Toast
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Fuchs
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Spartan
There now called 'a great accompaniment to be washed down with beer'. Some things never change. At least the German military has proven itself a worthy adversary for the US in the past, despite differences in politics and having leaders that were proven to be NOT good for Germany, the World or for the practice of genocide against the Jewish people. Aside from that, the German soldiers have proven themselves as skilled, disciplined and proven in combat.Fuchs wrote:Would are German sausages and "Pretzels" now called in the US?
I can't say the same about the French, although I'll accept any heat rounds that come my way from competent French soldiers. My issues are not with them, but the fact that the civilian leadership of France has never had enough spine to let their soldiers make a stand and prove themselves.
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Fuchs
O.K., interesting answer, thank you for that! That sounds like a chance to fight alongside each other in the future. After I had feared that my government had already ruined any good relationships with the US for the next dozen decades...
But French sodiers today shouldn't be underestimated - and I'm sure that many of them do not agree with their leadership either. After their transition to a professional army, they have developed much, and because of their many operations in Africa and Asia in the past years, they certainly have more "war experience" than for example we Germans have gained in the recent past.
(I also know that the Marines have always been impressed by the performance of the French Foreign Legion during common exercises.)
But French sodiers today shouldn't be underestimated - and I'm sure that many of them do not agree with their leadership either. After their transition to a professional army, they have developed much, and because of their many operations in Africa and Asia in the past years, they certainly have more "war experience" than for example we Germans have gained in the recent past.
(I also know that the Marines have always been impressed by the performance of the French Foreign Legion during common exercises.)
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Spartan
Well, in this case, I think that we in the US are of course pissed when the French voted for a UN Resolution saying that there would be 'severe consequences' for an Iraqi Regime that did not disarm or cooperate, then failed to follow with at least a reinforcing vote. Quite frankly, with the French being so obstinant, it did not matter what Germany or Russia voted. The French were leading that effort anyway.Fuchs wrote:After their transition to a professional army, they have developed much, and because of their many operations in Africa and Asia in the past years, they certainly have more "war experience" than for example we Germans have gained in the recent past.
Secondly, when we do our French-bashing it is based on their history earlier in this century. It is one thing to fight countries with third world militaries in Africa and Asia, and quite another to surrender your own country several times in the same country to the armed forces of another.
It feels kind of weird to bash the French to a German based on their performance of not defending their own country well against Germany twice in the last century.
What do the German people think about France, as a culture and a people? Do they seem as arrogant (unrighteously so I might add) to you as they do to us?
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Fuchs
To me they certainly do, yes.
In the German-French-Brigade the Frensch soldiers are known as "Klingons" - not many like them there.
When German soldiers see arrogant French ones you will sometimes hear the Germans murmur "Six weeks..." - though this is not meant seriously.
The Germans as a people are strange, I don't understand them myself - Germany for instance pays France's agriculture through the European Union. But the Germans (because of their history) will never complain because except for soccer they have such a problem with their own identity that they rather want to identify themselves with the European Union than with Germany . So despite having vast economic problems, we pay the majority of the EU's budget. The benefit for us is sometimes questionable. Still, Germans (especially politicians) always tend to emphasize the in my eyes not existing German-French-Friendship. The French would never do that, but would rather call as barbarians since Germans drink more beer than French wine.
In the German-French-Brigade the Frensch soldiers are known as "Klingons" - not many like them there.
When German soldiers see arrogant French ones you will sometimes hear the Germans murmur "Six weeks..." - though this is not meant seriously.
The Germans as a people are strange, I don't understand them myself - Germany for instance pays France's agriculture through the European Union. But the Germans (because of their history) will never complain because except for soccer they have such a problem with their own identity that they rather want to identify themselves with the European Union than with Germany . So despite having vast economic problems, we pay the majority of the EU's budget. The benefit for us is sometimes questionable. Still, Germans (especially politicians) always tend to emphasize the in my eyes not existing German-French-Friendship. The French would never do that, but would rather call as barbarians since Germans drink more beer than French wine.
