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Cody Dawg · Jul 5, 2005, 09:47 AM

Link

Apparently he thinks that Great Britain, Finland, and the United States epitomize all that is bad - as evidenced by his personal prejudices with respect to food.

The guy is off his rocker. It started with Iraq and it continues. Honestly, if he had shown some sort of solidarity with the rest of the world when it came to being tough on Saddam Hussein back when it was questionable as to whether or not we should go into Iraq, then maybe history would have been a lot different, a "kindler gentler" history.

He just continues to lob insults. The guy is a pig.

Anglo-French tensions heightened last night after Jacques Chirac delivered a series of insults to Britain as London and Paris fought to secure the 2012 Olympic Games and faced fresh disagreement at the G8 summit.

The president, chatting to the German and Russian leaders in a Russian cafe, said: "The only thing [the British] have ever given European farming is mad cow." Then, like generations of French people before him, he also poked fun at British cuisine.

"You can't trust people who cook as badly as that," he said. "After Finland, it's the country with the worst food."

"But what about hamburgers?" said Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, referring to America.

"Oh no, hamburgers are nothing in comparison," Mr Chirac said.

Mr Putin and Gerhard Schröder, the German chancellor, laughed. Mr Chirac then recalled how George Robertson, the former Nato secretary general and a former defence secretary in Tony Blair's Cabinet, had once made him try an "unappetising" Scottish dish, apparently meaning haggis.

"That's where our problems with Nato come from," he said.

Mr Schröder and Mr Putin laughed again.

Unfortunately for the leaders, all of whom will be guests of Britain at the G8 summit opening at Gleneagles tomorrow, the remarks were recorded by a journalist without their knowledge and published in the French newspaper Liberation.

No 10 reacted with disbelief, saying it would not respond to such undiplomatic comments. British officials were particularly angered by the mad cow remark, saying that France had exacerbated the BSE crisis by refusing to accept British beef after it had been declared safe.

Mr Chirac, Mr Schröder and Mr Putin were meeting to prepare for the G8 summit and celebrate the 750th anniversary of Kaliningrad, formerly Königsberg, which was annexed by Russia in 1945. Lorraine Millot, the Liberation reporter who overheard them, said Mr Chirac spoke in French and his counterparts in German. At least three interpreters were present.

Miss Millot said she also heard Mr Chirac say it was not his fault that he had been half an hour late for the Queen at a royal banquet to mark the centenary of the entente cordiale in November. He said "the British did not respect protocol".

The Prime Minister, in Singapore to push London's bid for the Olympics against the favourite, Paris, was said to be furious when told of the comments. But officials said that, as the holder of the G8 and EU presidencies, he was determined to retain the moral high ground.

"There are some things that are just not responded to," his official spokesman said.

Mr Blair's relations with Mr Chirac were already at a low ebb after rows over the Common Agricultural Policy and Britain's EU rebate compounded deep disagreement over the Iraq war.

Mr Blair is likely to use the Gleneagles meeting to make a fresh pitch for reform of the CAP. He will argue that, while it helps to prop up French agriculture, it harms developing nations by denying them the chance to compete with subsidised EU farmers.

SimpleLife · Jul 5, 2005, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Link

Apparently he thinks that Great Britain, Finland, and the United States epitomize all that is bad - as evidenced by his personal prejudices with respect to food.

He probably heard of the famous "Freedom Fries".

The guy is off his rocker. It started with Iraq and it continues. Honestly, if he had shown some sort of solidarity with the rest of the world when it came to being tough on Saddam Hussein back when it was questionable as to whether or not we should go into Iraq, then maybe history would have been a lot different, a "kindler gentler" history.

He just continues to lob insults. The guy is a pig.

Actually, Chirac is amongst those leaders with practical military experience with terrorism in Algeria. He was there when France had to fight urban wars in the '60s. Far more clever than Bush Jr who is now stuck in Iraq under the conditions we all know that were predicted on the day the U.S. announced its intentions towards Iraq.

