He said he did not like the tone of some of the summaries of Bush - and that such words (they were from a couple of opposition MP's) were unhelpful, damaged the relationship between the opposition and the US and threatened the alliance - this when we have troops on the way! It was a clear warning to the next government (whenever they take power - next election, or a few elections from now) to toe the US line or else......... what, exactly I do not know - the US would terminate the alliance? Given that the two parties have been pretty well of a mind re the alliance, and that the Labor Party's only difference is that they do not support war without the UN, it seems that small things will now be used to bring threats - like a couple of our elected representatives, debating a reasonably important act like going to a war not supported by the populace (without UN agreement), being as rude to Bush in speech as Rumsfeld and co. have been to France, Germany and Belgium.
A couple of MP's were pretty rude - calling Bush the most dangerous US president since.... or maybe ever ...but we tend to value free speech here - as I said, even our current PM who has backed Bush right down the line took exception to this one. Our MP's are far ruder to each other than they were to Bush.
Steissd, we are perfectly happy with New Zealand the wasy it is!
So am I: I mentioned (in brackets) that such an action should be undertaken only if peoples and governments of both countries want it.
Possibly I can dig up the exact wording and context myself.
Ok
Roger- I have tried looking it up for you in our media - but it is archived and I have to pay - I am too strapped at the moment for luxuries!
wolf
Quote:Don't criticize the French too hastily, they've known Nazi occupation lees than 60 years ago
Change
occupation to
collaboration . That would be more to the point.
au
This is an oddness for you to submit those last two posts. My little cliched portrayal of the US was a suggestion that such generalities and caricatures are intellectually vacuous and really only serve a purpose of demonization a la Newman's wonderful "Short People".
blatham
The first post I suppose could have gone into the Jokes category. However, the second based on the actions of the French and it's Vichy government during the second WW2 I firmly believe.
A bit too inclusive, though? Not to mention that it happened quite a long time ago.
blatham
Quote:Not to mention that it happened quite a long time ago.
Yes it was a long time ago however, that is what I was responding to.
The French are of course looking after themselves-naturellement. However Chirac is patently doing a de Gaulle and giving the proverbial deux digits to the UK and the US. France has never been happy since they lost their domination of the EU and now eastern europe is coming in they see a further dilution of their already waning power.
Au went over the top a bit, however militarily the french have shown no backbone-fact- and it was Great Britain, US, Canada that helped them out of War World 2 when they had all but given up apart from some brave folk in the french undergound.
For Chirac to welcome Mugabe is like Blair welcoming Hussein.
Ahem!!! And Australia!!!! Many an Ozite is buried in France from two world wars.
(Oooh - Blatham loves Newman too!)
Of course the brave Anzacs who could forget-please accept my humble apploplogies
Dlowan, did Australia have an army of her own during the World Wars, or the ANZAC units were incorporated into the UK Armed Forces?
Our own. Sometimes under a supreme commander - as in D day and suchlike huge operations.
Restoring lost glory!? How about that the French, like the Canadians, like the Brits, like the Dutch, like everyone ARE independent from the US and think the US ought not to presume it got nominated as UberBoss by god?
blatham
True and the next time they come hat in hand for help particularly the Europeans we should "Moon them".
