Lucky Americans

Last year, Prince gave, well, performed twice in the Grand Palais in Paris. All seats were sold out in less than two hours. The audience knew he's an American artist and that he kind of was an image of America by himself.

I can't think of any European artist faring as well in any American city -save a British- because European countries, by and large, have no musicians as talented as those America never ceased to produce since WWI.

Lucky Americans, both in terms of musicians or film makers worldwide famous.

When we refer to each others, Americans and Europeans, the US has an enormous advantage over Europeans: they're one nation with one language. Whatever the political dissensions between themselves, they're united. And Europeans know that.

When I see the Europeans being mentioned in America's media, I wonder if Americans actually know how divided Europeans really are. We're as foreign to ourselves as was the case one or even two centuries ago.

What do the Poles know about the Greeks? Just nothing! Is there anything common between the Danes and the Portuguese? Nope! Does a Dutch feel closer to a Croatian than to an American? Certainly not.

There are few exceptions like the Swedes and the Norwegians, the Portuguese and the Spaniards, the Germans and the Austrians because they somehow share some periods of History and their languages are more or less similar but overall, Europe is made of some 35 different countries which will never get along like Americans can.

15, 20 or even 25 century old countries with as many languages you can imagine, will never overcome this state of affair.

Nationalism is still vivid and alive among European countries and the so-called European Union is a daily opportunity for each of the 27 members to claim and demand an exception for their personal case.

Save for politicians and CEO of the biggest companies who know their foreign interlocutor, the vast majority (say 99,9% of the population) just know nothing about their neighbours.

Going back to Prince, there may exist great or just good artists in Germany, Italy, Poland etc. but nobody knows them outside their respective frontiers. Just a tiny part of Europeans interested in modern art for example or music and the film industry can name several artists in their field of competence. But these are just an ipsy-tiny bit of the 450 million people living in Europe.

Although German is the most native language spoken in Europe (85 million) English is the only way to communicate between Europeans. And we're usually exceptionally bad at it.

Lucky Americans whose unity makes their strength!

Once again, when they're told of Europeans, Americans shouldn't be fooled into thinking Europe makes an equal counterpart to America.

Europe has 450 millions inhabitants vs 300 in the US, the European GDP is bigger than that of the US and the percentage of European economy in the world trade is bigger than that of the US but it would be unrealistic to consider Europe as a united block in the world. No, it's not.

Eventually, China will settle the score...

Hanging shadows (strange fruits)

Some days before NATO was to launch the invasion of Afghanistan back in 2002, we were shown on western TVs a report picturing the public execution of a woman, allegedly for infidelity. Gruesome images, whose goal it was to describe how barbaric and backwarded these people are at the beginning of the XXIth century and the true nature of the Talibans.

The sort of scene that couldn't take place in the West, in America in particular where executing women is unheard of.

Uh... Wait a second here... Karla Faye Tucker anyone? You know, the one for whom Pope John Paul the Second prayed for mercy. Granted we weren't shown the pictures but my guess is that it wasn't exactly a pleasant show to attend, was it? Well, we'll never know.

Now, since we're at it... Does the name Jesse Washington ring a bell? We're talking death penalty here but this time it took place in Waco, Texas, less than one century ago (1916) . In the heart of the Bible belt. And the people who committed this horror where as Christian as you get.

There have been many other atrocities taking place in the US by the same sort of mob with religious upbringing (sort of) . What about the Dulluth Lynchings of 1920?

All in all, several thousand American citizens have been swiftly tortured and executed, out of any judiciary process by their fellow Christian countrymen until the middle of the 50's. And we're not talking European Middle-Ages here.

Don't get me wrong: contemporary Americans aren't to blame for the horrors their forefathers were guilty of, but you sometimes wonder if America is really the country best entitled to teach lessons of morality to the whole world... Particularly when it speaks in the name of God.

Faggots!

The most interesting artefacts in archaeology you don't find on the surface of the ground of course but in the deeper layers. This goes also for thoughts and ways of thinking.

We've seen before how the ingredients of French-bashing that were to be found by the thousands in the American media from 2003 and on were the same you'll find at the basis of racist thinking and colonial mentality.

May I propose the same unexpected reading of another staple of French-bashing, probably the most prevalent of them all? I'm talking of the equation French = Surrender, which even Jon Steward made use of here. It seems it has become an unavoidable cliché about the French for most Americans.