Call the guy a pig as much as you want, but he got in and out of the dirt you're stuck in now.

Hawkeye_a · Jul 5, 2005, 10:11 AM

So basically Chirac feels to U.S. and Britain, what Bush & Blair feel towards France ?

Huh....what an arse(sarcasm)

OldManMac · Jul 5, 2005, 10:14 AM

It's interesting, to me, that Chirac gets vilified for a few obviously insensitive comments about food, while GWB still gets a free ride from some over the unnecessary deaths of soldiers. Thankfully, the tide is turning and more Americans are realizing what a mistake the war is.

Cody Dawg · Jul 5, 2005, 10:25 AM

Here come the lefties, loud and clear, trying to rationalize ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE WORLD by using George Bush as the cause of EVERYTHING wrong.

How pathetic.

And, Chirac is still an ass.

SimpleLife · Jul 5, 2005, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Here I come, loud and clear, trying to rationalize ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE WORLD by using George Bush as the cause of EVERYTHING good.

fixinated.

Railroader · Jul 5, 2005, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Here come the lefties, loud and clear, trying to rationalize ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE WORLD by using George Bush as the cause of EVERYTHING wrong.

How pathetic.

And, Chirac is still an ass.

Well said. They just can't discuss the topic at hand without blaming it all on President Bush. They just like to derail anything possibly critical of the left.

In a few posts I expect the nickname "bushie" to be used and Republicans to be called fascist nazis.

badidea · Jul 5, 2005, 10:38 AM

Making fun of english food has tradition in Europe!!

edit: oh, I don't see bushie and his fascist fellows mentioned in that article - why are you so upset cody??

Railroader · Jul 5, 2005, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by badidea

edit: oh, I don't see bushie and his fascist fellows mentioned in that article - why are you so upset cody??

SEE!

Cody Dawg · Jul 5, 2005, 10:46 AM

I've been to England many times and the food was fine. In fact, the best fish I've ever had was in London.

And, why bring up FINLAND?

OldManMac · Jul 5, 2005, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Here come the lefties, loud and clear, trying to rationalize ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE WORLD by using George Bush as the cause of EVERYTHING wrong.

How pathetic.

And, Chirac is still an ass.

I hate to point out the obvious, but this is GWB's war. Fortunately, more people are realizing it every day, as his approval ratings sink. The good thing about that is that it shows that people are willing to admit they make mistakes, even while their leader stands at the helm of his sinking ship.

Cody Dawg · Jul 5, 2005, 10:50 AM

"Hello? Hello?" <taps microphone>

"THIS IS NOT A THREAD ABOUT THE IRAQ WAR AND GEORGE BUSH. THIS IS A THREAD ABOUT JACQUES CHIRAC, L'ASS DE FRANCE."

Millennium · Jul 5, 2005, 10:50 AM

As long as we're drawing parallels, I seem to recall that Chirac is only slightly more popular in his country than Bush and Blair are in theirs.

Dakar · Jul 5, 2005, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I've been to England many times and the food was fine. In fact, the best fish I've ever had was in London.

And, why bring up FINLAND?

Maybe the food there does suck. Or do you think I'm reaching?

SimeyTheLimey · Jul 5, 2005, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Millennium

As long as we're drawing parallels, I seem to recall that Chirac is only slightly more popular in his country than Bush and Blair are in theirs.

Er, wrong, and it boggles my mind how you could have it so backwards. Chirac's popularity is at a record low.
Grauniad

Jacques Chirac is the most unpopular president of the Fifth Republic since pollsters began measuring the personal approval ratings of French politicians in 1978, according to a survey published yesterday.

As the country continued to writhe in anxiety, self-doubt and anger after its rejection of the EU constitution, the poll showed Mr Chirac's popularity had plunged 16 points to 26%.

And 69% of the French population expressed negative feelings about him. "This is an unprecedented slump in popularity, and it comes primarily from the president's own camp," said François Miquet-Marty of the polling group Louis Harris, which carried out the survey. Within Mr Chirac's UMP party, his approval rating fell 34 points to 50%.

