Re: Re: Shame on the French Colonialist ideals! Just go to one of the Middle East threads and criticize the Israeli government. Then sit back and watch all the accusations of "anti-semite" roll in....
My grandad shot Japanese soldiers in the war . But the sad thing is, they're denying their hideous acts to the younger generations, who are unaware of the atrocities committed during WW2. The Germans have dealt with it, and have tried to patch things up with the Jews, but the Japanese stick their fingers in their ears and shout 'La la la can't hear you'. I'd even go as far as to say they might have deserved being nuked. Controversial, and tastless to some, but when you kill 250,000 Chinese with biological weapons in one go.............
Japan has to get a lot of points though for Taiwan (The Republic of China) and South Korea. Both are reasonably stable, reasonably prosperous, and relatively democratic.
France did not create Viet Nam. Viet Nam existed for hundreds of years before the arrival of the French. Lebanon was quite prosperous before Iran, Syria, and Israel made it their little playground for a few years. Sierra Leone was a British colony. Syria is a mess, no doubt there. Iraq was British, not French. Quebec was originally a French colony, but it was conquered by the British in 1759. Louisiana has been part of the United States for about 200 years now. It was actually quite prosperous until it, with the rest of the south, suffered under the misnomer of reconstruction. Haiti was pretty prosperous until the French got kicked off the island. Senegal is a reasonably prosperous and stable country in Africa. It ranks high on both in Africa. How about some countries you DIDN'T mention. Cote d'Ivoire - one of West Africa's more stable countries. Morocco - perhaps the most moderate Arab state there is and quite a hot tourist destination. How about some former British colonies: Myanmar - one of the most ruthless dictatorships in the world today. Zimbabwe - racialist policies are causing further starvation in that country. Pakistan and India - Seemingly on the constant edge of nuclear war. Afghanistan - well, I don't need to say anything about them. Need any more?!?!?
I doubt that the Germans have even edge up to what you said about dealing with there issues of atrocities. For one thing, there was a poll in the German newspaper that found over 65% of German adults don't give any remorce or guilt about the holocaust..and the same goes to taking responsibility for it. On a lesser note, Germany has never been a really good frined to the Israeli people or even jewish. It has alloweed nazi clans to form in there own country and hatred still sprung. Though i must say, Germany has grown quite a bit..its a real mulitcultural country.... but would u compare a German 21 year old university student holding a Nazi flag and comparing it to Israel, whom he knows his grandparents worked for the S.S. or would u want a Japanese student, same age, to have a sign saying down with the US, knowing that his grandparents thought for the Japanese Emperor?? You make your pick?
Re: Re: Shame on the French Colonialist ideals! This really is such a mind-numbing stupid thread, but I'm in a frivolent frame of mind so I'll join in. True, being a colonial power doesn't actually require you to create land mass. But it was the Vietnamese attempts to rid themselves of the French, that got the Communists involved and we all know what happened form then on... Trying to offload the Iraqi problem onto our plate is a bit harsh. We were only there in a protectorate fashion after WW1. But what it even more true is that it wasn't under French control at all. Well Pakistan and India have always been kicking the sh!t out of each other, even before we arrived and before there was a Pakistan. It was just infighting between Indian muslims and Indian Hindus, the muslims were given Pakistan to play around in. Then they both figured out they wanted Kashmir, so basically we're back to Indians kicking the crap out of each other. Same with Afghanistan, that was a bastard of a place when we got there. It's infamous for being a real problem spot (Khyber Pass and all that) within the Brit Empire, and I'm fairly sure we never really had control over the place. It was only meant to be a buffer zone between the precious India and the Russian bear, so it wasn't all that important thankfully. Like I said, this thread is lacking. Lacking in every concievable way. It easy enough to find (with good editing) good and bad points with the French Empire, and (for those that are refuting the original claims of the thread) it's even easier to do it with the British Empire such was the scale of it. And to wholesale blame a former colonial power for all subsequent evils that happen in a country is silly to say the least. Some cases are more realistic than others. Here's a list of British territories and colonies (scroll down), make your own assumptions as to whether they are put into the 'good' or 'bad' boxes. I have no doubt that if one thinks for long enough, all territories can be put into both boxes. http://www.friesian.com/british.htm And heres what the French had: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/fr-colon.html#asia http://freedomhouse.org/reports/century.html Need to scroll down 3/4 down the page to find table of the fate of Empires (democratically speaking), draw your own conclusions, and take a look at France's entry.
Not that I agree with Shah or yourself but is it not common practice for Israel (Jews) to call others racist or anti-semite, when things don't go their way?
I'd have to see a link to that poll to believe it. I think that the overwhelming majority of Germans are extremely remorseful about the holocaust. Now, guilt may be another matter, but I can't blame Germans for not feeling guilty. As an American I am sorry that we had slavery in this country and committed other wrongs such as placing Japanese-Americans in camps during WWII, but I don't feel guilty about it since I wasn't alive when this happened and didn't participate in these things. As for allowing Nazi groups to form, Germany actually has very strict laws against such groups. Use of the swatzika in Germany is banned. Many countries have neo-Nazi groups in thier midst, even the US, yet I hardly thinks that makes us a hotbed of anti-Semitism.
Many jewish people in Perspective of this, see Germany as a country that just doesn't feel sorry. If you got www.haaretzdaily.com and search for poll germans i think you'd find it. I appluad germanys strick law against hate groups but as a jew and as a minority i feel discouraged at some incidents which took place in Germany, especially in the Eastern part with the african immigrant and the vietnames family! And all of these are committed by people younger than 19!
all countries always have had and always will have lunatic fringes. in some places they're mostly confined to 19 year olds, and in others (israel) they become prime minister.
Re: Re: Shame on the French Colonialist ideals! Only about 49% of them, the other 51% are perfectly content on the way they are.
Re: Re: Shame on the French Colonialist ideals! Ouch, that was bad. Well, except for the fact that I have to agree with you. But what do you expect in the Middle East, rational thought?
Re: Re: Re: Shame on the French Colonialist ideals! But those 51% aren't really Quebeckers or didn't you read Parizeau's speech. The true voice of Quebec spoke for separation Only those damn allophones (recent immigrants with French as a second language) and anglophones (you know those English bastards who've been living in Quebec for generations) kept them in Canada. This was the 3rd? vote. There was only supposed to be one vote. To settle things "once and for all" but the separatists lost so on and on it goes.................
Re: Re: Re: Re: Shame on the French Colonialist ideals! Regardless of who it was that voted against separation, if they live there they get a vote, right? So why aren't they really Quebeckers? I moved to Florida a few years ago. Does that make me not a Floridian? Should I not get to vote?
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shame on the French Colonialist ideals! My thoughts exactly, but not so according to M. Parizeau who interestingly only made the statement about the voice of true Quebeckers in his French speech.
And Chretien's Liberals pancaked the Parti Quebecois in the last general election in Quebec, si je me rappelle correctement. Panneau de points.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shame on the French Colonialist ideals! I'm with him! We should only get to vote in the place of our birth! Even if we live 3000 miles away!
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shame on the French Colonialist ideals! Sweet Jebus, that's a juicy one. Right down the middle!