Are the French looking for the next Iraq?

[Saintaw]

STRAFFO = BEST FERNCH PRDUCT EVAR!

[Eagler]

pull the trigger and this pops out the barrel:

[Batz]

China is not a threat to the US. We need them for cheap consumer goods and they need us the largest consumer market.

Our 2 economies to a large degree rely on each other. That's the difference between other commie countries and states like Cuba or even the old USSR. Its definately different then our relationship with Iraq.

China is also a large developing market and its only nature that Nations compete for access to that market.

[Nilsen]

thx for taking the thread back on track Batz

[lasersailor184]

Dunno storch.  Do you think you and I could take over france with a few shotguns?  or do you think we'll need a third?

[Crapgame]

Well all the talk about arms sales certainly makes sense but I think that there is another reason for the manuevers which is not being explored. France understands that China is the next great adversary of the United States and I think that perhaps they may be angling for a new realignment of power. Gallic pride has too
long suffered under the constraints of a realpolitik which dictated that no longer was France the leader of the free world. If she cannot lead, she will undermine and China is the tool by which they hope to accomplish it.

There is a large degree of truth in what Batz wrote about the interdependence of our economies but the imbalance is too one sided to sustain. Ultimately that imbalance will lead both countries to reassess their national policies and that could ultimately lead to conflict. The ruthlessness with which the Chinese can approach a conflict based on the application of their totalitarian system should not be underestimated. I just think that France is going exploit the adversarial relationship between China and the US for all it's worth.

[MadMan]

First, China is of absolutely ZERO military threat to the use.  They have no way to attack us other than the use of nuclear weapons which we have many more than they do and which would also bring about teh end of the world.

Second, I'd love to see the Chinese army use French equipment rather than their own.  When was the last time any French military equipment was used to actually kill the enemy?  the French revolution...  and the only reason it worked was cause they were fighting, well, the French.

[scout]

IIRC the Exocet robot did sink a few british ships in the Falklands war (including a destroyer/frigate 'HMS Sheffield').

[NUKE]

Originally posted by GScholz
I don't think the Exocet has ever missed a war shot. By far the most battle proven AS missile in the world.

really? Is that simlar to the F-15 having never been shot down? I seem to remember you saying that the F-15's combat record didn't mean a lot.

[MadMan]

A small boat loaded with C-4 puts about the same size hole in the side of a Destroyer (USS Cole)  And costs much less and proves to be much more accurate.

[Thrawn]

Braver and better men than most here are serving with US soldiers in Afghanistan and Haiti right now, and they are French.

But don't let that get in the way of your pity ignorances.

[Nilsen]

American kids always thinks their toys are best. They have prolly used it in some computer game and made their conclusions based on that, or some American general has said so on TV and therefore it must be true.

[Saintaw]

The one thing I do find funny about french equipment is the name they give to some of the stuff.

"Super Etendard"... I mean, come on..

Matra, Giat, Dassault  are  pretty high-tech tho.

[Nilsen]

hehe yeah, some of those names sounds wierd...like the "super retard"

[straffo]

hahem ... you never heard of the C.R.A.P.  ?