In other words, Chirac has about half the popularity ratings of Bush, and unlike Bush, Chirac faces an election soon (Bush of course, won the first popular majority since 1988). That is, of course important because the only important poll is an election, and on that score it looks like while Bush won handily, Chirac will lose -- badly.

Cody Dawg · Jul 5, 2005, 11:01 AM

I say, feed the guy Haggis for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Maybe that'll make him flip out even more.

badidea · Jul 5, 2005, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Railroader

SEE!

Hey, you called for it - I even had to edit my post to add a sentence with "bushie" and "fascist"!

Railroader · Jul 5, 2005, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

Er, wrong, and it boggles my mind how you could have it so backwards. Chirac's popularity is at a record low.
Grauniad

In other words, Chirac has about half the popularity ratings of Bush, and unlike Bush, Chirac faces an election soon (Bush of course, won the first popular majority since 1988). That is, of course important because the only important poll is an election, and on that score it looks like while Bush won handily, Chirac will lose -- badly.

Wow. I think the French disapprove of him more than the US does. He's probably more popular over here!

SimeyTheLimey · Jul 5, 2005, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Railroader

Wow. I think the French disapprove of him more than the US does. He's probably more popular over here!

Probably true. I think a lot of American liberals kind of like him because they see him as anti-Bush. And because they are anti-Bush, that makes him alright in their mind. French people no doubt rate him more sensibly on his actual performance.

Hawkeye_a · Jul 5, 2005, 11:11 AM

It's called 'opinions'. Some ppl like british food, others dont. Chirac is (beleive it or not) allowed to have his own opinion on cuisines of the world like anyone else. Picking on him because his OPINION isnt the same as your is incredible ficle andshows that one has a mental capasity of a five year old.

Cody Dawg · Jul 5, 2005, 11:17 AM

Hawkeye_a
Picking on him because his OPINION isnt the same as your is incredible ficle andshows that one has a mental capasity of a five year old.

WHAT?

I'd say that you have the spelling "capasity" of a five year old.

von Wrangell · Jul 5, 2005, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by badidea

Making fun of english food has tradition in Europe!!

Everyone outside of Britain and the US are laughing at this. It's a freaking joke based on the FACT that British food is terrible. And the whole of Europe make fun of them for that. And no, hamburgers don't count as food.

I love to see how sensitive the Brits and Americans are about this while the Finnish people just laugh at it.

Hawkeye_a · Jul 5, 2005, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I'd say that you have the spelling "capasity" of a five year old.

I agree :0. I suck as spellings. Thank God for spell checker....thats all i can say

Wiskedjak · Jul 5, 2005, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Here come the lefties, loud and clear, trying to rationalize ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE WORLD by using George Bush as the cause of EVERYTHING wrong.

How pathetic.

And, Chirac is still an ass.

If only you could see the irony in that post ...

Cody Dawg · Jul 5, 2005, 11:20 AM

I'm not laughing at YOU, but at the spelling...

And you're cool to be able to laugh at yourself - er, spelling - too.

TETENAL · Jul 5, 2005, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I'm not laughing at YOU, but at the spelling...

And Chirac was laughing at the food.

I don't see what's the big deal.

Millennium · Jul 5, 2005, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

Er, wrong, and it boggles my mind how you could have it so backwards. Chirac's popularity is at a record low.
Grauniad

It seems my data is old. I knew his ratings were low, but I didn't think they were that low. Thank you for the correction.

Millennium · Jul 5, 2005, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by badidea

Making fun of english food has tradition in Europe!!

I thought it was a tradition pretty much everywhere

SimpleLife · Jul 5, 2005, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

Er, wrong, and it boggles my mind how you could have it so backwards. Chirac's popularity is at a record low.
Grauniad

In other words, Chirac has about half the popularity ratings of Bush, and unlike Bush, Chirac faces an election soon (Bush of course, won the first popular majority since 1988). That is, of course important because the only important poll is an election, and on that score it looks like while Bush won handily, Chirac will lose -- badly.

