Now this is just stupid.
My taxes, hard at work.
Now this is just stupid.
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Part one of Saturday Night 78 ended with quite a cliffhanger... ...so here's part two!
This comes to us from my son, Ryan Wheaton.
I got an amazing job that conflicts with the Denver Comicon next month, so I can't attend the convention.
Hooray for stupid jokes! *fart*
If the US’s democracy is one where someone with a different opinion than ours is treated the way these politicians are treating France, we are living in a bubble. If the United States is the most powerfull nation in the world, then we are, indeed, living in a shitty world. Why can’t we all just get along???
no offence to the actual SMART Americans, but you guys are just retarded.
One more reason i’m glad to be Canadian. Self-thought……oh, and poutine 😀
Hey Wil becarefull! You’ll be arrested as a suspected terrorist! (And as we know from Guantanamo, if you are a terrorist you have no rights – at all.)
Geeze any one else read orwells “1984” Victory Gin any one?…Long live Big Brother!!!This shit while purely reactionary and silly on one level scares the hell out of me!
Space Hamster There is one BIG diffrence in oz protesting the french back then…YOU were getting to allsorts of yummy RADIATION from french bombs…instead of doing subsurface testing they wanted to show off their nukulear(hahahahaha) might in public(in the cold war era prob not a bad idea to show the russkis you had a lil’ sumthin for them) In my opinion(as humble as that might be) The french goverment is doing what they are supposed to….Representing the french people not their own intrests! Imagine how easy it would be to rubber stamp dubbyas warmongering and thereby reap the rewards of being america’s puppet. Unfortunately dubbya and the crew implying the UN(which I detest anyhow, but thats another story) will “loose its legitimacy” just goes to show that WE(read the us goverment)only supported the UN as long as it GAVE legitimacy to our actions.
I’m not really sure why this is any different than dressing up in a skeleton costume and carrying a sign that says “No Blood For Oil.” It’s just a symbolic statement.
First of all, the US is not a democracy, it’s a republic, much more like ancient Rome than Greece. Second, America Jr, or as some like to call Canada, doesn’t seem to have much to say publiclly either. Heh.
ROFL. That is just ridiculous. I’d prefer that our representatives take care of more important business (like listening to voices of many Americans opposed to war) than acting childish and changing the name of food to try and hurt France’s feelings. *rolls eyes*
This IS a joke ..right?? Some ONION thingy or something?…
THIS IS THE DUMBEST THING!!!
IT IS JUST A NAME FOR THE DAMN FOOD!!
The world may end at any time and THIS is WHAT
“CONGRESS” THINKS IS IMPORTANT!!!
NO WONDER WE ARE WHERE WE ARE!! ..So sad….
But not as stupid as tens of thousands of Americans, British, and Canadians dying in Normandy in 1944 for a bunch of ungrateful Frenchies.
I love it when people dredge up history in order to bash the french. They show their selective memories. They always point to World War 1 or 2. Never do they bring up their vital role in the American Revolution, which we might have lost without their support. When we were fighting against the _British_, and again in 1812, but of course they’re our best buds now.
And the only consistent complaint I hear when you bring up WWI or WWII is that the French didn’t fight very hard. Ha! Neither did we. In both cases, Americans waited until both sides were completely knackered before coming in and finishing the job.
My point I guess is that there’s two sides to every story, and I get frustrated when I hear people framing their beliefs around oversimplifications. The french, and french fries for God’s sake, are not our enemies. They’re the voice of reason.
Now the real question is, does France really care?
I agree it’s petty, but let’s be frank, our society has become so neutered by the Politically correct society we have created that this qualifies as news. In the old days when America had any moxie, we’d do what “had to be done” regardless because we could be confident that we are doing the right thing because our values were true, and the political climate more clearly defined. I have a hard time with the blindness being shown to history, the French have not always been impotent and surrender-prone. We wouldn’t be the USA without their assistance, and I believe that needs to be kept in mind. However, The USA more than repaid that debt in WWII, and ever since France and Germany became pals they have consistently avoided conflict while being all too happy to vote for U.N. troops (largely American) to go to places like Kosovo and die.
