US embargo against French water and wine?

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Olofski

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Read today on Swedish Text-TV and The Washington Post about how US lawmakers would like to bring in sanctions against France. The subject of sanction would be on french wine and french water.

Is this how US works, when someone don?t agree with their policy they have to be punished in some way? Sounds like a similar system that they more than anything would like to try to destroy(read Iraq).

And before you say that Frances Iraq-opinion is not the only reason for this proposal, I know. The article also mentions US criticism on Frances agricultural policy. But come on, do you really believe that? Colonial Europe said that the main reason for colonialism was to bring christianity to Africa, but we all know that natural resources was the main issue. Or like saying that oil has nothing to do with the coming(?) war against Iraq for that matter.

If this sanction becomes reality the Iraq-situation has sunk to a new level - the sandbox!
 
Some U.S. lawmakers want to ban French water, wine and move troops from Germany
Wed Feb 12, 4:37 PM ET


WASHINGTON - Some members of Congress are suggesting the United States impose trade sanctions on France and withdraw U.S. troops from Germany to retaliate for opposition to U.S. policies on Iraq, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.



House Speaker Dennis Hastert has told associates he would like to target bottled French mineral water and wine, the paper said.


"France and Germany are losing credibility by the day and they are, I think, losing status in the world," the Post quoted House Majority Leader Tom DeLay as saying. "They are walking a fine line that is very dangerous."


Hastert has instructed Republican colleagues to determine whether Congress should pass laws that would new impose health standards on bottles of Evian and other French waters, the paper said.


According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, a U.S. research firm France is the leading exporter of water to the United States and sold 65 million gallons (147 million liters) in 2001.


The Post said the speaker also is exploring whether the United States should require "bright orange warning labels" on French wines that are clarified with bovine blood.


"People should know how the French make their wine, " the Post quoted Hastert spokesman John Feehery as saying.


Two U.S. wine experts contacted by the newspaper, said a few French wine growers used bovine blood as a clarifier before the process was banned in the late 1990s after the "made cow disease" scare.


There is growing momentum in Congress to move many of the 71,455 U.S. troops from Germany, the Post said.


Marine Gen. James Jones the U.S. commander in Europe, recently briefed lawmakers on a plan to change the U.S. military presence in Europe by moving troops out of Germany to make them less reliant on bases in Germany and more flexible, the newspaper quoted White House and congressional officials as saying.


House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter said French and German attitudes toward U.S. policy in Iraq will make the modernization plan easier to sell to lawmakers, the newspaper quoted him as saying.


A bipartisan group of senators announced plans Tuesday to introduce a resolution thanking 18 European nations for standing with the United States_ and against France and Germany.
 
This is petty, for God's sake! What do we want to do? Create a new Cold War between the U.S. and Europe?

I think this is absolutely ridiculous. Just because France and Germany won't kiss Bush's fat ass, it doesn't mean we need to do this.

Melon
 
Washington Post writes: "France and Germany are losing credibility by the day and they are, I think, losing status in the world," the Post quoted House Majority Leader Tom DeLay as saying. "They are walking a fine line that is very dangerous."

OR maybe they are gaining credibility because they have the guts to say no to worldpoliceofficer George W Bush.

Let?s see how the rest of Europe will react if this "punishment" becomes a reality. Maybe we could get some use of EU for a change.
 
More Evian for the rest of us!

This is blatant blackmail - I'm embarrassed for anybody who may have voted for these morons.
 
i cant tell you just how brilliant the american power truly is. i mean there is brilliance, then there is the united states.

i really believe the united states should begin threatening germany and france, and belguim too. theyre fascist, (they were under nazi control up till 60 years ago, so those extreme right wing leanings still might exist) so i think we should invade them.

the united states has never looked as awful as it does right now. when this thing gets into full gear, ww2 will look like a picnic compared to world war three.

at least the united states is based on the principles of christianity. makes me feel better, as a christian.
 
We had a guy called Peter King, a US senetor (or ex-senetor, I'm not sure) on the British radio the other day, the entire interview was him insulting the French..the interviewer was speechless by the end of it. In the news, there are just reports of insults & veiled threats, and now this...its disgraceful & childish

I thank God that I've met enough Americans over the years not to judge them by the actions of their government
 
the us will eventually make enough enemies that they will only be an island in every sense of the word.

thank GOD, you have elections next year. please, for the sake of humanity, put someone in that doesnt want a world war the way bush and his cronies do.
 
