Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for June 19, 2009

Most of the time, over the last 8 years or so, I’d much rather have been in France than in the United States.

That’s a good reason to stop pursuing anything.

France is nice as long as you don’t have to deal with French Administration.

Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres

Say what you want about the French, but it was them who invented toast, fries, dips and kissing.

You forgot dressing grazer!

just don’t get sick over in France for u may never get well or live on there waiting list.

You also forgot, snails, frogs legs and the worst toilets in the western world.

This is just bizarre. Since when is France the beacon of freedom in the world? The freedom to strike over the government not handing out enough goodies? I have no idea what Wiley’s point is in this one.

ElRabbit said, France is nice as long as you don’t have to deal with French Administration…

…or Parisians.

Don’t worry, we’ll soon have the French economy right here. Woo-hoo! August off!

EMET: If you’d worked with as many Indians as I have, you’d see Prasrinivara as Pra-srini-vara, each part a common component of many Indian names. But I don’t know if the whole is a real name or simply a made-up or constructed tag. And it still doesn’t mean Pra— is Indian at all. How about it, Pra—, enlighten us!

No need to move, “The MESS-iah” is bringing France, and Canada, and all the other liberal ideas that suck here to the good ol’ U.S.of A. Didya hear PITA’s pissed @Barry for killing that FLY on T.V.? –NO JOKE……

Pocket bread is pissed with Obama? Oh, you mean PETA!

The people of France are just like Americans, ranging from very nice to awful; possibly some of the latter enjoy insulting Americans without having any first-hand knowledge of us. It helps if you try to learn a little of their language before you visit there. And French tourists don’t have the eqivalent of “The way we would do that back in Texas is —”. But if you want gourmet ‘French Fries’, go to Belgium or McDonalds.

prasrinivara says: You forgot dressing grazer!

What, grazer’s naked?

No EMET, I’m originally from India (specifically the state of Tamil Nadu). My handle comes from a combo of my wife’s (first) name, mine, and my last name (some letters chopped off, as the result would get too long).

I had lived in Canada for over two decades (emigrated there in 1971, left 1994), specifically in Calgary (hence the Flames logo).

On the “dressing”, I meant as in the tomato-based kind put on salad.

. France is full of frikin frogs…….it’s the chamber pot of Europe !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

,

The French helped us win the revolution, be nice.

yeah, and you guys helped them back in The Great War. (the Lafayette Escadrille, if I remember my History class correctly, was a volunteer American outfit that went to France in WWI to help out even before the USA officially entered the war.) But Dracip is right, we SHOULD be nice!

viva La Fayette!

I like both! Sweden is very nice to. Great places to visit, wouldn’t want to live there. I’d rather live in the US. Still land of the free, despite what everyone else says….

i want to see more lucy and danae!!!!!!!

Interesting, either the American Dream and French socialism have always been the same or the dream has changed…

I grew up in Montreal, QC. I’ll never go back again.

@Pprey: Snails and frog legs are actually very good - try them some time. The public restrooms I used in Paris were much, much cleaner than the ones over here in the U.S. Walk down the steps into one and there would be a little old lady sitting in the corner. She cleaned up all day long - you did your business, washed, and tipped her on the way out. What I COULDN”T get used to was the public urinals for men along the sidewalks. You step into this small enclosure, visible from the chest up (covered from the waist down), and with swarms of people walking by you, attempt to do what you stopped for, trying to forget that this is something you don’t ordinarily do in front of hundreds of men, women and children. Of course, all this was some years ago - could have changed.

ikneadthedough – You were free to emigrate from the United States over to France at anytime during the past 8 years, and are still free to do so.

Nairebis, I think what he is saying is that we, the USA, are moving towards a more Socialist/Fascist system, they are closely related differing only in degree of Gov’t involvement in business, and France, thanks to Sarcozy is moving back to a more Capitalistic system

@Ushindi: Although those French urinals you describe do sound a little bit too open for those with shy bladder issues, it still sounds like a welcome convenience compared to having to hold it if you can when out walking in most any American city. As my experience has been.

Or in many American cities, like LA, any section where there are homeless, good luck finding a usable public restroom. Or get scowled at a lot for being semi-retired and comfortably dressed (but not in French Dressing!).

Question: What’s so free about the land of the free?!?

BTW not French, even though my user name might make you think that… ;o)

I can’t believe all the clichés you have over my country. Who eat snails and frogs? The tourists who think that clichés are the truth. The French don’t eat them. Sorry to disappoint you.

As for Socialism compared to Fascism this is the most dangerous and disrespectful comparison I have ever heard. These two notions have absolutely nothing in common unless you think that six months of maternity leave and a decent education for everyone represent a danger for a country. Obviously the ones who still think that way have never travelled and have no idea of what’s going on in the world. Don’t you think it’s weird that socialist countries are going better through the recession and we’re not facing the same misery as in capitalist countries? Check the reality of the facts before speaking.

As well as healthcare… If you go to the ER, you will wait for an hour max. If you want to see a doctor, you can have an appointment the exact same day. In Paris.

The public urinals along the sidewalk don’t exist anymore. Are we better than the Americans? Nope, it’s not a contest. Do we know better about them than they do about ut? Maybe since we study History of America from the very beginning to nowadays.

Try to think by yourself, people. Get your own opinions of the world you’re living in. In a word, travel and observe the countries. Then you will understand how stupid if not irrelevant (Socialism/Fascism… Mussolini was a fascist… He was from the far-right wing party… Not that socialist to me) clichés are and how we shouldn’t live upon settled down legends. Unless you’re a monkey and prefer to follow without even thinking.

Bill Wa… Sarkozy is not going into a capitalist system. Why? Because he can’t. The nation doesn’t want to and that’s why he’s working now with socialist politicians. You should get a serious politics update. Especially since Fascism was a movement of the far-right and Socialism is center-left. People who lived under a repressive government always tried to fight against it. Don’t you think it’s weird that several countries are fighting FOR Socialism if it’s so repressive?

We don’t hate Americans here. We just think that they are manipulated by the medias and believe what they’re been told a bit too easily. All those clichés about France prove it.

@Agathe: Thanks.

(And no, I’m not French, as far as I know… I just think most of us needed that post!)