Obama dampens Sarkozy's D-Day ambitions

Barack Obama is not doing anything to help Nicolas Sarkozy. Three days from the US leader's arrival for his D-Day weekend, he is keeping his distance from the French president who was so eager to welcome him.

The White House's coolness has added to embarrassment at the Elysée Palace over the way they have bungled what Sarkozy wanted to be a supreme Franco-American moment in Paris and especially Normandy. The final straw for Paris was the White House's undiplomatic public reproach this week to Sarkozy for failing to invite the British Queen to the 6th of June ceremony. 

Obama is turning up in Paris on Friday evening, but spending the evening privately with Michelle and his entourage. He is not due to see Sarkozy and Carla Bruni at the Elysée. Their only tête-à-tête will be in the Normandy town of Caen on Saturday. The Americans have refused a French request for the two men to hold a joint press conference. The D-Day ceremony at the US cemetery at Colleville, by Omaha beach, has now been widened to include Britain's Gordon Brown and Prince Charles and Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister. Then Michelle Obama is staying on in Paris on a private visit for several days.

The Elysée is exasperated with the Americans, Europe 1 radio reported this morning. "Barack Obama has truly done nothing to give value to his relations with Nicolas Sarkozy," said their breakfast news.

The trouble began, not because Sarkozy did not invite the Queen, but because of the off-hand way that his team reacted when a couple of British newspapers kicked up the "royal snub" fuss last week. This D-Day was a Franco-American celebration, the government's spokesman said. The Queen could come another year.

The leftwing media and opposition have been laying into Sarkozy, saying he had behaved like an oaf [goujat -- see comments below],  as the Canard Enchaîné did today, in failing to invite the British. François Bayrou, Sarkozy's chief opponent from the centre, said he had been "crude and ungrateful" and "damaged the image of France". 

Le Canard summed it up: "Sarkozy has managed a double hit: insulting Queen Elizabeth and exasperating Obama."

We know about Michelle Obama's French plans because her husband announced them in his first interview for French TV last night. Talking to Canal+, he rather damned Sarkozy with faint praise."Your President Sarkozy I think has been very courageous in some of the decisions he has made".The two examples he cited were Sarkozy's support for the US in Afghanistan and over Iran.

Asked what he loved about France, Obama replied: "Let's see. We have the food. We have Paris. We got the south of France -- Provence. The wine." Obama said that he had travelled in the south when he was at college. He also admitted forgetting all his high school French. "Michelle I think speaks a little." 

 

Comments

[NICK]

"jerk" [goujat]

No! "Le Canard" is a polite paper: "goujat" = "cad".

[I was wondering how long it would take for people to question my translation. When did you last hear someone in English call someone a cad? I know that dictionaries translate goujat as boorish and cad but goujat is a commonly used word. Boor and cad left modern use a while ago. Happy to hear other suggestions, but in my ears cad most definitely does not translate goujat. CB]

[do-ré-mi]

Hasn't 'he's not that into you'

been translated in french yet?

The rules have changed, what was romantic and charming before are now akin to stalking.

Blame that on the Self-help movement and the softening of men that is:))

Plus not inviting the woman who actually lived through the war because you want a picture opportunity with the handsome yank (who seem to get on with Ma'am like a house on fire )is taking the biscuit.

[do-ré-mi]

This little Napoleon-lite-gaffe-affaire might do wonders for Antony Beevor's new book on D-Day over here.

[Sensi]

The propaganda and staged outrage continue: pathetic. I hope that you have for once noticed what i was referring to, some months ago, when I was speaking of the daily french hating from the so-called British "press" you are part CB. Not a surprise to see the heap of garbage and nazi sympathizer Daily Mail being at the forefront of this glorious journalism know-how.

Otherwise:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/why-truth-is-a-casualty-of-war-in-the-battle-of-obama-beach-1694529.html

[You will note that I explained last week that the outrage over the Queen was indeed staged by certain London newspapers. You will also have noticed that Sarkozy's handling of his D-Day extravaganza has been heavily criticised inside France. I don't imagine that all these French politicians and media are "French hating", as you call it. CB]

[Mauvezin]

Si j'etais en place de N Sarkozy , je laisserais tous ces anglosaxons se congratuler entre eux.
Il est bien temps que toutes ces palinodies cessent.
Les americains et leurs complices britanniques se moquent bien de la liberté de la France et des francais car ils craignaient simplement une Europe Unie allemande ce qui aurait bien mieux valu que cette actuelle Europe sous domination "culturelle" US.
Qu'Obama et la Queen restent chez eux et nous chez nous.

[Daisy]

Ouch, a diplomatic smackdown. I love it! I guess Sarko is not schooled in the French way of seduction. Obama has him all figured out.

Question for those in the know: while Obama's grandfather was fighting in the war and the Queen was doing her part and braving the blitz, what were the Sarkozys doing?

[azloon]

yeah, no love lost between these guys -- the tall, smooth, charismatic matinee idol, and the short, hyperkinetic, unpredictable troublemaker. not a match made in heaven.

there hasn't been a CB article yet which suggests these guys have a bright future. obama acts as tho sarko has a communicable disease, but so far at least, hasn't decided he needs to wear mask in sarko's presence.

[abby]

For those who don't read French, Mauvezin is essentially saying that Obama, the US and the Brits and Canadians, and all us "Anglo-Saxons" should stay at home and congratulate ourselves amongst ourselves and that we don't care about the freedom of French people. I don't know if anyone else is as fed up with the French trying to act like de Gaulle was not begging the US/Brits/Canadians to liberate his country? I love France, I'm a student of it's language and culture, but this kind of reviosinist thinking, that the Allies did more damage than the Axis in France etc.. is garbage.

Franchement, Mauvezin, vous n'avez pas honte? Meme si vous n'etes pas d'accord avec la culture anglosaxonne, ce n'est pas une raison pour dire de telle connerie! Ces anglosaxons qui s'en fichent de la liberte de la France sont quand meme morts pour liberer votre pays et des ingrats comme vous. Honte a vous!

[richard.jones]

TO DO-RE-MI,

Mr. Beevor's book has just aterri on my table but an hour ago! I will have for my trip to Caen on June 16th - via Madrid to Toulouse to gang up with an old French friend ....

[DODO]

Mauvezin

Depuis que les Français savent qu'ils financent, par la PAC interposée, une partie du train de vie de la famille royale, rien de plus juste que de limiter ses dépenses.
ça nous fera faire des économies.
Et puis en voyant ses chapeaux horribles, j'ai un pincement au coeur sachant que c'est un peu avec mon argent qu'elle se le paye.

[FC]

Sensi "the daily french hating from the so-called British press"

there's a reason why in the UK people differentiate between the serious press (Times, Telegraph etc) and the rest. If MAUVEZIN was British I reckon, given his/her latest post, he/she would read the latter.