An interpretation of that stereotype/trope has been offered here, cogent and apparently satisfying but this thesis remains on the surface of the ground, in my opinion. It's not false but somehow beyond the point.

Now, some historicization of data are indispensable at that point.

1°) We still have to return to the 1940 defeat.

The German army was the mightiest the world had ever known. The English engineers had the good idea to dig a trench between the continent and their beautiful island. They named it the English Channel. This brilliant idea saved the British's butt in June of 1940. Dunkirk wasn’t exactly a great victory for the Brits but what could they do in front of the Wehrmacht?

The American engineers were even brighter and much cleverer than the Brits: they dug an ocean between the Germans and the US.

Had America had a frontier with Germany at that time, the American army would have been smashed into pieces by the Germans.

Is it necessary to recall the Germans nearly reached Moscow and that it took more than 3 years for  America, the Ussr and the Brits (mainly) to defeat the Germans? The US could never have won against Nazi Germany were it not for the Russians.

So here comes the catharsis part: allowing the projection of the inner fear that America could and (would) have lost against the Germans, no doubt about it.

By making such a fuss about the French defeat of 1940, the American media make Americans forget that they wouldn’t have faired better than the French under the same circumstances.

Ha ha (giggle) the French surrendered (Thank God we weren’t in their shoes, pwfff!). What a bunch of faggots!

2°) The second most important pillar of the American society after religion is the army. Like it or not, the figure of the soldier is an icon in contemporary America. Well before WWII, the myth of the courageous, brave, incorruptible hero was founded at Alamo where all 189 combatants died. Now, these were real men who never would have surrendered to the enemy. John Wayne himself directed the movie, not the heroes of "Brokeback Mountain".

To surrender is the worst act of weakness and treachery you can expect from a soldier. Particularly an American one of course. To surrender is the unmistakable sign of unmanhood, hence feminity. Only faggots are capable of surrendering.

Is it just a coincidence that the French are often portrayed in the US as rather effeminate, walking down the streets with their French poodle at their side, with a certain affected genre? Just remember the cartoons we were entitled to 5 years ago.

But now, we're in the XXIth century and it is no longer possible to print such insults as "faggots" in the papers, or to call people "faggots" on the radio and TV networks. So a code word had to be found. What about "surrender"? That's what makes the audience of Jon Stewart laugh when he has a go with the "surrender" stereotype. There's an unconscious, homophobic reference which doesn't pass unheeded to the American audience. All jokes based on sexuality, particularly homosexuality, are a guarantee for laughter in the world. All the more when foreigners are involved.

Just like the usual arsenal of French bashing was evidence of a racist/colonial mentality, the overwhelming use of the word "surrender" is the expression of an underlying homophobia. Hence, the complete analogy reads thus: Surrender = French = Faggots. Are you surprised this could take place in such a religious, military, conservative country as the US? No kidding...

Note: The painting is "Amor vincit omnia" by Caravaggio)

Annoying Frenchies

Back in 1780 a young Frenchman set sail to the shores of America and landed in Boston’s harbour. He was bound to join General Washington. No further clue is required, right*? Well, the name of the frigate on which he travelled was “l’Hermione”, a boat that sank unceremoniously on September 20, 1793 off the coast of Brittany.

The Association Hermione-La Fayette has now made it its “raison d’être” to rebuilt the warship exactly as it was 225 years ago with techniques and tools of the time!

And while it took approximately 6 months in the 18th century to build a frigate, it will take as much as 12 years this time around, essentially due to financing concerns. But as this undertaking was launched in 1997 it should be completed by 2012 and launched with a maiden trip to Boston 2 years later.

So after Yorktown, the Statue of liberty and the always friendly approach France has had toward America, now comes another symbol of friendship. Notwithstanding the hard times she’s sometimes having from America, France simply doesn’t pay attention and keeps on displaying gestures of goodwill and amity towards America.

Now the question is: why are the French so annoying?

L’Hermione, La Fayette and America:

“The frigate which the King gave me”, as La Fayette phrased it, was the frigate “L’Hermione”, entirely built and outfitted in the shipyards of the Rochefort Arsenal. She was appointed - by order of Louis XVI’s royal cabinet - to the secret mission La Fayette had been entrusted with, a mission consisting in informing General Washington of the imminent arrival of sea and land military supports which were meant to help him in the rebellion of the American “insurgents” against British tyranny.

