what I said even though he probably intended it to be funny.

This is a unique international forum and I hate it when racial sterotypes are employed in the guise of humour especially when it invokes memories of over 5 million (French) national casualties in 2 World Wars which is about twice our own. I know that we jibe each other in the UK but not every nation appreciates this stuff. The French are a very proud people and I found it insulting to their members on this forum.

I probably should have kept my mouth shut.

Enough already.... Peace...
 

Dave Bilyk

Dave Bilyk
Supporter
Keith, and Andy,
I think we all feel bad if we have to respond negatively to any post, I do realise that it was not penned by Andy, but the post was insulting to a fairly high degree, and should not have been ignored. Having said that, I agree with all that Andy surely intended it in jest, and I would hope that he has not taken our responses too personally.

regards
Dave
 
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David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
I don't think the French were ever 'not' in NATO - we exercised with their warships, Submarines and Aeroplanes continually and throughout the 'non NATO' period our aeroplanes and ships were always welcomed on French soil as were their forces on UK soil. I recall the French moved heaven and earth to open their airspace for a casevac of a young child from Malta to the UK in an unpressurized Nimrod - therefore reasonably low level and from what I remember the aeroplane was granted a non deviating track (i.e. in a straight line) to the UK. There was no question of a diplomatic clearance that the Nimrod would normally have needed.

The French were never 'not' in NATO. It was just a De Gaulle strategic play on words.....

I did have some issues about Argentine Etendards and Exocets in the early 80's but that's all in the past.
I welcome the statement from Sarkhozy.
p.s. His wife is quite a looker ......
 
I'm french..... and proud of it !!!
sometimes I disagree high level decision sometimes I approve them.
French soldiers are coward ? try to tell it to the familiy of the last KIA last thursday !!!

they do their duty like others soldiers.

the french point of view is that the french army must respond to the french government orders first not NATO orders.
Why, because NATO is not always right....

I'm not here to discuss strategy....but beautifull replica

If you want to discuss something about army cooperation, try "Tiger meet" on google... that's a great international meeting which involve many army.

Thierry


PS: for information, the french foreign legion does not have french nationality (french are "gaulois") to keep in mind that there are no discrimination. (in fact 50% at least are "gaulois")
 
Gentlemen
I think it is great that we remember our histories and not repeat the mistakes made, and learn from the successes. I'm happy that my forefather fled England when Charles II came to reign (something about regicide and Charles I) and ended up in America. I'm happy to know that the 'Rebel Yell' came from the Scotch Highlanders that settled these mountains which I live. Walking the battlefieds at Waterloo, Kings Mountain, Cowpens, Wilderness, Shiloh, and Getteysburg, where we killed 53,000 of our countrymen in 3 days. I enjoyed summer evenings on my grandfathers porch talking about the Lafayette Escadrille with Paul Rockwell (OSSWWII) brother of Kiffin, the first US aviator killed in WWI. The time flying and talking with COL. Bob Morgan, commander of the 'Memphis Belle'. A meeting with LTGen. Gunther Rall and the Me109. And all those hours with my father and his beloved B-17s and Mighty 8th.

My numerous flights over the circles at the Mang Yang Pass which ended the 1954 war with France and all those graves of brave men. The months of flying deep into Laos, living in Khe Sahn and seeing what the US Marines left behind. I remember flying north out of Phnom Penh told not to shoot the ruins at Angkor Wat (who are these guys we are after?... Khmer Rouge never heard of them) All those good times and the people, fellow aviators along the way I'll never forget. I fear for my country in its present state.... its spending and leadership.
That is enough as my mother would say.
Grady
 
Charlie,

Y'know, when you outed yourself as a prejudiced turkey, those jokes, which we've all heard/repeated/adjusted to suit the butt of the day's humour, lost their impact.

I never had an issue with any of the French military that I had any contact with, though the esteem with which many held Australians probably helped.

They certainly haven't forgotten the sacrifices made for them and their attitude to themselves is certainly nothing that hasn't been seen in other peoples.

It's fashionable, especially in the new world, to bash the French, but to do so forgets the significance of the French in opening up that same new world.
 

Charlie Farley

Supporter
I didn't expect one reply. Blimey, if i'd known what a dust cloud it would have blown up, i'd have said nothing.Is this an attempt at censorship on this Forum? Maybe i should have posted it under the Jokes Forum !
As has been said, it could have taken the guise of any ethic group, jokes like that seem to remain uncommented on in the Jokes Forum. Maybe i should have posted it there. As a post note, i have no grudge against the French, having lived there and partially speak the lingo.
Nobody! that took note, as my original post, Vive le France.
All those who still have their own agendas to pursue ' Chill Out'
 
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Charlie Farley

Supporter
They totally missed. If you thought that, you must have felt something to come up with a comment , sunshine.Maybe it was your alto ego they kicked.
 
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