[Dominique II]

And exactly how would the location, the audience and the musical background of those meetings affect citizen's lives?

Are we back to the Camp du Drap d'Or, when diplomacy was about flattery-lapping egos?

I expected it from Sarkozy. From Obama, though, I expected something like "Now that we have adressed those vexing issues of photo ops, shall we proceed to serious matters? If any, of course."

[p.doff]

Sarlozy has a gift for putting peoples' backs up....there was never a problem he could not make worse.

[NICK]

"I was wondering how long it would take for people to question my translation."

"Jerk" is slang, whereas "goujat" isn't. However, I would agree that "cad" is no longer used much and so would settle for "boor".

[Fine, though I don't think boor covers the sense of goujat when applied to bad manners over an invitation. Goujat is clearer and stronger.There must be some better English word, but I can't think of it. CB]

[NICK]

"Question for those in the know: while Obama's grandfather was fighting in the war and the Queen was doing her part and braving the blitz, what were the Sarkozys doing?"
Sarkozy's father was born in 1928 and was therefore not eligible for war service. He and his parents had to flee before the advancing Red Army in 1944 (Hungary was caught between the retreating Germans and the Russians, who often treated the Hungarians with extreme cruelty). The Sarkozys gradually made their way via Austria into Germany, where Sarkozy joined the Foreign Legion, nominally for 5 years but he was declared unfit in 1948 and came to France. Nothing much to be ashamed of there, I would say.

[GAG]

Perhaps President Sarkozy should try for a photo opportunity with Prime Minister Brown. Could be a nice souvenir, as Brown’s D-Day seems to be imminent.

[GAG]

Mauvezin

« liberté de la France » » Europe Unie allemande »

A free France in a German united Europe ?

So does this mean that once again France accepts German domination, or is it just Mauvezin’s way of accepting the inevitable ?

A strong and powerful Germany which dominates the European mainland has been at the top of the USA’s wish list for many years.

[do-ré-mi]

Send Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville, they love him.

richard.jones
Re: book.

The critics have been great. The Amazon ones, not so.
Tell us if it's good

[richard.jones]

TO Nick,

Perhaps I'm getting over-sensitive but I doubt very much that Sarkozy père joined the French Foreign Legion in Germany in 1948 or just before. If he had joined on French soil that would work and he could have joined in Belgium, Holland, even Switzerland but not in Germany or Austria for that matter until 1951 at earliest.
Now believe it or not he could have joined the Spanish Foreign Legion (a smaller legion but with all the same traditions and reputation).

[oblomov]

For "goujat" a better translation would be "oaf" or "lout." Not to say "ignoramus."
The excuse was worse than the original insult..."you're not invited, but come anyway, there's enough to eat and drink...if you are still alive, come another year !"

[Good idea... I'll insert oafish...CB]

[Dominique II]

GAG

Mauvezin's sortie about an united Europe under Germany being a better alternative than a culturally US-dominated one unfortunately refers to WWII Europe, not today's Europe. "car ils craignaient simplement une Europe Unie allemande ce qui aurait bien mieux valu que cette actuelle Europe sous domination "culturelle" US" is in the past tense and, anyway, purports to explain the Allies' contribution to France's liberation.

There must be some like him, for sure, in France and elsewhere, who feel WWII was won by the wrong side. Please do not for a moment think he speaks for France or a sizeable segment thereof. In fact he is perilouly close to "apologie de crimes de guerre", which our courts take seriously.

[dot king]

"Franchement, Mauvezin, vous n'avez pas honte?"

ABBY

Ô! j'ai bien peur que non! :)

[dot king]

" . . . Goujat is clearer and stronger.There must be some better English word, but I can't think of it. "

CB

How about "pratt"?
[Good idea too. But it's just a UK term, I think. CB]

[FC]

Oblomov - " For 'goujat' a better translation would be 'oaf' or 'lout' Not to say 'ignoramus' "

all of these suffer from the same problem as 'cad'... they're just not used.

[george]

The word you're looking for is "twat".

[Dominique]

"Le Canard summed it up: "Sarkozy has managed a double hit: insulting Queen Elizabeth and exasperating Obama.""

How wonderfull! We need to have Sarkozy as president in order to see the canard enchainé choked because some queen / king felt insulted.

Michelle Obama doesn't make a révérence, everybody thinks she is modern, Sarkozy invites the UK, letting them choose who comes, and everybody says Sarko is rude to the queen...

Please notice that for most of the french people (including myself i have to recognize), an unelected head of state such as an old lady with a pink hat represents nothing.

Sarko invites the UK, the UK choses who comes. If the old pink candy is upset, let her stay in her taxpayer luxury château.

How pathetic journalists are nowadays...

[Daisy]

NICK: ..but now a Sarkozy has embarassed a lot of French people who were grateful for the sacrifice of the Allies.

MAUZEVIN: so if you had lived through WW2 would you have collaborated with the Germans? Is it too much to ask that for a few hours on one day of the year, your President show a bit of respect for all of our citizens who died for you?

[Albert]

Since this is getting heated again, I'd like to echo and endorse the positive comments made by FRENCHIE a few days ago...

'I am really sad to read some of the comments. It's not because Sarko is an inconsiderate and avid of power little man that the French are that way...Please do not put us in the same bag!
I am a great grandchild of people who were fighting as resistents and have lost family and friends doing so. They were not seatting on their bum as some of you have commented.
Now I can assure you that the French of all generations regard highly the allied nations and what they have done for us and Europe.
Finally, I think we must stop this myth that French hate the English. I live, work and love England and the English and I am 100% French and proud to be....and I know I am not the only one who feel that way!

Posted by: Frenchie | 27 May 2009 20:13:07

I'm English. I feel about France as Frenchie feels about Britain. I'm sure that most of the British people who read this blog share this feeling.

I think it's because the British and French admire each other and want to be liked by each other that, on both sides, we are so quick to react (overreact) when we feel a slight has been made... perhaps we should reflect a little and take some time before clicking the 'Post' button.

On both sides of the Channel our politicians disgrace us; on both sides of the channel certain newspapers embarrass us.

[Daniel Strohl]

The title of CHARLES's article is "Obama dampens Sarkozy's D-Day ambitions". In the “spiegel on line”, there is a long and interesting article (in German) which explains that Mr. Obama does not seem either to be a big fan of Mrs. Merkel.

The article states that Mr.Obama did not appreciate that she had declined to come to his investiture ceremony, although he had invited her. He did not appreciate as well that during his last trip to Berlin, he could not hold a speech in front of the “Brandenburger Tor” (Gate of Brandenburg) as he intended to do.

There are several other factors (for instance in economy) displeasing Mr. Obama regarding his relations with Berlin and Mrs. Merkel, at least if one believes the Spiegel journalists. Of course, these gentlemen are merely journalists :).