My friends's friends are my friends. Huh... wait a second here...

Remember the fairy tale-like story of Jessica Lynch? 

You'll appreciate the story by Tania Head!

What have these two stories to do with each other will you ask?

Well, maybe we can take them as evidence (among million others) of how easy it is to manipulate the masses.

7 years ago, the most hated foreign politician in America was LAS's favourite French head of State. Now the wheel has turned, it's an Iranian about almost nobody had ever heard of in the US when Chirac was in pole position.

His sin? He's at the head of a country which is purportedly trying to built an atom bomb. Like the US? Or like Israel? Is Iran really pursuing this goal? Or isn't that another case of Iraqi WMD? Should we rely on the Media to know? Why shouldn't Iranians be allowed to possess the same weapon the US, the USSR, Israel, Pakistan, north Korea (not sure) etc. have as the ultimate deterrent?

When reading and listening to the American MSM, you feel like they want to persuade the Americans that there's an actual and near immediate danger that Iran would use its bomb to attack the US. Well, didn't the MSM succeeded in making most Americans believe Saddam had WMD and was on the verge to use them against America and its allies? Remember T. Blair and his infamous quote?

In the precinct of the UN, Ahmadinedjad had the audience laugh when he said there were no homosexuals in his country. Like in Saudi Arabia, America's closest and most sincere friend in the region?

Not to say Ahmadinedjad is a nice person, sharing western values but is he really the new Attila the American MSM try to portrait? Isn't he a close friend and ally of Iraq's PM, Al Maliki?

And I thought the saying had always held true that my friends' friends were my friends.

Dubious company

Pope John-Paul II himself called for clemency upon this new-born Christian. To no avail, another new-born Christian refused to grant clemency on his sister in religion. Karla Faye Tucker was put to death on February 1998 whilst the governor (*) is said to have been mimicking her pleas for mercy. Had Jesus Christ returned on earth, those Christians would have been ready to hang him for objecting the killing of a sinner.

Since then, Texas has proceeded to more than 400 executions. Meanwhile there have been over 1,100 executions since the death penalty has been deemed not anti-constitutional back in 1976.
 

In 2006 alone, 53 persons have been put to death in the U.S. which has the privilege to share some dubious company:

1.      China (at least 1,010 but sources suggest the real tally is between 7,500 and 8,000)

2.      Iran (177)

3.      Pakistan (82)

4.      Iraq (at least 65)

5.      Sudan (at least 65)

6.      United States (53)

7.      And we don’t even know for North Korea…

Ever heard of the axis of evil?

Now, this is a topic where France would certainly be ill advised to teach lessons to the US since the death penalty has been abolished in 1981 only (last execution 1977). Nevertheless, save for the Terror period over 2 centuries ago, such a horrific number of executions was never even approached.

Many Americans wonder why they are often perceived as a boorish, crude and unsophisticated lot the world over. Maybe they could understand if they knew how this savagery, remnant of barbarian times, will mark another indelible stain in their history. Like slavery and the not-so-fair treatment of the native Indians have forever tainted their moral pretension to give lessons to all people of the world.

(*) The same governor, now a former president of the US, is personally responsible for the death of more 4,000 American soldiers and hundreds of thousands Iraqi lives. And he had the words “peace” and “democracy” on his lips each time he addressed his fellow American citizens. God told him what to do…

Note: The painting is “Dead Christ” by Andrea Mantegna. c. 1500. Oil on canvas. Galleria Brera, Milan, Italy.

French women

There seems to exist an American fascination with French women. Some sort of phantasm like what is inaccessible.

When Gertrude Ederle died 6 years ago, it was reminded how, being a member of the American women team for the 1924 Olympics in Paris (the last ones to date and certainly for the foreseeable future), she was relegated to the outskirts of the French capital, the American delegation wanting to keep the girls away from the cauldron of vice, lust and lewdness Paris was supposed to be by then.

As a matter of fact, Puritanism wasn’t exactly the kind of fun the French were having during these same years. When N. Hawthorne was writing “The Red Scarlet”(1850), G. Flaubert was working on Madame Bovary (1857)… Then there was Colette and her Gigi series about women enjoying freedom in the choice of her partners/lovers. Not really the American habits of the time. And then came Françoise Sagan and her Bonjour Tristesse (1954). This novel was an incredible hit when it was published in America.

