The French are the only reason that the US achieved independence from Great Britain

[Byron In Exile]

yeah, but you still spit it out!

I confess it's rather a favorite...

But since we're on the subject—


Lord Byron: Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto IV, XCVI

Can tyrants but by tyrants conquered be,
And Freedom find no champion and no child
Such as Columbia saw arise when she
Sprung forth a Pallas, armed and undefiled?
Or must such minds be nourished in the wild,
Deep in the unpruned forest, midst the roar
Of cataracts, where nursing nature smiled
On infant Washington? Has Earth no more
Such seeds within her breast, or Europe no such shore?

But France got drunk with blood to vomit crime,
And fatal have her Saturnalia been
To Freedom's cause, in every age and clime;
Because the deadly days which we have seen,
And vile Ambition, that built up between
Man and his hopes an adamantine wall,
And the base pageant last upon the scene,
Are grown the pretext for the eternal thrall
Which nips Life's tree, and dooms man's worst — his second fall.

 

[p_p_man]

To inject a little seriousness into this thread...

most political thinkers (including those in the US) have now come to the conclusion that America is at the beginning of its own decline.

Infrastructure, economy, defence and commercialism are all, in their own way beginning to slide. The freakish adventurism of Americam foreign policy is, in reality, the frantic grasps of a country which, no matter how hard it tries, is unable to co-exist with the international community.

Frustrated in all that they do American politicians become more and more extreme in their attempts to gain some credible foothold outside of their own shores, but because of the aforesaid decline in American society they are forced to spend an inordinant amount of time concealing the real truth of the US's plight from their own citizens.

There is no real hope for America and as the slide becomes steeper the shrills and declarations of omnipotence become louder.

Until out of pure anger the Americans push the nuclear button...

ppman

 

[Byron In Exile]

Re: To inject a little seriousness into this thread...

most political thinkers (including those in the US) have now come to the conclusion that America is at the beginning of its own decline.

Infrastructure, economy, defence and commercialism are all, in their own way beginning to slide. The freakish adventurism of Americam foreign policy is, in reality, the frantic grasps of a country which, no matter how hard it tries, is unable to co-exist with the international community.

Frustrated in all that they do American politicians become more and more extreme in their attempts to gain some credible foothold outside of their own shores, but because of the aforesaid decline in American society they are forced to spend an inordinant amount of time concealing the real truth of the US's plight from their own citizens.

There is no real hope for America and as the slide becomes steeper the shrills and declarations of omnipotence become louder.

Until out of pure anger the Americans push the nuclear button...

I thought you just said you were going to inject some seriousness into the thread.

What happened?

 

[Byron In Exile]

I've read it before...

Shakespeare?

I had rather hear a brazen canstick turn'd,
Or a dry wheel grate on the axle-tree;
And that would set my teeth nothing on edge,
Nothing so much as mincing poetry;
'Tis like the forc'd gait of a shuffling nag.

— Shakespeare: I Henry IV, III

 

[p_p_man]

Re: Re: To inject a little seriousness into this thread...

I thought you just said you were going to inject some seriousness into the thread.

What happened?

I changed my mind...

ppman

 

[Byron In Exile]

Re: Re: Re: To inject a little seriousness into this thread...

I changed my mind...

Oh.

Well, then, here's one by Anonymous:
(Although, being British, you probably know it already...)

The toast of each Briton in war's dread alarms,
O'er bottle or bowl, is "Success to our arms!"
Attacked, put to flight, and forced from each trench,
"Success to our legs" is the toast of the French!

 

[Byron In Exile]

http://www.sepulchritude.com/chapelperilous/decollete/revolt/guillotine19.jpg

French Voting Machine, late 18th century

No hanging chads!

 

[ubertroll]

What was Hemmingway's line? [I think it was hemmingway...]

"Don't tell me. Show me."


You can bitch and piss and moan about the imminant US decline--but if it doesn't happen, your analysis is meaningless.