The result of all this is that Mr.Obama makes only a short call to Germany, whereas German diplomacy expected (and tried to organise) much more. As far as I know, the American President does not even make a call to the UK :).

Hereafter a link to this article:

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,628083-2,00.html

PS: IMHO, most head of states have somewhat overdeveloped egos (otherwise, they would stay at home to “cultiver leur jardin” :). Mr. Obama does not seem to be an exception in this regard...

May be also that his European “friends” did not make him only compliments behind closed doors in the past months regarding the mess in the economy, which was primarily of American manufacture (hey, Azloon :), even if Mr.Obama was not in charge at the time. For the head of the most powerful state in the world, to have been lectured by political and economical European “dwarfs” was probably not a pleasure :).

[alan morgan]

There use to be ( maybe still is ) an employee of La Poste called Christophe Goujat. So....perhaps an alternative would be better.Jerk does not scan for he is neither a fool nor stupid.Maladroit meaning clumsy or bungling has accuracy and I think refinement.

[Anne]

Maybe "goujat" is what people would use in English anyway; as they do with whatever they can't quite translate in the same way.

Another alternative not mentioned here already might be "churl"?

[Mauvezin]

"Franchement, Mauvezin, vous n'avez pas honte?"
******************************
Pourquoi donc aurais-je honte de ce que je pense ?
Ce que pense les autres m'importe peu.
Je déteste et méprise cette culture du plastique criard venant des USA.
Je déteste et méprise cette culture du "politiquement correct" venue des USA.
Je déteste et méprise cette opinion généralisée comme quoi les anglosaxons seraient venus pour nous libérer(parlez aux normandes du comportement des "liberateurs") alors que la réalité est géopolitique et parfaitement concevable mais , ce faisant, ils fallait proclamer que les français etaient laches opinion largement répandue dans les colonnes de ce meme journal.
Je méprise la Grande-Bretagne d'aujourd'hui qui, depuis Suez, a choisi de se complaire à etre la colonie de son ex-colonie.
En outre, je ne supporte pas de voir vos souverains arborer les Lys de France sur leurs couronnes !

[Laura Abbey]

Mauvezin - You say the Anglo-Saxon world did not care or does not care for France. The whole world united to fight the fascists, suffered and died including your resistance fighters, and though I am an ignorant American, I was taught to appreciate and respect everyone's efforts. Commemoration for Dday might not mean much to you, as it is not relevant to your EU world now, but you should show more care in choosing your words. There are those who served then and remember.

Oh, and yes, it was worth the loss of life of every American even if you or your compatriots think little of the men who died on that beach. Outrageous.

[DODO]

Posted by: abby | 3 Jun 2009 14:47:02

Je laisse à MAUVEZIN le soin d'argumenter son message, sachez je suis loin de partager ses opinions.
Je préférer l'amitié de la France et de l'Allemagne aujourd'hui à celle de 1940 ...
Cependant, depuis que je suis en France, j'ai beaucoup entendu ce ressentiment Français contre le monde Anglo-Saxon.
L'argument, qui me semble recevable est le suivant : Le monde Anglo-Saxon a toujours appliqué sur le continent la fameuse maxime "divida et impera" (diviser pour mieux régner)
L'attitude Anglaise et Américaine entre les deux guerres, plus pro Nazi que Pro française est dure à avaler pour eux, comprenez le. De plus ils savent tous que l’intention au départ était de créer en France in Diktat Militaire, ce qui ne s’est pas fait grâce à De Gaulle. Comprenez qu’ils ‘don’t buy’ toujours l’argument du Libérateur désintéressé ;)

Mais la plus grande incompréhension, il me semble, vient du fait que si les Français respectent ceux qui sont venus ils ne se sentent pas obligés de respecter ceux qui ne sont pas venus.

A chaque fois que j'entends quelqu'un dire "WE SAVED their poor a..s " j'ai envi de lui demander sur quelle plage il a débarqué.

Un autre ressentiment que j’ai aussi beaucoup entendu est celui du « deux poids deux mesures ». S’il est tout à fait normal et justifié d’honorer ceux qui sont tombés en Normandie – et les Français le font – pourquoi les Américains ne font pas de même à Yorktown ? C’est quand même là que la France (pour reprendre l’argument ) « Saved their poor a..s ».
Même si j’ai des racines françaises, que je ne nie pas, la distance m’a donné une vision un peu plus globale des choses et ce qui me plait dans ce forum est l’argument de Charles : permettre que s’expriment ici deux visions souvent conflictuelles. Et je pense qu’il est temps pour chacun d’exprimer librement ses opinions même si elles ne sont pas forcément politiquement correctes.

[FredN]

Find it fascinating that all of you supporting Obama with respect to this are the very same people that attacked Bush anytime he said anything.

[Joe]

Mauvezin,

For these cemeteries in Europe - and for the thousands of Americans buried in them - I apologize.

http://www.strategypage.com/respect/articles/military_2009522.asp

For bringing the fight to Normandy while France formed the most successful collaborationist government in fascist Europe: I apologize.

Vous n'avez pas besoin de lire l'anglais de comprendre exactement ce que je voudrais dire. On ne peut pas trouver dans ces images europeennes... le drapeau Francais.

I lived and worked for more than a decade in Europe, and people like you always surprised me. "How," I would ask myself, "can one live in an historic land, yet have no sense of history?" For shame.

[azloon]

'oafish' is a term seldom heard in the u.s. though sometimes you'll hear someone referred to as an 'oaf.' but it's not much of an insult, more as in big, clumsy, amiably awkward (i didn't check the dictionary definition so am only recalling instances when i've heard the term).

i kinda like 'goozhah' (goujat) tho i never heard it before today. it has the same sort of ring to it as 'goombah' which is an italian-american (sopranos) favorite, meaning something entirely different.*

you sort of know what a 'goozhah' is without even knowing, no? and what does it matter? it sounds so great.

* 'goozhah' would be spoken here emphatically -- right hand upturned with fingers pinched.

[Nick Moore]

I'm 56, English, and was brought up on a diet of gallant British Tommies frustrating the beastly Germans. But the war started 70 and finished 64 years ago.

Without belittling in any way the British, Americans, French and others who were sacrificed am I alone in thinking that the world was different then, and as the old participants fade away perhaps we should also rest a little?

What really irritates me is the pompous moralising tone taken by commentators, not necessarily on this post, who grew up well after the war ended, and whose views of history seem merely jingoistic lecturing.

If Britain had had a land border with Germany or France, we too would have been conquered as we were totally unprepared to resist invasion. A bit of humility would sometimes be in order.

A bit off-topic perhaps, but there we are ...

[David Powell]

The reason that you should be ashamed Mauvezin is that NOT inviting the Queen was a calculated and deliberate insult to a country which lost thousands of lives on D-day and tens of thousands of lives in the following weeks in battles which were to end with a French General leading his troops in to liberate Paris.