The French were at it again with their stories of emancipated, multipartners women. Now, wasn’t that some fodder for their reputation of womanizers, free sex etc. Remember l’Origine du monde by G. Courbet ? Do I have to mention the movies where naked breast was a common fixture of French films? How many times have I read souvenirs by American males telling how they would have killed anybody to see a French movie, knowing that was an unmissable opportunity to have a glimpse of the forbidden fruit?

Nowadays, how many times are naked women to be seen in American movies or on American TV channels? (Here is another culture shock for Americans spending some time in France when they watch French TV channels or see posters in the streets). Now, this mistress thing is a follow up of literary, history, painting etc. items which actually were a referenced discriminator between America and France.

After Colette and just before F. Sagan there was also Simone de Beauvoir with her deuxième sexe which didn’t pass unheeded in the US. Add to this her 10 years or so long liaison with American Nelson Algren while she was with Sartre (who, himself…)… Although I don’t know if that liaison was particularly known in America.


Painting: "le boudoir de la marquise" by Fragonard

Look at me

The need to represent oneself is universal and has been implemented since the stone carvings of the cavemen until the invention of the photography and the cinema. We all know how the movie industry is an essential part of the American cultural history, like we know how prevalent it has been the world over for nearly a century now.

Like Narcissus contemplating his image in the water of the river, don’t the movies made in the US act like a mirror which permits America to reflect herself on the screen and offers the world the image of how she wants to be seen and perceived? This would then be an “illustration” of the miror stage of Jacques Lacan which enables the child to realize the unity of his/her body.

This urge to represent herself is all the more enhanced with the quasi obsessional need to display the national flag in oh so many movies and TV series, like a transitional object, as if America had an existential need to permanently assert both her identity and her legitimacy.

Now, what is Narcissism but the inner conviction to be the centre of the world? And is it pushing the barriers too far to suggest the strength of the American movie industry may have another, deeper and unavowed meaning, that of a fundamental insecurity regarding her very being?

Just asking…

Note : the painting is “Narcissus” by Caravagio (1599)

Ike, the anti-American par excellence

I've been perusing Republican and conservative American blogs these last days. 

O'd glory on every page of these blogs, as many « God bless America » as you want, Jesus is everywhere and He loves you, quotes from both the two Testaments, unconditional support to Israel, the right to carry firearms, Yurpeens are commies our great Nation must at all cost be preserved from. A paranoid universe that's real scary.

But mainly, two themes are omnipresent: Freedom and our brave and glorious soldiers who protect said freedom.

As for the purported "freedom", from a country which practiced slavery for nearly half of its existence and deprived part of its citizens of civil rights for another century, I find that a little bit cheeky!

Many Americans pretend to be the champions of liberty but I fail to see how more free they are than Europeans, Japanese or South Americans.

Sure enough, they’re free to be fleeced by the financial system and the insurance companies, they're free to get shot down by any sicko happy-trigger (even inside churches), free not to benefit from a universal health care, or to be ousted from their houses  because they can no longer pay the rents.

As for the brave and glorious soldiers who fight and have died to protect our freedom, isn't that what every single nation in the world could say about their respective armies and soldiers? In this insane cult of all things related to the army, the US has reached heights only matched by dictatorships.

And when was exactly the last time this happened???

In Iraq? In Afghanistan, in Somalia or in Nicaragua? Unless they mean the Vietnamese? The Korean war? How many American heroes died during the cold war with the USSR?

Were these countries ever a menace to American freedom? Even the Germans declared war on America due to the diplomatic ties they had with the Japanese who themselves attacked in Pearl Harbour, to protect what they thought was their sphere of influence. In any case, nor the Germans or the Japanese had any intention to invade the US and deprive Americans of their freedom.

The same for 1917-1918. And were the Phillipinos a threat to America in 1899? Or the Mexicans in 1848?

Fact is, Americans have never been threatened by anybody but the US is the country which has been the most bellicose and expansionist nation of the world during the last 200 years. They even managed to wage a civil war not even one century after the foundation of their country.

And they keep on repeating their mantra of freedom and our glorious soldiers every single day of the year.

