After the laughable and yet very sad attempts at boycotting the word "french" in french toast and french fries, there's a French initiative now to "retaliate": Pretzels for Bush! The idea is to buy pretzels at the website, which will be sent to the US Government (a part of the money will be spent on charity) in an attempt to symbolically protest the Iraqi War. The site is in French, btw.

Let's see if those who defended the right to protest in a symbolic manner in the other topic will defend the right for this symbolic protest just the same. ;)
And for the Americans being in stitches over how silly this protest is, just multiply that feeling with 250 and you'll get a pretty good idea how we felt about the french fries thing. :D

[ 03-18-2003, 08:48 AM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]

<font color=orange>I'll defend it! Think of all the money it will save the White House! They won't have to buy any pretzals for at least a couple of years and Dubya will get to eat one of his favorite snacks! I think it's a great idea! While you all are at it please send me some! I love pretzals!

You all ever have those Auntie Emm (or whatever they are called) at the mall? They are my favorite!!! Especially those brown sugar and cinnimon ones with the carmel dipping suace to go on them! YUMYUM! [img]tongue.gif[/img] </font>

There is an American translation on the page (not an English one I'm afraid! ;) )

And the point of the protest is to disagree with the Bush view by sending him pretzels because he once choked on a pretzel to the point that he passed out from oxygen deprivation and could have died?

So are they saying "we wish you'd died then" or hoping that if they send enough maybe he'll choke again? ;) [img]smile.gif[/img]

Seems mean spirited to me, but a protest is a protest. [img]tongue.gif[/img] :D

You have to admit that the text in the pop-up is funny (if you understand french :D ).

BTW, this protest will support some charity at least. Not like changing french fries into freedom fries that is just waiste of time and money.

[img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]
I was just going to say the very same thing Ronn. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Now, I dont mean to get off on a [img]graemlins/rant.gif[/img] here, but...

Groj...I'm all for people's right to peacefully protest, but I'd have to say that this protest is in EXTREMELY poor taste. Ronn's right, this basically says(in not so many words, but the message is there, loud and clear) 'I wish you'd just choke on one and die for real'. Not a very *PEACEFUL* protest IMNSHO. Boycott a product all you like, rename American Cheese to 'Oppressive Imperialist War Monger Cheese', whatever, there's nothing wrong with that, but, I'd have to say, I think *THIS* particular protest is WAY out of line.

That's just my opinion though, I could be wrong.

IMO that's the only part about it that's positive. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I don't read French, but I do see the humor. Even mean spirited things can be funny, and I'm not too frumpy to admit it. It is good that money will go to charity even if the act itself is uncharitable.

Changing the name of French Fries to Freedom Fries doesn't cost anything. It's just a name change, and a temporary one at that. ;)

[ 03-18-2003, 09:35 AM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ]

While the "freedom" fry thing was very petulant and childish, this is an obvious act of WAR! This is a blatant assassination attempt on our elected leader! :D :D :D

Seriously though, this "protest" is more than childish, it's vindictive. It's using personal information and turning it into a personal insult.

I defend and support all sorts of protest, but I'll call a spade a spade. The "freedom" thing was childish, this is just mean.

I think the pretzels and the fries are both childish, and I wonder where this playground "tit for tat" squabbling will lead onto from here. Is it set to escalate through boycotts and trade wars to having another cold war? Is it instead just a case of high calorific snack foods at 50 paces then pack all the kiddies back into bed and lights out by 8 pm. Maybe we should lock Bush and Chirac in one of those kiddy bouncy castles and only let them out again when they have learned to "play nice" and have discovered the "joys of SHARING" again.

Wanders off shaking his head ......... :(

Edit - and while we are locking pollies in bouncy castles - can we also make room for our (OZ) Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition :D

Further edit - please to note that this post is not intended to be biased in favour of either party in this squabble. The use of the imperial units of energy was completely accidental and is not intended as a source of bias. Please remain assured that no disrespect was intended towards the joule and my favoured unit of energy description at work is indeed the gigajoule.

Have a nice day [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 03-18-2003, 11:10 AM: Message edited by: Davros ]