It is inconceivable that Sarkozy and his advisors did not know what he was doing; it is inconceivable that the inviting or the not inviting of the British, Canadian and dare I say it Polish heads of state was not discussed, and REJECTED.

But there were more personnel of each of these nationalities killed on D-day than there were French soldiers involved.

Perhaps you find the fact that the British Head of State is a Queen, unlike Sarkozy, difficult to accept, but she is the British Head of State and deserves respect for that alone.

I find it odd that the French have Sarkozy as head of State, but that is their choice. And, no doubt he deserves respect for that fact alone.

But when he insults, and it is a vile insult, the Head of State of a country which lost tens of thousands of men trying to liberate his country, then many French men and women feel shame.

Make no mistake Mauvezin this was a cheap and trashy effort to make political capital by insulting the men who gave their lives for France, and shame on you for not being able to undertand this.

[Rob McHardy]

I was at Normandy to visit the beaches and a soft sadness pervaded the entire visit. My thoughts went to all the foreign soldiers who fought and died in a land they otherwise may not have visited.
They did'nt do it to facilitate political grandstanding, to treat this occasion as such is insensitive and misguided.

[thomasine]

Commemoration of D-day in 1994 was great. Why don't we stop commemorating after 50 years? Who's afraid of anticlimaxes, anticlimaxes, anticlimaxes?

[Elizabeth]

I live in France (Provence), ought to speak good French (nationality, degree etc) but I confess to not knowing the word 'goujat'. Before I read all the rest of the blog, I looked it up in my Oxford Hachette Dictionary = 'boor'; cross-checked in Chambers (both latest editions when bought in 2000) and got 'ill-mannered person'. Perhaps it is a generational thing, but to me Sarko is most definitely a boor, as I understood the word even before cross-checking. But yes, and that is putting it very very politely. However I can't really pass comment on its adequacy as a translation for goujat, can I?! Some words simply defy translation, as Sarko defies description. No single word is strong enough to describe or encapsulate his awfulness!

[I.Abt]

Just want to precise , in case some wonders , that the opinion of Mauvezin is not representative of 95% of French people , and is probably (if not surely ) fuelled by all the insults and humiliations we get to see on the english speaking internet toward our country , France , since many years , which has no equivalent in the world , if you replace the word "french" by "jew" or "black" in the websites like "i hate France" or many articles of the Sun or many english speaking forums , it would lead to international scandals, possibly trials , but our medias and politicians just say nothing about this and turn a blind eye .

Funnily , no English journalist or medias talk about this as well , whereas it is clearly what plagues the dialogue between us and widen the gap on many subjects , especially among the newer generation .

The result is that more and more young Frenchmen using the web , although a small minority , (especially since the war on Iraq that the French knew would be a disaster for stability and peace in the region ) that lead to a deluge of anti-French rethorics , are now as consequence , increasingly hostile to anything coming from anglo-saxons medias , especially when they attempt to impose their vision of history and use it to drag us down continually .

So , even though i'm as shocked as you are by what Mauvezin said about WWII's outcome , i somewhat understand why he reacts with such extremism to this phenomenon . (note that in France , no medias , no forum , no newspaper like the Sun in UK , is anti-English or insult English/American , or make it a hobby to insult , belittle or drag down your country , in French culture it is considered a serious proof of mediocrity , Germans and French fought many wars and killed each other by millions , yet , no German or French medias ridicule or insult each other on a daily/weekly basis or fuel the hate with hostile websites , article with incomplete/wrong informations aimed to bash us , newspapers always reporting something from France as soon as it appears to be negative , but never reporting positives etc.. , it's very important to know this , although i suspect i will be censored once again , i never undersand why i'm not published , when Mauvezin's opinion that seriously harm France's image and the French as a respectable people , is published , well nevermind .. )

[Dominique II]

MAUVEZIN whatever you feel about Europe's current state, saying or implying a Nazi victory would have been better is simply outrageous. A Nazi Europe is not something most of us would want to contemplate, and those who would are beneath contempt. WWII was really a civil war, it is not quite over, and you'd better think twice before choosing your side.

btw if you are fantasizing that victorious Nazis would have kept our pure European ears free from degenerate rock music, let me remind you that today's neo-Nazis love 'identitary rock' which is even uglier.

[Elmar]

Je suis Français et je trouve les propos de Mauzevin honteux. C'est sûr, l'Europe unie nazie et ses millions de morts dans des chambres à gaz, c'est vachement mieux que la culture "anglo-saxonne" actuelle (basée sur la liberté... que la France a défendue aux US).
Je ne sais pas qui est Mauzevin mais je l'espère bien seul et pourrissant dans ses réflexions nauséabondes.

[David E. Connolly, Jr.]

Wow-wee! Small fries! I think we all have bigger things on our plates than this. It is probably tea time in England... time to reflect on the good old days of Indian Tiger hunting, or a dash to the Hong Kong tailor, and in France, every day is a good day for a good bottle of wine, a fresh crust with some soft cheese, and discuss the appearance of Italian wine posing in a French label, and just what to do with all these Moroccan immigrants...

[Judith]

Nick Moore and Thomasine make good points. Most of us weren't borne in 1944 and the replaying of old battles must stop at some stage. Europe now is a different place and, as English writer L Hartley said, the past is also another country.

My main purpose is to comment on the rudeness of Pres Obama. I think that his visiting Paris and not calling on the French President ie the leader of the country he is visiting, is very bizarre. Surely there are international protocols about this kind of thing.

Increasingly I consider that everything that Pres Obama does is done with domestic politics in mind. Perhaps he is concerned that those with residual anti-French sentiment in the US would view too much familiarity with the French leader very negatively.

[Edward Johns]

Poor old Mauzevin. He seems to be feeling very much as Hitler must have felt at the 1936 Berlin Olympics when Jesse Owens debunked the myth of Aryan racial superiority. Barbarian anglo-saxons liberating France! Quel lèse-majesté !

[Yvonne]

Whatever trouble Sarkozy's image and governance is causing in France, there is no reason for Obama not to have a formal sit down in a capital city with the leader of another country as well as a key ally. One of the "reasons" that American media was pushing for the election of Obama is to increase our standing in the world. I have seen nothing that Obama has done to supposedly increase our standing in the world, i.e., buying Gordan Brown DVDs hat can't be played in England, being lectured by Daniel Noriega for an hour without defending America, and his great European Apology tour. Obama is either very arrogant or very naive to think he can just persuade other world leaders with his supposed wit and charm. I am beginning to think it is the former rather than the latter and I am also beginning to think he is more embarrassing than Bush albeit in a different way.