What's more, it's not only the Rep who are inebriated with these myths, many a Democrat share this persecution delirium.

After 40 years of brainwashing Americans into fear of the enemies waiting for them at every corner of the planet, the military-industrial complex, through the US media and their politicians, have succeeded into making Americans believe the survival of their country was at stake and their beloved freedom with it.

Now, when he delivered his farewell adress, President Eisenhower warned his fellow citizens against the growing influence of the military-industrial complex and the dangers that went along. 

Should Ike hold his famous farewell speech today, he will be considered a traitor and the worst possible anti-American by a fair share of Americans for want of delivering the security of America into the hands of its most merciless enemies (which ones?). Ike, the most revered American Prez for decades... (sigh)

Note: A gem I found on one of these blogs : "Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom."

Then we will remember, things we said today

Those familiar with the Franco-American relations or, on a broader scale, the Euro-American relations, know that the key word in understanding these relations is ambivalence, like in love and hate.

This mindset seems more prevalent on the American side than on the other side of the Atlantic.

On the one hand, for Americans who can trace their ancestry from Europe as long ago as can be in history (say the XVIII th century or even sooner) their pride knows no limit.

On the other hand, so many of them have such disdain for Europe and Europeans, and certainly mainly among white Americans, preferably Republicans, but I guess Democrats aren’t immune from this prejudice. Remember Donald Rumsfeld’s new Europe as opposed to old Europe?

Yet they’re talking about the land of their ancestors, and you wonder how much they want not to be associated in any way with the back warded people who live in Europe. The farther away they feel they are from (commies) Europeans, the better they’d be it seems. As if they needed to believe in some sort of out of nowhere self creation of their nation, in order to assert its legitimacy.

Now, I was listening to a radio program the other day when someone said that by the year 2.050 white Americans from European descent will be a minority among Latinos, Black Americans and Asians (in whichever order I can’t remember).

I thought that Black Americans couldn’t care less about dissociation from Europe since all their misfortunes came from Europe.

Asians wouldn’t care a fig as well since they have no historical links with Europeans.

And the same goes with Latinos, themselves being from European (only Spanish) descent but that was so long ago, they now come from Mexico and other Caribbean islands.

I don’t know about 2.050 but the trend seems unstoppable yet.

Maybe then, many white Americans will feel they’re surrounded with not real Americans of yesteryear… and they, well, their children and great-children will remember things they said today.

American virtues

Over generalisation is often tricky and misleading and yet, there’s a place where I can without any hesitation indulge in using one: From my own personal experience and account, Americans are really friendly and warm people.

What does he know? will ask some, he has never travelled to the USA. Sure I haven’t but I’ve met next to 5.000 Americans with whom I had the opportunity to speak and exchange for hours on end during the 80s.

OK, they were tourists in Paris and maybe they weren’t representative of the average Joe, Dick and Harry.

Nevertheless, I’ve always found them to be straightforward, modest and over all, possessing a virtue that seems to be unknown to most Europeans: they’re nice and candid altogether, to the point I’ve sometimes felt moved by their sincerity.

Another salient trait of their personality that I have many times admired is their curiosity and the obvious open mindedness they display when meeting foreigners.

The sense of self deprecating humour they occasionally show is also worth noticing and never fails to raise a smile and helps make contact. 

To make a long story short, any encounter with American visitors has next to always meant an enjoyable moment for me. Forget the short-sighted, narrow minded Brits, Americans beat them hands down when it comes to face to face contacts.

Now, the French and Europeans in general may harbour the clichés and prejudice we all know of but regarding the sense of friendship and sociability we have much to learn from Americans.

Note: the painting is “Parrots” by John James Audubon

Ayn Rand, a "philosophical" hotchpotch

This is a picture of Ayn Rand whose name I had previously met without doing any further reading. But since I noticed that Wiki had four golden articles about her, particularly in French, I then did my duty and read the whole bloody thing.

Good grief! What a hotchpotch of insanities totally unworthy debunking so ridiculous they are. One thing I can state is that I'm not about to read Atlas Shrugged.

I also tried to read the Objectivism article but I had to give up.

Well, I admit that wasn't a complete waste of time since I've learned something (the very existence of this woman and her "philosophy") and also that was a good introduction to libertarianism.