As of today; he is at 35%.

There is a constant problem in trying to assess the popularity of a political representatitive at one point or another; it is always circumstancial. This is true for all of them, including Chirac and Bush.

von Wrangell · Jul 5, 2005, 12:17 PM

That and it's a difference between a two party system and a country with more than two parties. That also has an effect on how popular the leader will be.

SimpleLife · Jul 5, 2005, 12:30 PM

Let me help people here on hating Chirac more.

Here is a website that will make cody dawg happy.

It is a good collection of pure hate. Not only does it target Chirac, it brings all the French population down the drain with Chirac.

Here are a few more:

Chirac's globalophobia.
Bono shows off his medal while Jacques Chirac grabs Bono's wife's ass

And countless more! Just Google!!!

analogika · Jul 5, 2005, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by Millennium

I thought it was a tradition pretty much everywhere

Uh-oh.

Watch iWrite start a thread now titled "Why Millennium Is An Ass Thread"...

ThinkInsane · Jul 5, 2005, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by Millennium

I thought it was a tradition pretty much everywhere

That was my impression as well.

To quote the Prophet Butthead, "You can't polish a turd, Beavis." British cuisine is what it is: Bad.

And Chirac is a jackass, but it has little to do with his comments on world cuisine.

Wiskedjak · Jul 5, 2005, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by analogika

Uh-oh.

Watch iWrite start a thread now titled "Why Millennium Is An Ass Thread"...

Or how the MacNN moderators are biased against english foods ...

ThinkInsane · Jul 5, 2005, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak

Or how the MacNN moderators are biased against english foods ...

Well, I certainly am.

And please stay on topic and let the personal ******** go. It's getting old, I assure you.

glideslope · Jul 5, 2005, 02:12 PM

ROFLMAO. I love Chirac. You have to wonder if the rejected, humiliated, soon to be former President of France was thinking of the 2 Finnish swing votes at the IOC? So, just how does Finland have the worst food on the globe?

What a chump. I used to look at the EU as being a postitve developement. Now I am convinced that it is becoming more like those it claims to be apart from.

Too many cultures with too many egos. It will never work.

Period.

Cody Dawg · Jul 5, 2005, 02:14 PM

I've only really had homemade food in England because I am either staying with someone there or people invite me over. I usually have fish at restaurants when I travel. Other than that, I eat at the ubiquitous McDonalds when traveling. The best meal I ever had was at the OXO Tower by the Thames - at the very top - and I had fish there also.

analogika · Jul 5, 2005, 02:15 PM

Let him who has never laughed at a stereotype joke throw the first stone.

To the rest of the world, that's coffee-table banter.

Millennium · Jul 5, 2005, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by analogika

Uh-oh.

Watch iWrite start a thread now titled "Why Millennium Is An Ass Thread"...

What do you mean? Personally, I don't have anything against British food. I haven't had all that much of it, but what I had wasn't bad; not up around the top of my list but certainly not at the bottom. This said, it's hard to deny that there's a long tradition of making fun of the stuff.

Luca Rescigno · Jul 5, 2005, 02:21 PM

I don't really know enough about Jacques Chirac to have a strong opinion of him, but it sounds pretty hypocritical to create a thread about how much of an ass he is for throwing insults when the political right in this country has done nothing but take a collective dump on France from the moment Bush took power (or earlier, even). Pretty thin skinned, aren't you?

pooka · Jul 5, 2005, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by Luca Rescigno

I don't really know enough about Jacques Chirac to have a strong opinion of him, but it sounds pretty hypocritical to create a thread about how much of an ass he is for throwing insults when the political right in this country has done nothing but take a collective dump on France from the moment Bush took power (or earlier, even). Pretty thin skinned, aren't you?