I agree that they have the right to disagree, I would however ask that when the terrorists start blowing up coffee houses, the eiffel tower, and the Louvre, that they keep their collective tears to themselves and let us do what we must.
That said, we need to be careful on Iraq, it’s only the head, not the body of the beast we need be concerned with here.
To Scottm:
You talk about all the business France is doing with Iraq. What about all the business our Vice-President Cheney did with Iraq throughout the 90’s? His company, Halliburton, made a TON of cash by re-building what oil equipment we destroyed in Iraq. Now they want to destroy Iraq again. Hmmmm I wonder who will make BILLIONS rebuilding the infastructure that we destroy again? Sounds like a sweet deal for some corporate chums.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=11158&forum=DCForumID38&archive=#13
And guess who won a contract on the 6th of this month to fight oil fires in Iraq after any US-led action there?
Yup. Halliburton.
http://www.forbes.com/home_europe/newswire/2003/03/06/rtr900049.html
Too bad we can’t just rebuild all the innocents we’ll kill there too. Did you know 50% of the population of Bahgdad is under 15 years old? And our “Shock & Awe” idea of sending 3000 cruise missles the first day will mroe than likely kill THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of innocent children?
Yeah. THERE’S a great way to bring peace to the world. Kill the children of the people who hate us already. Great idea. Keep it up sparky. Maybe we’ll make the ENTIRE world hate us soon, rather than just most of it.
Back in the days of WWI, saurkraut was renamed “LIberty Cabbage”. I kinda thought we evolved from such stupidity. I guess I was wrong.
Besides, aren’t “French” fries supposed to be from Belgium anyway?
Will we now say “My girlfriend is HOT! She gives seriously good “freedom”.”?
Will our slivered green beans now come in “Freedom Cut” style?
Imagine what sort of a PARADISE we would be living in right now if this energy they use to promote bigotry were used instead to eliminate poverty or cancer.
Forgive the geeky Star Trek reference, but I somethimes think it’s a GOOD thing we’re not a warp-capable species.
Someone please explain to me what Trackback is all about.
And 160 comments?! oh my God..I’m glad of getting a single comment a day on my blog. Cool site though, keep it up.
It’s all about money. The French don’t give a rip about Iraqui lives, they just want their multi billion dollar oil contracts to continue unimpeded.
When I first read this, I wasn’t even going to comment. I was just going to read what everyone else had to say. So I’ve read through all 161 comments and I’ve seen some real anger over this one issue.
Yes, I agree there are far better thinks to waste time and money on then renaming cafateria food. (hungry childern, battered women, aids, etc.) But we as Americans need to at least stand up and support what government we have. WE put them there. For better or worse, this is OUR government. So we’d better make the most out of it.
Please, have your opinions and share them (that’s what makes this country great) but also remember the men and women fighting to give you that very right!
Maybe if someone would have stopped Hitler early on, millions of lives could have been saved. Remember, a mad dictator is still a mad dictator regradless the size of his weapons. There’s no telling how ruthless Irag can become if not stopped now.
So much for not leaving a comment.
what I don’t understan is – why all the hate ?
France simply disagrees with agressing a sovereign country that poses no threat.
The threat to world peace is the US !
US bombings list here:
http://www.human-net.org/war-issue/en/facts/usabomb.htm
It’s not just stupid, it’s infuriating. The US won’t have any allies left by the time George Bush leaves office.
I can’t believe how murderous some Americans are. How dare they disapprove of the French trying to block Bush’s attempt to kill hundreds of thousands of people in the name of “peace” to remove a dictator he’s already got contained thanks to the US and UK troops in the gulf.
