An American and his passport in France

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**Fateweaver**

Dunno how that joke generated so much hate and claims of racism.

It's funny I thought and just about an old geezer having some fun with a young(er) man.

**Relapse**

Bookwrack wrote:Of course you are.

So I guess the official putting the old douchebag in his place by mentioning that the reason no one was there to greet him was because the resistance was off committing thousands of acts of sabotage just got cut off?

Or were you just being willfully ignorant because it's perfectly fine to say 'all X suck!' when X is a country and not a race?

Easy, Trigger. Where I'm from in northern Maine every other person at least is part French and Indian. Your a tad sensitive about a joke that really isn't meant to be mean or nationalistic. As was said by another poster it's more about somebody caught in their own world, being reminded that there's a lot more out there happening.

**halonachos**

Eh, he's just thinking he can be head of the internet for the moment and the "power" is going to his head.

**sebster**

chromedog wrote:I got that in a forwarded email titled "you could've heard a pin drop'.

Here's another part of the email;

There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?'
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly:
'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply
emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day,
they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'

That's not even a joke. It's a (likely fictitious) anecdote in which a Frenchman who really should know better asks a stupid question, and gets response designed to make Americans who base their ego on the effectiveness of their armed forces feel good about themselves. The only possible enjoyment comes from having your worldview reinforced.

**Relapse**

Bookwrack wrote:
LunaHound wrote:One thing i dont understand , how are things like what OP post any different than racism?

It's not. It's stupid, it's ignorant, and it's factually wrong, which *gets out the checklist* hey, meets all the requirements to identify Relapse as a racist douchebag.

Since when are the French a different race? I'd say that was the ignorant mixup in your facts. Your checklist, sir, is at fault.

**halonachos**

But hey, we all hate the French apparantly for enjoying the OP's joke.

**sebster**

Corvus wrote:Jesus people need to calm down a little. It's just a joke. Can't we all just laugh about it or at least let it slide instead of freaking out about "HURR ARROGANCE/IGNORANCE STFU!!!!" That's the point. It's a joke. I bet anything if this was a joke about how Americans are stupid/fat/etc everyone would be laughing their asses off. So let's all just relax and take this for what it is: a joke (even if it's not terribly funny)

I used to quite like jokes about the French (For sale: French Rifles. Only dropped once.) but then people started taking those jokes seriously, and started assuming it reflected on modern French military capacity (in terms of budget the French are third in the world, in terms of force projection they could be second).

Context matters.

**Fateweaver**

We are all narrow-minded hicks who are racist.

Really, some people need to grow a goddamn thicker skin.

**Manchu**

The only interesting thing in this thread is that people still buy into the idea of the French Resistance. Now that's propaganda staying power, Hollywood.

**halonachos**

Yes, yes. If you watch "Lord of War" you learn that it's also one of the biggest suppliers of weapons. Along with every member of the U.N. security council.

**Corvus**

sebster wrote:
I used to quite like jokes about the French (For sale: French Rifles. Only dropped once.) but then people started taking those jokes seriously, and started assuming it reflected on modern French military capacity (in terms of budget the French are third in the world, in terms of force projection they could be second).

Context matters.

I see your point, but in that case you should just go after the people who are honestly dumb enough to take a freaking joke seriously rather than the one who made the joke.

On a side note, while I don't doubt French military tech or budget, I believe their combat effectiveness is severely hampered by the same politically correct ROEs and strategies that plague most modern European military forces. Bottom line, they have some very nice toys, but they don't always have the will to use them effectively.

**halonachos**

The french resistance existed, I remember watching the history channel talking about the "Who me?" gas american scientists were developing for the resistance. It was supposed to smell like a bad fart and break up meetings of german officers.

**Relapse**

@Manchu,

I've heard that the Norwegian resistance movement was incredible.

**Manchu**

as the kids on 4chan would say

>>implying history channel is about history

**LunaHound**

Corvus wrote:
sebster wrote:
I used to quite like jokes about the French (For sale: French Rifles. Only dropped once.) but then people started taking those jokes seriously, and started assuming it reflected on modern French military capacity (in terms of budget the French are third in the world, in terms of force projection they could be second).

Context matters.

I see your point, but in that case you should just go after the people who are honestly dumb enough to take a freaking joke seriously rather than the one who made the joke.