[richard.jones]

Nick, Thomasine & Judith,

I very much hear what you're saying.
This year I'm doing my last (I'm not a D-Dayer) to Caen on June 16th with a French friend and co-guerrier of 70 years (we met 1940).
There will be chaps who will want to keep going. I'm sure most of us do it more and more for our own hearts, souls and memories and that representing our own nations has somehow less and less sway as time goes on. But our national opinions don't necessarily, and sometimes they are unduly stirred, want to give up our journey. I think another 5 years, when the very youngest will be 89 and perhaps even 10 more as it will be the 75 years anniversary (youngest 94!) and then it will simply fade away.
My only regret is somehow the generation born between roughly 1935 and 1960 harbours more needless nationalism and has wrought in stronger historic prejudices of those war years than we have. Perhaps these next ten years can serve to heal the wounds and woes of both generations, everywhere.

[do-ré-mi]

"Commemoration of D-day in 1994 was great. Why don't we stop commemorating after 50 years?
Who's afraid of anticlimaxes, anticlimaxes, anticlimaxes?"

Maybe because guys who landed on D day are still alive and we should honour them, ( they had to do it, nobody asked them for their opinion). For descendants it matters that others remember the sacrifice of the ones who didn't make it. It matters also to the French. They looked up to us for our Enlightenment once.

With the resurgence of extreme ideas and the certitude of people like Mauvezin that their way is best and the Americans should go home - ( because our old froggie colonial system was better, everybody knew where they stood - wait till you have to eat noodles).
You live in a democracy, you don't live in the alternative. Imagine life in the Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province.

Yeah Yeah I know it's not so simple, geo-politic gives me a headache.

I miss a comment by Peter Kinsley right about now.

I am not very Army, but when people are sent to war, the state should take care of them. ( in the US and in the UK, many of the poor enter the army to escape poverty or to get their degree financed) but the way soldiers are treated in the UK is shameful, they don't have to wait 50 years to be forgotten.
Geoff Hoon was quick to claim all the expenses he could, if only he had been so quick with decent equipment for soldiers in a war nobody wanted.

[FC]

regarding the adolescent rantings of Mauvezin... and a theme raised with more reason by others regarding the pervasive 'anglo-saxon' culture... two points...

...in the main it's American culture (films, McDos, music etc) which is arguably more pervasive here in France than in the UK (and, by the way, what is 'anglo-saxon' culture anyway?)

...nobody forces the French to listen to American music (although what's the alternative... Johnny Hallyday?) or go to McDos (much bigger and more popular in France than in the UK) or go to see the latest Hollywood movie... people are free to make their own choices on such things aren't they?

[DODO]

May I suggest this link Charles ?
I hope you don't mind if it is from the Independent.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/why-truth-is-a-casualty-of-war-in-the-battle-of-obama-beach-1694529.html

Some interresting comment like this one :

TY
[info]killaw wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 12:43 pm (UTC)
This is a welcomed British article, alone among the overwhelming francophobic staged outrages within the remaining heap of sh!t that is called the British "press".

Thank you for being honest among bigots and liars.

[Dodo, nothing in the Independent article disagrees with or contradicts what I wrote a week ago.

It does however make an error in saying that Obama's presence in Normandy was his own initiative. In reality, Sarkozy was pressing him to come for weeks before he confirmed that he would. ... The Independent also makes an error in suggesting that bilateral US visits to Omaha beach on D-day have taken place in the past. They have not. Ceremonies have always been international on June 6, even if on a small scale. CB]
CB

[Rick]

In 1943-44, Hubert Beuve Méry fought with the Resistance in the Tarn, around Albi. Shortly before the Normandy landings, Beuve Méry wrote the memorable words:

‘Les Américains constituent un réel danger pour la France (...) Les Américains peuvent arrêter une révolution nécessaire, et leur matérialisme n'a pas la grandeur tragique du matérialisme des régimes totalitaires’ [‘The Americans are a real danger for France (…) The Americans may halt a necessary revolution; and their materialism does not have the tragic grandeur of totalitarian regimes.’]

That infelicitous phrase, ‘the tragic grandeur of totalitarian regimes’ should have been strangled at birth. One can understand his ingenuous hope for a better world; one can only mock his (equally ingenuous!) resentment towards his liberators.

A fat lot Beuve Méry knew about the Americans, down there with the ‘maquis’, deep in Cathar country, after four years Occupation, and a near-100% news block-out! Still, ignorance of the facts has never stopped any self-respecting Frenchman from having a stab at the Yanks.

That autumn, after the liberation of Paris, Beuve Méry was appointed to the editorship of the newly created ‘Le Monde’. Quelle ironie! France has been partially liberated (not least, by these same Americans); a new national newspaper is established in the premises just vacated by the collaborationist press; this newspaper is intended to be outward-looking with a name like that... and, lo and behold! Guess who gets picked as boss?

A chap with a granite chip on his shoulder about Yanks, with a sufficiently cock-eyed intellect to write b*ll*cks like ‘the tragic grandeur of totalitarian regimes’.

[Franck]

Haaaa les english !!!
Vous me ferait toujours marrer.
Ya un truc qu'il faudrait que vous compreniez : en France on s'en fout des anglais.
A la limite on parle des ricains et des italiens mais les english.... on s'en bat les balls
Pour nous vous n'êtes rien de plus que les valets des états unis.
J'ai lu un post qui m'a bien fait rire sur USA Today en réponse à ce sujet du DDAy et de la Queen :"The idea of even having a queen is pure nonsense" (ça c'est du lourd)

Mauvezin : je sais pas pourquoi (peut être la première phrase de ton premier post) mais j'ai l'impression que t'es anglais

[PJW]

David E. Connolly, Jr -
However ugly the traded insults become between Britain and France, hearing from the likes of David E. Connolly, Jr (no less) makes me infinitely grateful to be a) Brtish, b) part of Europe and c) 26 miles off the coast of France and not America!

[Daniel Strohl]

"Increasingly I consider that everything that Pres Obama does is done with domestic politics in mind" (JUDITH).

I agree with this statement. Pres Obama is primarily a (very intelligent and educated) politician; he is not - up to the proof of the contrary :) - a saint able to do miracles, as some gullible people seem to think he is :).

However, one should wish him all possible success in his difficult job.

[Daniel Strohl]

"Perhaps he is concerned that those with residual anti-French sentiment in the US would view too much familiarity with the French leader very negatively" (JUDITH).

Conversely, when he addresses the French public, he is rather positive about France and especially Sarkozy. My wife saw an interview of Pres Obama on Canal +. She got this positive impression. Canal + is a well known French TV station; however, I doubt that more than 1 % of US-American do even know its name. And probably, the big US channels did not bother to retransmit this interview.

Politicians are politicians, be they American, British, French or (almost :) any other nationality. As the saying goes: On n'attrape pas les mouches avec du vinaigre (one does not catch flies with vinegar :). I am pretty sure that there is a similar saying in English, even if it does not pop up in my mind right now...