“And the only consistent complaint I hear when you bring up WWI or WWII is that the French didn’t fight very hard. Ha! Neither did we. In both cases, Americans waited until both sides were completely knackered before coming in and finishing the job.”
This comment is so utterly ignorant and contemptuous, it boggles the mind. Do you really feel comfortable flippantly dismissing the efforts of the hundreds of thousands of French and U.S. soldiers who died in the first two world wars? You really should be ashamed of yourself.
I’ll say! I propose that we create a new battalion and fill them with every elected official in Washington with Baby Bush at the general. THEN, we send them to Iraq and put THEM in the very front of the invading force. Baby Bush’ll cancel the war in 10 microseconds!
🙂
LOL
Scott T
I’ll say! I propose that we create a new battalion and fill them with every elected official in Washington with Baby Bush at the general. THEN, we send them to Iraq and put THEM in the very front of the invading force. Baby Bush’ll cancel the war in 10 microseconds!
🙂
LOL
Scott T
I’ll say! I propose that we create a new battalion and fill them with every elected official in Washington with Baby Bush at the general. THEN, we send them to Iraq and put THEM in the very front of the invading force. Baby Bush’ll cancel the war in 10 microseconds!
🙂
LOL
Scott T
NPR’s All Things Considered commentator James Poniewozik did a great commentary on this. In part it says: Forget “freedom fries,” says commentator James Poniewozik. A real French cultural chauvinist would rather see a Republican Guard unit on their street than a Burger King. If you really want to annoy the French, don’t take their name off crappy American foods — put it on more of them. Pop Tarts? Make them French Toasties. Hear the whole thing at: http://discover.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.jhtml?prgDate=03/11/2003&prgId=2
A big hello to any “Freedom-Canadians” who may be reading this.
How sad. I never thought it would get this silly, but I don’t think even John Cleese and his silly walks could be any worse than this. My brain hurts.
What tax money is being spent here? I missed that part. As far as I can tell, all they’ve done is posted a sign.
Lighten up, folks. You say there’s more important things to spend your money on, and I say there’s more important things to be bitching about than the Congressional menu.
It may be stupid, but I support the sentiment.
*LOL* i put almost the exact same thing at my blog yesterday… http://www.somethingclever.net/weblog/blog.htm
That just goes to show you… they can take the French out of French Fries… so why can’t we kick the Dipshits out of Congress?
What morons!
France GAVE US the Statue of Liberty…
although the congressmen’s intent was to snub the french, the phrase “freedom fries” could also be interpreted as a noun and a verb. much of the international community believes us to be frying the freedoms of others. perhaps they’re right after all.
A restaurant and a couple of dingbats dont represent the American people…do they?
OK, some of these responses are just absurd.
You people act like this is an action directly supported by our government.
I remember seeing something similar to this on news a few days ago where restaurants in the nation were changing the name of french fries to freedom fries because they were losing sales due to protesters (the same protesters that poured french wine into the gutters in protest). This is where this ignorance and stupidity originated – the PUBLIC. Apparently this is a story about a FEW dumb republicans watching the news and deciding to mimic a dumb idea in their local cafeteria
(quote: Jones said he was inspired by Cubbie’s restaurant in Beaufort, N.C., in his district, one of the first to put “freedom fries” on the menu instead of french fries.)
I’m shocked it even made news. This isn’t costing you a damn cent as far as taxes go. Get off your high horses, stop your bitching and THINK for a second, and come up with some real arguments against repbulicans. This is just media karma-whoring.
Do you remember all the people marching against going to war with Iraq. That was because they were expressing there First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech. As silly as this may be this is another form of that same right. If they want to change the name of food in protest, let them do it.