UKTan said:
We had a guy called Peter King, a US senetor (or ex-senetor, I'm not sure) on the British radio the other day, the entire interview was him insulting the French..the interviewer was speechless by the end of it. In the news, there are just reports of insults & veiled threats, and now this...its disgraceful & childish

There was a guy who writes for mullings.com on CNN Talkback (I don't know why I watched, lol), and he was saying how the Germans are thugs (but then that's a given, he said) and the French are weanies, and he was just going on and on, picking one country by one, insulting them at will. I couldn't believe my ears, it was absolutely appalling.

And the rest of us are anti-American?
 
Real-life politics is starting to read like the front page of The Onion.
 
Well the US military canceled some contracts with local companies in germany allready (all together a few million dollars) and the US diplomat in germany said that the investment will be frozzen until we change our course (well he said it in a more diplomatic maner ;)

New US Policy:
1st:ask politely
2nd: bribe
3rd: punish?

Klaus
 
joyfulgirl said:
Real-life politics is starting to read like the front page of The Onion.

I'd agree except The Onion can actually be amusing sometimes :)
 
I wish I had saved another link. I have also read in the past 24hours, that the US is planning on moving a good amount of our armed forces off of German bases permanently. I cannot find it. I read it yesterday at the same time I found the wine/water article.

Grrrr....old age.
 
if i were the leader of china, id flat out tell the states that if they invade anyone, then we declare war against you.

if enough big countries would stand up to the us, maybe the us wouldnt be so willing to go around killing as they please.
 
Flag Pole Pear said:
if i were the leader of china, id flat out tell the states that if they invade anyone, then we declare war against you.

if enough big countries would stand up to the us, maybe the us wouldnt be so willing to go around killing as they please.

Unfortunately, I see this being the future scenario, if not sooner then later; and maybe it won't be China, but it will be someone else.

Melon
 
melon said:
This is petty, for God's sake! What do we want to do? Create a new Cold War between the U.S. and Europe?

I think this is absolutely ridiculous. Just because France and Germany won't kiss Bush's fat ass, it doesn't mean we need to do this.

Melon

I agree. I'll be damned if my father is going to stop buying wine from Germany and France.
 
Today Rumsfeld is criticising Austria for not letting US troops pass through the country to get to Italy. Austria?s reason for this is that it?s a neutral country but they are willing to accept if the UN give their approval for war. The US troops will now have to travel by train through 3 o 4 countries to get to Italy.

Thank God, another country that have the sense and courage to stand up to worldpoliceofficer George W Bush! Maybe there is hope that the US will wait for UN.
 
My God. This is the absolute most petty and childish antic I've seen our current government pull off yet. If this embargo actually goes through I am going to start writing letters to congress, and encourage all my friends to do the same. I can't believe grown men who are supposed to be representing the people are actually even THINKING of such a ridiculous action. This is political corruption at it's finest.

Don't agree with us? Oops, there goes your treats....
Not going to give in? Gee, now we're too good to be on your land...
Standing up to us? Watch out, we're going to call you names...

:down:
 
I've been out of the news loop for a while, so I can't quite recall what our governments's ever vacillating policy on the US's war plans for Iraq, so I can't say if the latest soft wood lumber dispute is over Iraq or not. Given how much the US has screwed with us through NAFTA it wouldn't suprise me. The continual blaming of "lax Canadian security" for 9/11 has really pissed me off on top of it too.
 
I'm surprised that Rumsfeld mentioned Austria, it isn't that big, he could move through Switzerland (neutral too) but he didn't mention Switzerland (well maybe he can remember that Swizerland was neutral because he learned that in WWII?).
Well it's surprising that the US military didn't think of this before (Austria is neutral for more than 50 years now (Well maybee they did but Rumsfeld thought it would be no problem to violate Austrias neutrality?.

Klaus
 
The Democracy known as the United States of America does not have to respect other countries wish's of neutrality. The United States of America is the great leader of pure national strength, and their dominance should be observed, awed and feared by everyone else on earth.
 
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Flag Pole Pear said:
the us will eventually make enough enemies that they will only be an island in every sense of the word.

thank GOD, you have elections next year. please, for the sake of humanity, put someone in that doesnt want a world war the way bush and his cronies do.


You're not joking. I'm livid myself, and I'm a U.S. citizen!!:madspit: :mad: :censored: :censored: :censored:
 
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