You must log in or # to comment.
The French get a weird rap of being cowards and expert surrenderers, but honestly I’m starting to think that’s some sort of American media psyop. Let’s remember the French made snails into luxury cuisine (which means they discovered snails are edible in the first place), dethroned Latin as the lingua franca, and brought their feudal lords to the guillotine. The latter one a service they should absolutely export.
You don’t even have to for that far back. During the Second World War there was a massive resistance movement by the french population against the german occupation.
The “French surrender” memes says way more about their elites than their people.
The resistance movement was largely organised by the British though, thanks to radio broadcasts. Not to denigrate the French, just to big up the Brits. We have done good things too on occasion!
Well said.
frenchies frantically upvoting
The “French surrender” memes says way more about their elites than their people.
Especially in recent history since the people tend to protest and it works.
The whole “French surrenders” thing is missing context.
My understanding is that the term originated in WW2 when Nazi Germany invaded and France didn’t put up a fight. Conservatives in the USA called them cowards etc but what they didn’t know (like they cared) was that the French have been very effective in war for centuries even before the USA was a thing.
The French knew they were going to lose any war with Germany at this point in the war and relied on their allies to help them out. Surrender was the best possible option for them to save lives.
Anyone who says that the French are weak don’t know shit about their history and don’t know how their alliance has helped the US.
There wouldn’t be a US without France.
And vice versa, by similar measure. The special relationship should have been France and the US.
Knowing when to stop fighting is also a strength. Rumours of weakness are pointless - attempting to unfairly discredit someone else achieves little more than societal damage.
So yea, an American psyop.
French politicians during WWII were quitters. The population on the other hand were not. There’s always been a strong disconnect between the Rulers and the Ruled, which is fairly normal. What sets France apart is the Ruled’s willingness to set things on fire.
Of course the coward thing is just american media.
The French army, still to this day, has the best battle record of any army in history. They didn’t get a record like that by being cowards.
Not that I would discount them but. Wasn’t there a record of an army of a country that went into a war with 81 soldiers and returned with 82, or something? I’m sure I’d count that as the best battle record.
You’re thinking of Luxembourg.
And no, because that’s one event. The French Army have the most amount of total victories of any army.
Liechtenstein
Yep. My bad, I remembered the wrong country.
It 100% is a psyop at this point.
Like, the entire original basis of it was 'the French got their Maginot Line flanked/routed around during WW2 and failed to hold the line in Belgium, therefore they are all idiot cowards."
That and maybe possibly that they largely pulled out of Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) after Dien Ben Phu, leading to rhe partition of Vietnam into North and South, and generally greater US involvement in South East Asia.
Then, they wouldn’t join us for Iraq 2, therefore: FREEDOM FRIES!
… So pretty much the first one is reductionist as fuck from a history/military standpoint, and the other two are… broadly now recognized to have just been total horrific mistakes and tragedies and basically just big warcrimes and wastes of lives and money on the part of all Western powers involved… and supposedly even most anti-war/anti-interventionist conservatives now also believe this.
So, yeah, the entire thing is basically, at this point, 99% a bunch of stupid nonsense that is largely admitted to be based on mistakes and jingoism.
I agree with everything you’ve said except the bit about snails. People were already eating snails back in ancient Rome, probably even earlier than that. The French did however have the brilliant idea of drenching their snails in garlic+butter+parsley.
Which is honestly the best part in eating snails. With a fuckton of bread to soak all this delicious, delicious garlicky butter.
The French need to contract themselves out to other countries’ people who need help starting a revolution.
The Marquis de Lafeyette has entered the chat.
Unfortunately, france-backed mercenaries have historically contributed in essentially the opposite way
Yeah but you had Garibaldi too although considered Italian he born in France
Noice thanks for the link
At the very least hook us up with some virtual training? Asking for lots of friends.
See, Americans? THAT is how you do protesting
The most legendary thing the French have done in recent memory is when energy workers did not charge customers as a protest.
mwa chef’s kiss!
They are called firefighters. What did you expect?
Benders from the fire nation
Blaziken. Maaaaybe Emboar.
Not sure how cops in France handle this situation, but here in Murica: the officers use bullets to stop the fire
Here in 'Murica firefighters side with the police too often.
I remember seeing a bunch of fire trucks in my area in 2020 flying the thin.blue line flag while out and about.
AFAB
All firefighters are badass
AFAF
All firefighters are Fire
That Daft Punk reunion looks awesome.
Yeah bro and their new track is fire!
The French know how to protest.
Something that’d never happen in Brazil, as firefighters are militarized, just like the police :/
I’ll say it. Firefighters are just cops with less training and a bigger hero complex. Out on the streets they are toxic and domineering as hell without any justification for their authority outside of fighting fires.
The ones I’ve known wouldn’t even rescue a cat. The adult world isn’t a world where first responders are cuddly safe adults anymore, if it ever was.
I don’t know were you’re from, but were I’m from they’re the most humble people you’ll ever meet and are required to keep their skills at the highest level.
His wife probably left him for a firefighter.
They have the complex but don’t have the ability to shoot someone and their dog and get off with paid vacation
Oooh, did someone get told to move his car blocking the fire hydrant in front of the burning orphanage?
They have so much different missions that I would not be able to put any overlap between the 2 functions beside who eventually pays for them… What kind of shitty experience has led to such a take? Care to share some?
I grew up with my father being an officer in firefighting in Europe (not France though) and my perception is way different. Among other things he escaped death quite a couple of times just to extract some poor souls from certain death situations, helped the community avoid disasters and generally be super kind about risk prevention visits…
He was a totally absent father though but I chalk that to his commitment to the local community.
Where I live, alllll the firefighters (and cops) are Magats. They do an important job, but I dont want to be around them or anything.
Yeah but then most likely so is at least one of your neighbours if you’re from USA :-/
Fire fighting in much of the US is intertwined with religion and a weird brotherhood like the freemasons. They don’t have to be douches, it seems to be a culture thing from McChristianity.
I live close to a major regional hospital and I mostly see firefighters in an emergency medical services capacity. They do not fuck around because they are literally in the middle of a fucking medical emergency. Yeah they zoom around in their ambulances all sirens blaring like “assholes”, but for all we know there’s someone bleeding to death inside.
Wow. Yeah… Salient observation regarding the hose monkeys. Although, in my experience, more training than the police department.
Biggest difference is most firefighters generally don’t even get paid, it’s volunteers waking up in the middle of the night, driving to the station, putting on gear and responding for the love of the game.
Gruff assholes yeah, but everyone I know trains two hours every week on top of a few classes a year. Also the whole point is the expectation that you’re responding to a dangerous situation. Too many times I’ve seen bystanders do dangerous stuff and yelling at them is the fastest way to notify that they are walking into danger.
granted a couple of them look like department ads but most look legit
“Look at me. I am the fire now”
Yes they did. It’s a banger.
In the US, they’ll just watch you burn…
(Much love to the Fire Depts all over the world! You guys the real MVPs! Especially the Mexican fire department that sent their people to oregon when Shitler let us burn… last time the fuckwit was elected by goddamn morons.)
No they wouldn’t. Come on. They’d shoot.
Least politically active Frenchman
Affab - all fire fighters are base
