<p>Plan of defense MK? LOL!!! I hope you aren't referring to the Maginot Line!</p>
<p>JohnWesley, The French were the most vocal about Iraq, but most of the World shared their views. Even the English, Italians and Spanish populations and the majority of their polititians and intellectuals believe in France's analysis.</p>
<p>I think we might have seen the last of the "French" military. My sources at NATO tell me that countries like Belgium, Holland, and France can't get many natives to serve or stay in the military, so their ranks are being filled with recent immigrants and "guest workers." France already had a Foreign Legion...now almost the entire military is being outsourced.</p>
<p>Touguide, I am not sure I agree with that assessment. I served in the French army in 1996-1997 (I am a citizen of France but of Lebanese orgin). I think I know more about the inner workings of France's military than your seemingly ignorant NATO connection. I can assure you that people like me (French of foreign origin) make up a small portion of France's army. France's army is representative of France...90% white and Catholic. Only 10% of France's army is like me, recently naturalized French. </p>
<p>In terms of might, it is the most powerful army in Europe and one of the thee most powerful militaries on Earth after the US.</p>
<p>I still think 10.34 is a great time. Did you compete at the international level?</p>
<p>No, by the time I was 19, my knees were pretty much gone! I never got to compete...not even at the university level.</p>
<p>Too bad. BTW, I was trained as an US historian and I certainly appreciate the positive role the French have played in American history. </p>
<p>My wife and I spent a week in Paris several Junes ago when the French and the English were celebrating the anniversary of D-Day. Apparently, the French government (someone correct me if I'm wrong) paid for two WWII vets from each state to come to Paris for the celebration. We saw them at Dulles. They were flying the same time we were. </p>
<p>I found Parisians kind and the city lovely and clean. We were amused by Parisians' attitudes towards parking their cars and by the tiny size of some of them. The cars, that is, not the people.</p>
<p>I am greatly disappointed and sadden that some of the world's greatest intellectuals, on both the right and left side of the political spectrum, seem to be so besotted with anti-Semitism. This is an anti-Semitism that has roots much, much deeper then the current Middle Eastern conflict. It's pretty shameful and frightening.</p>
<p>Tsdad,</p>
<p>If nothing else, Rutgers does encourage the scholar/athlete and knows how to take a loss as well as a win in stride.</p>
<p>In fact, there are not too many football teams as experienced at losing as RU. OK, maybe Temple...</p>
<p>NAtionally ranked RU is here is my town to play Pitt tonight. Upstream Red Team! Oh, Rutgers Rah!</p>
<p>RU, Class of 84</p>
<p>Yes indeed, old RU knows how to lose in football. </p>
<p>"Upstream Red team, Red team upstream."</p>
<p>It's been a lot of upstreams. </p>
<p>RU Class of 1965. It was still all male then. I have been chided here on CC for going to an all male college during the sexual revolution. I made up for it the next few years in Chapel Hill.</p>
<p>TS,</p>
<p>Attended when they played the final game of the Princeton series. They should try to get an occasional game against them back on the schedule. </p>
<p>The Big East schools as a group don't exactly play a difficult out of conference schedule.</p>
<p>I went to the Princeton-Rutgers game in the fall of 1960. Of course all the games were at Princeton. We wore ties and jackets to all the games in those days and those stupid beanies that freshman had to wear. Princeton marched their freshman class around the stadium and announce how many vals an sals they had--like all of them. We threw ice cubes at them.</p>
<p>TSDad, I am glad you appreciate France. Not enough of your countrymen do. Unfortunately, not enough Frenchmen appreciate the US either. The two countries have been the longest standing allies for over 230 years and they still manage to find ways to dislike each other. Men like the Comte de Rochambeau and the Marquis de Lafayette, along with over 8,000 French soliders and a wealth of weapons provided much of the strategy, muscle and weaponry needed to defeated the British in the 1775-1783 revolutionary war. Similarly, the US freed France from the Nazis in the 1939-1945 war at the cost of thousands and thousands of US soliders' lives. Both countries have much to respect and appreciate in the other and yet, they cannot for the life of them get along. I think the primary reason for the uncomfortable relations between France and the US is due to the fact that those two countries have much in common. Both are stand-alone countries, perfectly capable of prospering on their own. No other country on Earth has accomplished that degree of autonomy. </p>
<p>As for anti-semitism, I am affraid it will endure. I personally use the word differently than most Americans. To me, anti-semitism applies to all semities, Hebrews and Arabs, Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. I have given up hope on the Middle East. We are one large, stubborn, proud and disfunctional family. I only pray that I am proved wrong. We are unwilling to help each other, so I see no reason why we expect the rest of the World to help us.</p>
<p>When my kids were younger they would play ro-cham-beau to determine who would sit in the front seat. I thought it was something they learned in history class. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why a game played homage to a French general. After a year or so, I learned that ro-cham-beau means rocks, paper, sissors in French. Or so I'm told. I never looked it up.</p>
<p>heh heh someone w/ a Hanover location mispelled "Catullus;" I suppose Dartmouth students aren't the best w/ orthography lol.</p>