See.. this pisses me off. I've personally been raggin on the French for over two decades. All of you French defenders (which seem to be multiplying faster than rabbits) can kiss my fanny or eat English food. Whichever you find less appealing.

And I'm sorry. Just because you give dubya the finger doesn't negate the fact that you're a weasel. Chirac is an ass and I bet his English jokes suck compared to my French jokes.

Why does this have to always turn left vs right. Why can't we just insult each other and leave the politics out of it?

SimpleLife · Jul 5, 2005, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by pooka

Why does this have to always turn left vs right. Why can't we just insult each other and leave the politics out of it?

What daya expect from a thread that deals with food and ass?

Dakar · Jul 5, 2005, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by pooka

Why does this have to always turn left vs right. Why can't we just insult each other and leave the politics out of it?

Because this thread started as a direct result of not liking Chirac's politics to begin with.

Luca Rescigno · Jul 5, 2005, 03:21 PM

I'm not defending France or Chirac, or attacking Bush. I'm just saying that you should be ready to take what you dish out.

nath · 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I've only really had homemade food in England because I am either staying with someone there or people invite me over.

The best meal I ever had was at the OXO Tower by the Thames - at the very top - and I had fish there also.

The stereotype about British food was true...about 10 years ago. We now have some of the best restaurants in the world, of which the Oxo tower is one. Ask any respectable French chef and they'll tell you the same - hell, boatloads of them are actually coming here to work these days.

Wiki

However like everything else in the UK - particularly in London - if you want the best then you'll pay more than most other places in the world for it. Sad but true - most people who visit can't face paying the prices to eat somewhere decent. Particularly the generally impoverished French.

On topic, Chirac is a foul-mannered idiot. He can't face up to the fact that his vision of the EU has been thoroughly rejected by his own electorate and seems to think that baiting Blair (or possibly sabotaging the UK Presidency of the EU) will make him popular again. I give the French more credit than that, it's a shame he doesn't.

As a side note, the French calling us 'Le Ros Beefs' is always funny as hell. It's a reference to what the French historically saw as the eccentric English habit of eating meat (particularly beef) in huge hunks, without any dressing or sauce. Of course the reason - historically - that the French (to this day) cover most of their food in sauces of various kinds was the cause of British mockery of French food in the middle ages. The reason for it was that the quality of meat in France was the worst is Europe.

Thus I present to you the entire reason for the creation of French cuisine - rotten meat.

Luca Rescigno · Jul 5, 2005, 04:01 PM

Not to mention steak tartare.

Troll · Jul 5, 2005, 04:30 PM

Chirac isn't an ass. He's actually a pretty clever guy and a snide and clever politician. He's worse than an ass - he's thieving scum of the earth and the day he leaves the Presidency he's probably going to jail.

Still, I wouldn't disagree with him about French cuisine being superior to either English food or Finnish food. All three countries have some superb restaurants, especially the UK, but Jaques is talking about national cuisine. The Oxo is a superb restaurant (although pales in comparison with the Tour Argent) but you won't find much British cuisine on the menu. If there's a national dish of London today, it's probably Indian cuisine!

CRASH HARDDRIVE · Jul 5, 2005, 04:59 PM

Finnish food is pretty bad, I can vouch. Often times it’s really strange concoctions, other times it’s unbelievably bland.

And yeah, Chirac’s an ass (for many reasons other than his taste in cuisine), but then again, most politicians are.

frates · Jul 5, 2005, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by nath

Thus I present to you the entire reason for the creation of French cuisine - rotten meat.

indeed, mad cow flesh is better dressed with sauce.

Super Mario · Jul 5, 2005, 05:53 PM

I hate French food. the only good thing in French food is taken from Italy and Germany. The British have made the best pies and chips and countryside hotpot in the world and have the most largest palette than any other country. I love the ****ing curry! Did you know some of those curry are not Indian but are English inventions like Chicken Korma?

I get ahead of myself. Two of the most respectable chefs in the world are Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White. Both are British and trained in all international cuisine.