PS:

My wife says : C'est un beau parleur. This would be translated in American parlance as "He is a good salesman" (I think Mary Fernandez used this formulation already some time ago :).

[NICK]

"Oaf", "prat" or "jerk", this is all very much a storm dans une tasse à thé.
"Sarkozy awful beyond all description"? Oh, yes? I could name a certain hapless chap just the other side of the Channel far more worthy of the description but feel it would be too cruel to do so.

[dot king]

"How about "pratt"?
[Good idea too. But it's just a UK term, I think. CB]"

ME & CB

Mmm, but "jerk" is American usage - I can't think that I ever heard it used in the UK except literally.
"Jerk's" link with the American usage verb "je-k off" reminded me that we also have "tosser" in English - that would seem Sarkozy-suitable too.

;D

A trans-Atlantic, single word for "goujat" may not be available, but as The Times is a venerable English newspaper (originally at least) might I suggest that English English should hold the higher ground here?

So what's preferred "pratt" or "tosser"? Should we vote? :)

[millier marc]

J'ai honte pour lui(mauzevin)
Comment peut-on encore écrir des conneries comme ça.
Je suis Français et vraiment, j'ai des difficultés à comprendre que des français puis penser ainsi.

Je veux aussi mentionner qu'une certaine presse anglo-saxonne réalise reguliérement des camapgnes anti-french.Sans que personne ne trouve à redire!!!
The Sun en UK..et aussi parfois d'autres journaux anglais
et FOX-NEW..aux USA..(le groupe murdock
Il sera difficile pour les lecteurs angl-saxons de trouver l'équivalent en france.

Sans oublier le fameux site "fuck france.com.

j'ai une pensée en ce jour de commémoration pour tous les jeunes
soldats anglais et des autres nationalités mort sur les plages normandes.

[Edward Johns]

On the great Goujat debate, perhaps 'Goujon' would be more diplomatic ?

[paul]

Always surprising to see people translating word for word after so many years.
'ill-mannered person' is the proper translation but perhaps it ought to be modified in a phrase like churlish or ill-mannered behaviour also discourteous might fit.
Regarding Sarko and Obama remember that in France anglo-saxon means American, new post-revolutionary world (don't forget French Americans like the Cajuns of Louisiana).
For the French the British are the ancient regime, pomp,flummery the monarchy, shocking etc. They held Napoleon I in exile, received Napoleon III and had the bad grace to liberate France in two world wars, thus triumphing over the French Royal navy and army. This is unforgivable. Indeed I am sure there are still French generals planning how to defeat the British. And it explains a lot about attitudes in the French occupation. Britain was only interested in France to prevent itself being part of the German European Union cum Empire. They had no business to get involved in the homematch between the rightwing and the Front Populaire leftwing. The German presence was an irrelevance.
Shame about the refugees, homosexuals, women and children who all got deported.... There are memorials to the French who died heroically under American and British bombs.

[Just on the little word question, I was trying to find a pithy English word rather than a long phrase explaining what the French word means. CB]

[dot king]

"The whole world united to fight the fascists, suffered and died including your resistance fighters, and though I am an ignorant American, I was taught to appreciate and respect everyone's efforts."

LAURA ABBEY to MAUVEZIN

Laura, you aren't an "ignorant American" as your post shows very clearly - and it's reassuring to know that what you say is what you were taught to believe and choose to believe still, because it's right.
You might be someone who reads this blog regularly but has never posted (it seems to me it's the first time I've seen your name), on the other hand you might be a newcomer and not know just how much some American bloggers don't share your values, but just slug away in the most bigoted fashion imaginable.

Please stay around, some of your compatriots are in serious need of a counter-weight opinion.

[dot king]

am I alone in thinking that the world was different then,

NICK MOORE

No, you aren't alone, I agree with you wholeheartedly - and (as sometimes happens) I have an anecdote - from yesterday (the literal yesterday - ie Wednesday morning).
I called on some friends who were "in a state" (of frustration verging on fury) because they'd just had a bail-out call from their grandson, who, with 4 friends acquired student euro-rail tickets and set off with (I understand) "about €200".
Naturally this didn't get them all the way round Europe, in fact just Amsterdam, thence to Paris, maybe via Berlin (it was all a bit hard to keep track of) - anyway the "please bail us out" call came from Paris; couldn't have come at a better time, following on a death in the family, arrival of stray cat, family visits been and more due, these 5 young men are an "extra", a "bonus" :).
At one point, my friend said: "The oldest of them is 21. Good God! In 1940 he'd have been flying a spitfire for 2 years . . ."

Voilà for the anecdote - yes indeedy, times have changed.

[Thierry]

Sarkozy had the very right to wish to meet Obama alone at Colleville
Our british ally should not have jumped on that
Tempête dans un verre d'eau
Just so stupid
Why not now also invite Merkel at Colleville too as a brilliant copy of the Kohl-Mitterrand symbolic meeting at Verdun in 1984???

[dot king]

RICHARD JONES if you are nearby and would like to, give me a call - in the annuaire no problem - if you have the time that is, I would be pleased to open a good bottle or two for you - or bring your own sheep's bladder . . . :)

[azloon]

[Canal + is a well known French TV station; however, I doubt that more than 1 % of US-American do even know its name.] Daniel Strohl

Daniel, you might be surprised. Canal + co-produces many entertainment shows that end up on TV here, and gets mentioned in the 'credits.' but it's 'pluhs' here, not 'ploo.'

your wife's description of obama as a 'beau parler' might better translate as (a) 'real talker.' but that's just a guess by me.

when i was growing up, centuries back, adults would often describe loquacious children as 'real talkers,' which was a term of endearment, with a little exasperation thrown in.

[dot king]

"Oaf", "prat" or "jerk", this is all very much a storm dans une tasse à thé.

NICK

So why did you quarrel with Charles' translation in the first place?

I have one particular friend and sometimes when we get together, we rhyme off all the insult words in English that we don't get the opportunity to use any more because we live in France - prat, praddock, tosser are usually just for starters - the merest warm-up to the stream of expletives. ;D

[Travis]

The French peoples problem emanate from a state of confusion in their minds. They would like to feel superior to the British, but then they remember that the Brits have had to rescue them twice in 2 major world wars. Also they know that they are divided by the fact that half their nation collaborated with the Nazis, while Britain stood and fought alone. Sarkozy took the U.S president for a fool, thinking he could get kudos from a visit! Good on Obama for knowing his history!

[azloon]

Mauvezin is symptomatic, i'm afraid. but he does us the favor of being a telling demonstration of the 'unreconstructed,' 'know-nothing' frenchman. i imagine he's as embarrassing for many of his countrymen as the 'Drudge' gang is for some of us. ignorance and extremism will be the death of us all.

[The frenchman]

Les gars n'oubliez pas l'entente cordiale s'il vous plait!!!!