And I like how nearly everyone just ignored the thread's idea, and decided to make it another bitch-about America conference.

 

[SIN'til8?]

Re: To inject a little seriousness into this thread...

most political thinkers (including those in the US) have now come to the conclusion that America is at the beginning of its own decline.

Infrastructure, economy, defence and commercialism are all, in their own way beginning to slide. The freakish adventurism of Americam foreign policy is, in reality, the frantic grasps of a country which, no matter how hard it tries, is unable to co-exist with the international community.

Frustrated in all that they do American politicians become more and more extreme in their attempts to gain some credible foothold outside of their own shores, but because of the aforesaid decline in American society they are forced to spend an inordinant amount of time concealing the real truth of the US's plight from their own citizens.

There is no real hope for America and as the slide becomes steeper the shrills and declarations of omnipotence become louder.

Until out of pure anger the Americans push the nuclear button...

ppman

Seen "Planet of The Apes" one too many times have we...

 

[LadyBlueMoon]

Re: You forgot...we had the desire!

We drafted the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, We took the chances, and not to mention we provided the example to France to have their revolution after ours concluded.
Just like in Iraq, once the American framework is laid, others will follow.

France has settled into it's pitiful senility, while we're still the new kid on the block with innovation, and unlike France, our revolution continues!

www.pavefrance.com

Funny how history is taught....

The Constitution came well after Lafayette, DeGrasse and others saved our buns by coming to our aid.... and few know the French actually had a declaration of the rights of women....

Read Howard Zinn sometime.... it might illuminate... or at least... give you a reason to think, not just parrot...

 

[Byron In Exile]

Re: Re: To inject a little seriousness into this thread...

Seen "Planet of The Apes" one too many times have we...

lol!

 

[SIN'til8?]

If I had ever been here before I would probably know what to do, wouldn't you?

 

[Byron In Exile]

If I had ever been here before I would probably know what to do, wouldn't you?

http://www.goingfaster.com/icarus/timeli1.jpg

Restrict immigration from Europe.

 

[Byron In Exile]

http://www.roguecreations.com/landon/images/apes.jpg

Especially from France.

 

[SIN'til8?]

I cannot convey my extreme level of breivity at that one!

 

[SIN'til8?]

Oh shit. lol THAT's much better. Damn the man!

 

[Byron In Exile]

Oh shit. lol THAT's much better. Damn the man!

You don't want to be so quick you step on the punchline!

What are you doing here in the evening? Working on your ppd?

 

[SIN'til8?]

Drinking strong green tea and trying to sober up after a meeting of the liar's club.



Damned Libertarians...

Their idea of campaining is updating the website.

We have nothing to offer but less!

 

[conntom2002]

yes we owe france....
but then again

remember

they didnt just do it for our freedom

they did it to stick it to england.....

so.....do we really owe them? or we're we just useful to them at the time....and as a result...we got something for us.....

im hungry

i want some freedom fries

 

[SIN'til8?]

We've repaid that debt in blood. Twice...

They owe us their freedom now.

I'll have an order of those fries too.

 

[Ezzy]

Don't just thank the French; thank the Indians of India too, had it not been such a rich country compared with America, the British would have sent more troops to fight in America.

Please don't forget to look at the bigger picture.

 

[SIN'til8?]

I heard a factoid that India has one-seventh of all known world gold...

 

[p_p_man]

I heard a factoid that India has one-seventh of all known world gold...

Yeah that's why the American Revolution was only a sideshow to us Brits. We were fighting the real First World War against the French and had to divert troops to India to stop them outflanking us and winning all the goodies...

ppman

 

[SIN'til8?]

You couldn't beat THE FRENCH???



When was the last time they out-flanked ANYONE?

Maginot Lne? No.

Dien Bien Phu? No.

UN Security Council? No.

Damn...

 

[SIN'til8?]

And who gave you two the right to carve up the world?

And you wonder why we don't take your advice...