Day late and dollar short, I know…
Freedom Fries – yes, it is stupid. And no, I’m not going to loudly order “French Fries” somewhere because they are unhealthy to begin with, and I only eat them in shameful secrecy 😉
Man with Peace T-Shirt:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/crossgates1.html
Scroll down and read the complaint. He was arrested because he was accosting other shoppers and making himself a nuisance. This would have been the same as if he were selling herbal viagra, or selling Girl Scout cookies without permission, or just running around shouting “I am the great Cornholio!” He was told to exit private property + he didn’t = trespassing.
And some of you call Americans murderous. What about Saddam Hussein? How many children and women does he kill and rape every year to extract “confessions” from their fathers/husbands? How many does he kill because he (not the UN sanctions) holds back money and medicine from his people? How many people does he kill by encouraging suicide bombers with monetary awards? If wanting to use force to stop all that is murderous, then I guess I am a murderer.
Hmm, after seeing that 53% of readers at CNN.com agreeing with changing from “French” to “Freedom”, maybe I was premature in slamming only the U.S. government and not including a good half of American citizens. Depressing and infuriating.
In response to this silliness, I have made a change to my band’s website. For the time being we are only selling CFDs – Compact French Disks.
I’m just doing my part to balance out the stupidity with … irreverance.
p.s. It’s at superpickle.com. I’m not trying to squeeze in a plug, just add to the conversation.
Admittedly, I’m not sure if I like having “freedom” and “toast” in the same phrase.
No, this stupid:
http://www.wilwheaton.net/
Did you know 50% of the population of Baghdad is under 15 years old? And our “Shock & Awe” idea of sending 3000 cruise missles the first day will more than likely kill THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of innocent children?
Yeah. THERE’S a great way to bring peace to the world. Kill the children of the people who hate us already.
Posted by Jason at March 12, 2003 06:47 AM
Is it just me or is there a Herod-esque vibe to this.
I don’t think any tax money was spent…
At any rate, it may be silly, but according to an AOL poll, the majority of people who took the poll support the idea of freedom fries. (shrug)
Had to respond to Magius who said it was media-karma whoring to speak out that we think “Freedom Fries” is silly. Uh… just what do you think it was to get on the news by changing the name?? The restaurant that poured the French wine down the toilet was so altruistic about it that he hired a PR Person BEFORE doing it, and refilled one of the bottles with water to redo the “pouring” for a newspaper shot. But of course *he* was being altruistic, *he* wasn’t media-karma whoring. Yeah, right…
And kids, here’s a prediction for you: after the bombs start to fall look for France (and China, and Russia, et al) to release a statement that says something like “We have always supported the UN mandate to disarm Iraq and our staunch ally America.”
All is not what it seems…
All I can say is “The hell?”
I suppose it will be freedom kissing and freedom doors next.
I dunno, personally I’m impressed that Americans have found a way to boycott French fries without having to resort to not eating them.
so with all of this hasty anti-french food re-naming going on…why not think big…ask france to take back the gift they gave us “the statue of liberty”…’cause we’re mad as hell and we’re not gonna take it anymore!…just in case i’ll add…(I’M JUST KIDDING!)
i guess it’s “irish kissing” for me from now on!
Considering the way that things are going with this whole Homeland Security stuff…(unprecidented powers for government agencies, gradual erosion of civil liberties etc), shouldn’t they have called them “Not-so-free Fries” ?
“Pretend-you’re-free fries”?
You could serve them with “Delusions-of-Freedom Sauce” and “Which-one-did-we-elect?-Burgers”
Well, now that the freedom fry issue is resolved, they’ve got a LOT of work to do in Lousiana…too much stuff for the old memory hole, where will they even begin? First up, gotta change the name of that “Mardi Gras” thing, ’cause frankly I think people will find it offensive with its current, french-sounding moniker. Very uncool. What about french horns, by the way? Congrats on the movie, too, Wil. I jumped some farker’s ass in your defense (ooh, Wil’s popular, must trash him to make myself feel better!), not much anyone could do about the Peter Pan photoshops, but then again, I’m sure you saw that coming a mile away. Heh.