On a side note, while I don't doubt French military tech or budget, I believe their combat effectiveness is severely hampered by the same politically correct ROEs and strategies that plague most modern European military forces. Bottom line, they have some very nice toys, but they don't always have the will to use them effectively.

I see your point , i really do. I think the joke in first post is clever no doubt.

So , how much WTC 911 jokes do you think i can post before im banned? ( <-- that is just a question not that im going to do that , so mods , dont! )

**Manchu**

Luna, in the realm of humor there is a thing called timing. It doesn't just refer to delivery.

**halonachos**

Its about FUN history. Funistory, Histofun, Hifunstory, Histerectomyfun?

Just because it has some shows about 2012 apocalypses and the history of food doesn't mean it's not about history.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
And I believe its best to take everything on 4chan with a grain of salt...and maybe some penicillin.

**LunaHound**

Manchu wrote:Luna, in the realm of humor there is a thing called timing. It doesn't just refer to delivery.

I know Manchu , i understand that too.

But i just feel its pretty mean to have the mentality of " you know , we know its mean to make jokes out of you Frenches . but you know what?
your country is weak , and ours kicks your ass any time. So grow thick skin , or do something about it "

**Manchu**

It should be called the Fiction Channel.

@Luna: Mmmm, as has been pointed out any kind of serious xenophobia isn't funny. OP is headed in that direction. Hence why people replied with things like "YAAAAAAAAA(etc)N" right off the bat. No need to mount the soapbox on this one.

**LunaHound**

Not mounting any soapbox manchu , just trying to see if im understanding this from your ( and who ever i replied to so far ) 's point of view.
And if anything , im trying to understand to what leads to this type of jokes.

**Manchu**

At it's best, friendliness. At it's worst, chauvinism.

**halonachos**

Well, the man in this joke survived the actual trauma of the D-Day invasion. Being shot at, killing another human being, seeing his friends and colleagues die...

If you post a 9/11 joke it would be wrong because, well... you kind of were not most likely there and didn't see the actual thing.

**efarrer**

LunaHound wrote:Not mounting any soapbox manchu , just trying to see if im understanding this from your ( and who ever i replied to so far ) 's point of view.
And if anything , im trying to understand to what leads to this type of jokes.

Mainly ignorance. An environment where it's tolerated and reinforced helps.

**Relapse**

Luna, as I said earlier, I'm part French and thought the joke was funny. I just popped it on, not expecting the type of response it got. I viewed it one context and other people saw it as something else.

My bad there.

I gave up on the History and Discovery channels because they seem to take up most of their shows rehashing what was already gone over before the commercial breaks. After that, I ended up getting rid of the t.v. altogether and nobody in my family misses it.

**halonachos**

My goodness, another "ignorance" poster, how original. Its established that this joke is NOT based on ignorance.

**Manchu**

Well, it is pretty ignorant to assume that the French are constantly rude to every foreigner that visits their country. I haven't had the good fortune to go, but I've heard more good than bad things about Americans interacting with the French in France.

**halonachos**

I don't get the rude remark. I get shock from the frenchman. Like I said, airport security checks passports so they would need one. If this man had gotten into the country without a passport I would be shocked as well.

I heard that Paris is the worst when it comes to anti-americanism. A teacher of mine said she had to convince them that they were mexican in order to get some service at a restaurant.

BTW, I have this really great joke about canada...

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Sure it says that the officer was sarcastic, but most people are when someone holds up a line or makes their job a little harder. And most custom officers are jerks to begin with.

**Manchu**

I hate to have to explain it but the joke turns on the Frenchman's behavior being typical of French people generally. It portrays the French as rude, presumptuous and ungrateful. This isn't a joke about airport workers being mean.

**Ahtman**

We pick on the French because we love them. If we didn't, we wouldn't say anything at all. No one here has siblings?

**halonachos**

Manchu wrote:I hate to have to explain it but the joke turns on the Frenchman's behavior being typical of French people generally. It portrays the French as rude, presumptuous and ungrateful. This isn't a joke about airport workers being mean.

You fell into the stereotype trap. Making a guess that it's about the "typical" french attitude and basing the joke upon that misconstrues the true meaning. Look at it neutraly and it may be possible to see what I get from the joke.

Although I would have to say that I'm no fan of the french, and if French Canadians are reflective of actual french people then they typically are rude.