Do not ignore the Entente Cordial guys please!!!!

Hopefully french people gonna get rid of this president.Sometime I am wondering if he is not thinking as a election candidate who seeking the media and the frame of news papers.
He abused african in Senegal now it is the Queen who's next????

[NICK]

@ DOT KING
"NICK

So why did you quarrel with Charles' translation in the first place?"

Firstly, because Charles translated a non-slang word by a slang word. Secondly - and he is not alone in this among British journalists - it is a way of slanting information in order to denigrate Sarkozy. Criticism of politicians is part of a journalist's job but it should be done as equitably as possible.

[Franck]

Mauvezin président

[dot king]

AZLOON
"un beau parleur" is, politely, a good salesman, but less politely, a con-man - who could sell you anything - ie a VERY good salesman*
I had the impression, just like Mme Strohl, that Obama was very positive about France and Sarkozy in his interview on Canal +. I didn't even pick up anything that could be ambiguous - and I could hear both the English and the French quite clearly - for once there was an adequate time-lapse and the voice-over didn't drown out the original.

(*this is a strictly vocabulary post and not a political one :))

[dot king]

"Mauvezin is symptomatic, i'm afraid. but he does us the favor of being a telling demonstration of the 'unreconstructed,' 'know-nothing' frenchman. "

AZLOON

And that comment is revealing of a patronising Amerloque - whether in agreement or not with Mauvezin's comment, he has always demonstrated that he is the opposite of a "know-nothing" - and that coming from someone who can't even fully understand his comment - with his typically French nuances even if you have a vague grasp of the rest.
You goujat you!

[Reid in Houston]

I seem to recall that the press made a big deal of the fact that Sarkozy did not kiss Michelle the last time the two couples met. Perhaps there is a bit more underlying the coolness than this D-Day business. France and the US have very different interests in the Middle-East. Presidents change but fundamental interests do not.

[Heinz Koenig]

@ Daniel Strohl
I am always pleased when you insert some German press voices to complete somehow the European picture.
I like the distance Frau Merkel keeps to Mr. Obama. The Brandenburger Tor affair was only fair as Mr. O was in an election campaign. If it was wise, remains to be seen. The denial of the visit to the white house was only logic and in the European sense. The time generously granted by the big shot Americans to see Mr. O were just a few minutes - not balancing an 8 hours trip cross the Atlantic (unless you want to play poodle on the masters lap) the less, as there was a G 20 meeting days after.
This behaviour of Frau Merkel is exactly what a United Europe should do - talk to the US on the same eyes' hight. How can we do that? By teaming up as a United Europe.
The laugh affair on the commemorating ceremonies show the absolute opposite of what I mean by a powerful Europe. The Americans must laugh all their way back to the bank.
@ GAG
Am I anywhere near the truth assuming that you recommend to the French to follow an English led Europe? And, am I right that you would find an English led Europe as absolutely correct as England deserves such a position?
Germany has been more modest in taking the rains until 1989 as one would have expected looking at the financial burdens they quietly shouldered (in contrast to the discount members Britain, who want the say but not the pay). You may have noticed that we have started to put our say near to our pay - but at the same token we still believe that the Swiss model is right and should be followed. Only a balanced Europe between all nations can work, which requires however that all members follow the same goals and visions and participate to the best of their capabilities unfortunately most probably without English participation.

[Franck]

Heinz :
"Only a balanced Europe between all nations can work, which requires however that all members follow the same goals and visions and participate to the best of their capabilities unfortunately most probably without English participation. "
I totally agree with that

[FC]

Heinz Koenig "in contrast to the discount members Britain, who want the say but not the pay"

oh yawn! such a boring misrepresentation of the facts... do you also consider France, Italy, Spain... infact every other EU nation... to be discount members?

"You may have noticed that we have started to put our say near to our pay" and "Only a balanced Europe between all nations can work"... no contradiction there then!

"you recommend to the French to follow an English led Europe?"

what seems very clear is that the British (not English) are very happy not to 'lead' Europe because the majority do not appear to want a federalist EU.

[Thierry]

Heinz Koenig , also fully agree with you.
Happy to have some german or european counterbalance view on this 2009 subject.

[Daniel Strohl]

DOT,

Thanks for your very clear explanations to Azloon. In fact, calling somebody "un beau parleur" is generally not really meant (or interpreted :) as a compliment. A more derogatory formulation would be: c'est un baratineur. This is of course not the case.

Dot, I like your formulation: "(*this is a strictly vocabulary post and not a political one :))

I continue with a "vocabulary post", but with a faint political content. In my opinion, "goujat" is mostly used by women when they speak of an ill-mannered man (a man speaking of another man would generally use other, more pregnant expressions than goujat).

Therefore, it is somewhat strange that Le Canard Enchainé feels entitled to call Sarkozy "un goujat". As a satirical paper, they make most or a great part of their living by stirring "s..t" - IMHO, they are not the right people to teach high-nosed morality lessons :).

HEINZ KOENIG,

"I like the distance Frau Merkel keeps to Mr. Obama"

This is exactly what my wife said this morning :) - my wife is not Alsatian; her family comes from Normandie and Paris.

More generally, I agree with the substance of your post. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go to get an Europe working as well as the Swiss model...

[Jerome]

Goujat. What about philistine or bounder ?

[dot king]

"Sarkozy did not kiss Michelle the last time the two couples met. "

REID IN HOUSTON

He can't reach! ;D

NICK according to my Larrousse, "goujat" is: autrefois "un valet d'armée" auj. "un homme mal élevé, grossier"

The non-slang definition is perhaps more insulting than the slang terms proposed by Charles, myself and others. French has a word, goujat, which doesn't seem to have a corresponding word to what Charlie Hebdo meant when they described Sarkozy's behaviour as that of a goujat.
If the word doesn't exist, then Charles has to find an alternative -to express what he's quoting - a word, not an expression. Contrary to yourelf, I find Charles is often too kind to Sarkozy. :)
It wouldn't have been very interesting to read: Charlie Hebdo said Sarkozy had behaved like a badly brought up man - would it? Or the older expression, what would that be - a batman?

[Jody Bowen]

Anyone who believes Obama is snubbing the French president because of his attitude towards Queen Elizabeth has not studied this man. He is snubbing Sarkozy for his own personal aggrandizement as he does everything else.