Furthermore, I learned how important this trend of thoughts seems to have been in the US for the past 50 years and how it still may hold some traceable influence in current American domestic politics as seen on this picture of protesting Tea partiers.

But now that I'm through with Ayn Rand you can count me out about Ron Hubbard...

How American lesbians perverted hitherto honest and decent French women

As seen from America, France and specifically Paris have long been considered a cauldron of vice, lust, lewdness, debauchery and perversion.

Wasn't! This is an urban legend. French women in particular (who were shy and innocent persons) have a dreadful reputation in the eyes of America whereas it's an American woman who was at the root of all evil.

Have you ever heard of Nathalie Clifford Barney who may well be considered the serial killer of sapphism? Among her many friends were Renée Vivien, Liane de Pougy, Romaine Brooks, Elisabeth de Grammond, Dolly Wilde (the niece of Oscar), Emma Calvé, Colette, Lucie Delarue-Mardrus, Djuna Barnes and on and on and on...

Although the most prominent of them all, Nathalie Clifford Barney wasn't the only American lesbian  in Paris since you could also mention Janet Flanner, Margareth Anderson who had a liaison with Georgette Leblanc, Solita Solano...

Actually, Nathalie Clifford Barney may be viewed as the harbinger of what was to become the trademark of Paris as the place of devilish sexual depravity in the eyes of Americans back home. And yet, Clifford Barney's souvenir has been shadowed by another American lesbian who arrived in Paris ten years later.

An educated and talented woman, Gertrude Stein already possessed all the prerequisites that would allow her to be introduced among the intellectual Parisian elite of arts and literature. Her relationship with Alice B. Toklas lasted until Stein died in 1947. Theirs was the most famous lesbian couple of that time and as everyone knows they were at the center of the American artistic community in Paris from the 20s to 1940.

Now the point of the post of course in not to make a comprehensive list of all these women but rather to underline how important they were at that time for the artistic world in Paris and how their lives definitively identified the presence of America in France during the first half of the XXth century.

To my knowledge, these Americans were much more influential than French lesbians may have been during all these years and also, it looks like these women seduced many more French women than the other way round.

As written at the beginning of the post, hitherto French women were innocent lambs.  But again, what do I know?

Who the real musicians are

This video of Oscar Peterson playing Yesterday of Paul MacCartney is an example among dozens of other titles by the Beatles covered by the greatest names of the American jazz scene.

I remember Ella Fitzgerald singing Can't buy me love which has a powerful swing in it. Count Basie also played one title of the Fab Four (although I can't remember which it was), not to forget Ray Charles (Yesterday and Eleanor Rigby) and Franck Sinatra as well, singing Something by George Harrison.

Also we have Joan Baez singing Eleanor Rigby and Aretha Franklin doing the same here.

There are certainly many, many other American artists (Elvis, but he may have been a good performer and singer, he's not particularly remembered as a musician)  who covered many titles written by Paul and John, simply no name comes to mind at the moment.

This long list in order to make a comparison with the Rolling Stones (yeah, I'm not dealing with metaphysics here) who may be great performers but, IMHO, are poor musicians when it comes to composing.

Apart Ruby Tuesday, Lady Jane and Sitting on a fence which all have tremendous melodic lines, most of the songs by the Stones are shallow musicalywise.

Don't get me wrong here: Honky Tonk Woman, Sympathy for the devil, Jumping Jack Flash, Gimme me shelter and many others are really exciting tunes to listen to but where's the melody?

That may be the reason why the Beatles' songs were so many times covered by American musicians since, for what I know, Americans are impressively good at writing beautiful melodies. Listen to this for example...

Think of Bing Crosby, Irving Berlin, Nat King Cole and so many others.

So sorry but when it comes to compose beautiful melodies (notwithstanding the harmonies and variety of instruments) the Beatles beat the Stones hands down!

A lost cause from the beginning

There was Another article some times ago in the NYT about the Afghan war.

The readers' comments are worth reading as usual. Although I haven't read all of them, an overwhelming majority calls for America to withdraw out of that absurd, insane, neo-colonial  military entanglement with no chance to achieve anything whatsoever but final disaster.

I have written several posts about this in the past such as here, here here and here again. 

Save for a tiny minority of Europeans and Americans diehard warmongers or those gullible enough to believe in the politicians' outright lies, a vast majority of the American as well as European people demand and end to this sheer madness.

