"Can There Be a Future for the French?"

Rien faire avec l'UE mais je crois que la Langue française et la culture française toujours existeront. ...it's juste stupide même pour penser autrement ! Il toujours sera une des Langues primordiales du Monde quoi que d'autre arrive. Il a toujours beaucoup d'influence et vraiment est une Langue admirablement construite et agréable pour écouter. ..always sera. Rien vient d'autre dans l'image ici à mon avis.

Damian : the UK shall comply or leave (I wouldn't object to the second).

William R. Stimson,

The intended parallel drawn between France and Taiwan is interesting but something’s missing actually : despite the EU process, the likelihood that France remains an independent country within the next 20 years is high, whereas Taiwan’s life expectancy may not reach 20 years. You may well blame China’s arrogance or thirst for power, in the long run the US could fail to help its creative and lively proxy.

I agree with bernard and Kirk : the way you’re quibbling about the French just show you indulge in hasty generalisation, mixing facts, flimsy interpretations and blatant clichés.

For instance, the French were not « taking to the streets over McDonald's » : it was a group of alterglobalists led by José Bové who took down a McDo in Millau. That said, many French or Germans or Italians refrain from eating at McDo, not because this company is based in the US, but rather because junk food is being served. If your diet is mainly McDo-type hamburgers and fries, you’re going to gain weight. The reason why the obesity rate is lower in France than in the US is perhaps related to healthier food habits, not anti-Americanism.

Another example. You describe 62 million people as falling into one category – probably the one you saw on US networks. It’s true there’s a strong minority of French people who love their language beyond reason. As some English people love to have their lawns cut everyday and some Germans their cars washed and gleaming every Sunday, yes, millions of French people are addicted to French. Some of those, numbered in hundreds of thousands, even watch or compete in « La Dictée », a yearly TV programme where an extremely difficult French dictation is broadcast live throughout Francophony. Those people are the continuators of an age-old tradition tracing back to the dictation created by Prosper Mérimée (Napoléon III : 75 mistakes – Eugénie Montijo, his wife : 62 – Alexandre Dumas : 24 – Metternich, Austrian ambassador : 3). However, millions of French people don’t give a fig about French. Just come to France and hear people talk : you’ll see that French is far from ossified. If you’re not convinced, have a look at the Antimoon thread called « Simplification in language » : you’ll see words as ‘texto’ and ‘verlan’ and those might help you understand that French – although hit by misconceptions about purism and myths about clarity – ‘is still alive and growing, vital and creative’. If you want to explore why French is traditionally impacted by (often French-made) legends (more or less related to its ‘victory’ over Latin), then read this book by Henri Meschonnic : « De la langue française – Essai sur une clarté obscure ». Fascinating.

Bravo, Greg! Bravo. C'est un vrai coq gaullois dans toute sa splendeur!

"besides Tony's back for onother 5 years of pro-EU"

Tony Blair has now almost effectively ruled out Britain joining the Euro currency. After looking at the mess it has made of the economies of France, Germany etc I think it was a wise decision.

Also, Blair is against Britain integrating further into Europe - as are all of the countries of "New Europe" - Britain, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

With Blair, we know we won't have the Euro and will not lose our sovereignty and independence.

If stagnant, decaying "Old Europe" - France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg - want to lose their independence, then let them. It's not my problem.

"Damian : the UK shall comply or leave (I wouldn't object to the second)."

In that case, France should leave the EU, too, considering that France has failed to implement MORE EU laws than ANY other EU country, having failed to implement FIFTY EU laws. Germany (needless to say) is second, having failed to implement 40 EU laws.

Britain, on the other hand, is one of the more obedient EU countries, implementing nearly all EU laws.

France and Germany flout EU laws. Britain obeys them.

From The News of the World -

Obedient Britain has imposed 11,500 new laws ordered by Europe - while France and Germany carry on flouting the rules.

Since 1997, one in ten new pieces of legislation laid down by our government came from Brussels.

Their controls range from orders on the shape of a banana to food labelling, pollution and data protection.

But an EU reports SLAMS every other member state for ignoring its regulations. It reveals that France and Germany "persistently fail" to take action.

The French declined to implement 50 major EU laws - and the Germans turned a blind eye to 40.

newsoftheworld.co.uk
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As usual in the EU, it's one rule for France and Germany and another rule for the rest. If they flout the laws, that's okay. If anyone flouts the laws, Brussels and France and Germany get angry.

the EU is more than just GB France and Germany you know...

Try telling that to France and Germany who think they can flout the rules and get away with it - and they do. However, whenever Britain, Holland or any other country flouts the rules, we get punished from Brussels.

I don't think Greg should tell Britain to follow EU rules or leave when his country routinely ignores EU rules.

So?You shouldent flout the rules at all!

Adam,


Of course you don't, you're still using the pound, aren't you?

Adam : "Britain, on the other hand, is one of the more obedient EU countries, implementing nearly all EU laws".

Slave spirit, Adam ?

" the EU is more than just GB France and Germany you know... "


I completly agree. You forget that the european union has 5 major countries: Germany (82.5 million people), France (60.6 million people), United kingdom (60.4 million people, Italy (58 million people), Spain (40.5 million people)

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I completly agree. You forget that the european union has 5 major countries: Germany (82.5 million people), France (60.6 million people), United kingdom (60.4 million people, Italy (58 million people), Spain (40.5 million people)<=

I understand that you think that this ^ is the EU?! I was aiming at the smaller countries as well...

**Slave spirit, Adam ? **

NOT according to James Thomson, GREG! :-)

He was a Scot btw...not far fae Edinburgh. (1700-1748)