[You are right. I've written a piece for tomorrow's newspaper saying that. I'll link it later. CB]

Kyimmie
Des Etats Unis

[Mauvezin]

... that lead to a deluge of anti-French rethorics , are now as consequence , increasingly hostile...
**********************
Il ne s'agit nullement d'une rancoeur nouvelle mais plutot de faits patents comme Mers-el-Kebir ou l'AMGOT.
Les commentaires récents auxquels vous vous referez representent le tréfond de ce que pensent nos soi-disants alliés.
Pour illustrer mon propos , lisez ceci
http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,92768,00.html
Quant au reste pensez ce qui vous plaira;mais je suis bien obligé de constater que tous les "démocrates" de ce Forum n'acceptent pas un point de vue different du leur;on appelle cela le plus plat conformisme moral ce qui ne m'etonne pas de peuples qui se sont laissés mener en guerre d'invasion en Iraq sous de fallacieux pretextes.
Voila ou réside la honte veritable.
PS: J'admire et respecte profondement le courage et le sacrifice des soldats venus mourir noblement alors que les raisons de leurs dirigeants étaient ignobles (non nobles).

[Rick]

I love the way so many folk keep banging on about Europe when they don’t mean Europe at all... they mean an entity composed of France and Germany: 2 out of 27! So stop knocking the Brits, please.

The French still have problems with the phrase ‘a net contributor’, while the Germans allow themselves to be manipulated by Marianne. Repeat: the EU consists of 27 states, plus aspirants. Compared with them, Bill and Ben are small potatoes. If they are founder members, it’s because the EU was intended to prevent them squabbling. Hardly a reason for self-congratulation; or alternately browbeating and overlooking other states...

[Marlene]

To Daniel Strohl,

Spiegel is wrong if it stated that Obama invited Merkel to his "investiture." For one thing, it is an Inauguration, and for another, foreign heads of states are not invited to the Inauguration of a US president. It is a uniquely American event although invitations to ambassadors may be sent out.

[Dominique II]

AZLOON writes "Mauvezin is symptomatic, I'm afraid", thus blithely disregarding the many French posters, including me, who distanced themselves from his repulsive post (and the vastly more numerous ones who did not support it!).

Silver lining to the (oh so usual) cloud:

(1) Mauvezin's outing. It will be difficult for him to hide his true colors now. And they are NOT France's.

(2) Azloon has doubled his political vocabulary re France and the French: "typical" now can be replaced by "symptomatic", making his posts marginally less monotonous.

Things are improving.

[NoParty]

How can this be? I thought that Obama was going to make the world love the US again. It seems lots of the postingsto this article may be from the Obots or Trolls who rant and rave against Sarah Palin at the drop of the hat, and now, they are helping a petulant Obama throw Sarkozy under the bus, which I think translates to Sarkozy jeter sous le bus.....I can be wrong, but you get the idea.

[Rick]

MARLENE, the ‘Spiegel’ article went: ‘The reputation for being ‘unwieldly, [in the view of the White House] she owes to her refusal to allow the candidate Obama to speak in front of the Brandenburg Gate. It was also found impolite and thus also unwise that, in April, she didn’t accept an invitation from the newly elected President to the White House, although a date had already been found for her.’

[‘Das Etikett "sperrig" verdankt sie ihrer Weigerung, den Kandidaten Obama vorm Brandenburger Tor sprechen zu lassen. Als unhöflich und damit auch unklug wurde empfunden, dass sie im April einer Einladung des neu gewählten Präsidenten ins Weiße Haus nicht folgte, obwohl bereits ein Termin gefunden war‘.]

Yes, of course, the Inauguration took place on 20 January, not in April. Quite properly, the Federal Chancellor had earlier denied the candidate Obama the backdrop he’d wanted for an electoral rally. Whether Obama is big enough to forgive and forget is another matter. As for the April invitation for the White House visit, a considerable amount of groundwork must have been carried out, in the confident expectation the lady would be there – after all, nobody declines a Presidential invitation.

The Uxorious Midget in the same league as the Beanpole and the Hausfrau when it comes to discourtesies? Well, hardly.

[Daniel Strohl]

MARLENE,

Thanks for the correction - I mixed up "inauguration" and "investiture". Sorry, but I am not a specialist in constitutional right, US-American or French :).

The Spiegel article may possibly harbour some factual errors. However, it is interesting to read. As the French saying goes: "Il faut toujours écouter plusieurs sons de cloche" (one should always listen to various bell rings).

May be a few US-Americans (I am NOT meaning you, Marlene :) should have a look at other media than only FOX NEWS if they want to understand the world as it is and not as they are convinced it should be. In this respect, the Fox News article linked by MAUVEZIN is appalling, even if one takes into account its publishing date.

We have of course got some stupid journalists and some stupid media in France as well. However, up to now, I didn't read there something remotely comparable in stupidity. May be I didn't look at the right spots :).

DOT,

"NICK according to my Larrousse"

Dot, I am afraid to have to tell you that it is really time for you to invest in a new keyboard - i.e. a keyboard not prone to occasional stuttering (Larrousse instead of Larousse :).

[Rick]

I write to commend DOM2 and others for their attitude. There were two or three messages similar to the following, all of which were moving. The writer’s sincerity is crystal clear.

‘I am very shamefull. The british are our brothers for ever. there bodies resting in our soil deserve all the respect and memory.
Our actual presidente is so vulgar that I am please that Her Majesty won't have to salut him.
As a lot of french I can only thank the british for having fred us.We will never forget.
Long life to our Majesty the Queen.
Daniel; Paris.’

[steve]

my god as an american i cant wait for the day the pompus ass obama HUSSEIN leaves office after sucking up to people who want to kill us and denying the french president an audience he is a real ass

[richard.jones]

TO M. MAUZEVIN

Je soupçonne que M. Mauzevin tienne la nationalité hollandaise ou belgo-hollandaise; qu'il habite Maastricht ou les environs; qu'il passât une partie majeure de sa vie professionelle comme consultant aux siens des services varies de l'EU.

As I strive to complete my knowledge of a time I had no time to look at or listen to, do you have more on AMGOT in general or just the money???

[Thierry]

@Rick

well yes Germany and France showed the way in a sense -5 decades ago- for the building of a European "citizenship"..it will take another decades again to reach it,between that a "Europe of Nations" ,but it will be reached.
Fully join it ,if not let us follow our own pace

[colynn Burrell]

Twat?
Quite appropriate. The adjetive is also a noun sometimes a verb and uniquely British; referring to one of those things you find at the top of ladies legs.
While we are considering mild sexual references. How about Wanker?

[susan]

How about remembering the thousands of Canadian, Australian, British, American young men who gave their lives to liberate Europe, and their leaders (such as the Queen's father) who then turned around and gave those conquered territories back to the people of those countries. Or would the French prefer to be a territory of the USA or the British. If I can't see gratitude then I would rather see nothing.

[susan]

The gratitude is not to the Obama, or to the USA but to those young men. No matter how much time passes, those men's sacrifice should be remembered. When the last of that war generation dies, it is will be even more imperative to make the effort.

[terry]

Seems like we have a clash of egos. Obama is almost everything Sarko is accused of. Obama does not love sharing the spotlight and he enjoys his celebrity status.

And that is a phony strut if I ever saw one. I wonder if he practiced.