To no avail of course since people have no say in any matter in our so-called democratic countries...

The Germans, the French can't stand that their countries are involved in that far away land which has no connection to them. But the media, particularly in France, have decided not to play any role in  conveying the French people opposition, as these media have long renounced to play their part as fourth power.  

And after all, only 50 French soldiers have been killed over there, which is insignificant after 8 years on the ground.

Since the economic crisis is striking everywhere next to everybody, the war by far is not a major concern for Europeans and yet, how much do the costs of this war weigh on our economies?

E la nave va...Gods of all civilisations are speechless in front of human stupidity! Only when they'll decide to put an end to the lunacies of their creatures will wars no longer happen on earth.

Except that there are no gods!

Laozi and the witch

I don't know much about American history but it seems immigrants arrived in this country with no expectation at all about the help the American State could provide for them. As a matter of fact, the very concept of "State" seems to be somehow eerie to most Americans who refer to the Government where Europeans -and the rest of the world for that matter- would refer to their respective State.

As we all know, the global historical mistrust of any too big political entity in America is reflected in the philosophical opposition between statism and minarchism. That fundamental dividing line between these two approaches of how a country should be run was most famously exemplified by R. Reagan's slogan:

In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem

As written above, I don't know much about American history and politics but eventually I've come to the understanding that Republicans are more favorable to minarchism than their Democrat opponents.

There's now been some 2 years or so that a recent political trend in the US has emerged which seems to be even more demanding than the Rep re the need for less State (aka Marxism) and more "let the people free to live their lives without Government entanglement".

Whether they know it or not, these people in fact are giving a second life to a very old and basic concept of Chinese Taoism which is known as Wu wei. The core meaning of this concept is rather complex and hard to precisely define (we're talking about China here) but yet can be summed up as a means to restrain the prince from abuse of power, enjoining him to 'do' as little as possible.

For what I understand of the Tea Party movt, isn't it exactly what they expect from the people in Washington: Stop meddling in our private lives and get your dirty hands off our country!

I missed much of the story but I kinda understand that a certain Christine O'Donnell, more or less a prominent figure of the Tea Party, admitted she practised witchcraft as a teenager. Although her positions on sexuality aren't exactly sync with taoist sexual practices, she nonetheless actively and forcefully promotes a Chinese political theory in the United States of America.

After I've so often read so many Americans complaining that their country has been outsourcing most of the industrial jobs to China, the question arises now: Isn't Christine O'Donnell a leading member of the Chinese fifth column in the US whose ultimate goal is to bring America down to her knees?

Who would have thought that 2.500 years after he died Laozi's philosophy would be propagated on the other side of the earth by an American witch?

He's a she

 

After years of soul searching I now know (until my neurons evaporate) that the United States is a singular subject which must then be conjugated accordingly.

This leads us to a typically light topic: What is the gender of the 50 American States in French or other European languages?

A quick look at Wiki and we come back with the following result: 8 of the 50 American states are considered feminine in gender (in French) regarding their names and the way they must be conjugated.

California,

Carolina (North and South)

Florida,

Georgia, 

Louisiana,

Pennsylvania

Virginia,

Suffice to look at the last letter of each one and you can't be mistaken that the a ending is indicative of a Latin root. Which doesn't explain much since 12 other States also end with an a.

Alabama,

Alaska,

Arizona,

Dakota (north and south)

Iowa,

Indiana,

Minnesota,

Montana,

Nebraska,

Nevada,

Utah.

Hmmmm… looks like I need a linguist's expertise here since many names have their roots in the native's own names for their territories. Maybe did the colonists adapt the original Indian names to a more European educated-sounding tune. 

Another wild guess: Save for Pennsylvania, all these names are girl first names in French (Virginie, Caroline, Louis/Louise) or Spanish.

My attention was called upon this rather unimportant matter a dozen years ago about California since that was, at the time, the only State that came to my mind as being feminine in French. The answer I got then was referring to a Spanish novel and I left it to it.

But here you'll find a much comprehensive article regarding the origin of the name California.

I suppose you'll find similar articles on Wiki a propos all American States whether they bear a "feminine" name or not.

I haven't furthered the research in German, Polish or Italian but hey, if you feel like...