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Most hated enemy:
USSR: Russian intellectuals
USA: French intellectuals

Now this is sad.

In any reasonable world it would be "USA: American intellectuals"

But oh no.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid (arvid.hallen at gmail.com) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 12:11:23 PM EST
It's hard to turn the existence of a small handful of noninfluential & completely impotent people into a common enemy so threatening to our way of life, capable of inciting enough fear, that they warrant becoming the object of nationalist propaganda.

As it is, we're more afraid of what they are smoking than what they are writing.  Nobody in America reads anyway...  Except the other intellectuals.  And they don't vote, so who cares.

Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.

by poemless on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 12:42:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Hey, you guys aren't supposed to be recommending this snide comment!

Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
by poemless on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 01:01:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You're not supposed to make comments that aren't supposed to be rated.

Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 01:07:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I think its about "un-rating".

Like Winnie the Pooh's "unBirthday" excuse for being in the honeypot.

I'm also reminded of a mate of mine at Sheffield University who stood in the student elections as the "Apathy Candidate".

He claimed he won by a landslide......but we threw him in the pond anyway.

by ChrisCook (cojockathotmaildotcom) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 01:15:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Now there's a political model that could bring real benefits to the entire Western World.
by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 06:36:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
But we apreciate good snide.

Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.
by ceebs (bunchofwankers (at) gmail (dot) com) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 02:25:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
a small handful of noninfluential & completely impotent people

That's French intellectuals you're talking about, obviously.

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 02:01:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I think Americans believe all French are intellectuals.

Now, whether the whole country of France is noninfluential & completely impotent ...  that's a conversation for another day...


Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.

by poemless on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 02:23:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I think there's more to that meme.

Intellectual = sissy

quick-eating = sissy

therefore all French are intellectuals

QED (in what passes for logic on Faux News)

The difference between theory and practise in practise ...

by DeAnander (de_at_daclarke_dot_org) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 02:44:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
DAMN, trying to type fast again.

that should have been

quiche-eating

The difference between theory and practise in practise ...

by DeAnander (de_at_daclarke_dot_org) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 02:44:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I think the correct insult is "cheese-eating" ...

Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
by poemless on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 02:45:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I refer to that founding document of Amurkan culture, Real Men Don't Eat Quiche.

But cheese-eating is probably related, since

Real Men Eat Beef

Cheese != Beef

Cheese-Eaters == Sissies

The difference between theory and practise in practise ...

by DeAnander (de_at_daclarke_dot_org) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 02:56:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
and quiche, of course, is about 25-50 percent cheese depending on your recipe.

The difference between theory and practise in practise ...
by DeAnander (de_at_daclarke_dot_org) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 02:57:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I was quite amazed to find that in most of the supermarkets I went to in LA, there was hardly any American cheese on sale. Almost all of it was foreign, usually french.

It's almost as if to say that no real american eats cheese, except on a burger, and so anybody that does must eat french cheese and be halfway towards being an effete pompous surrender monkey who's lost touch with the world of Joe Six-Pack(which in Kerry's case wasn't far from the truth on that campaign)

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 03:19:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Actually,  I think Americans probably eat a lot of cheese.  In the "American cheese" world there is "American cheese" which is actually "processed cheese food", a flimsy, salty, rubbery thing that's actually great for grilled cheese, except it isn't cheese, and all of the artisanal cheeses.  Most supermarkets will carry some Vermont or Wisconsin cheddar, but you might have to go to a specialty or WF market to get a variety of American artisanal cheeses.  There are a lot of them out there, though.  Very good too.  But it's a market in its infancy.

Every American has Parmesan cheese.  Mind you, it's often domestic.  And common groceries have a decent variety of other non-American cheeses: feta, Irish cheddar, Havarti, mozzarela, Gouda, Edam, chevre, brie, Roquefort, etc. etc.  And now that we are a nation of foodies, you can buy just about anything that meets our pastuerization laws.  And yes, there is an underground market for those cheeses & creams that don't...

Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.

by poemless on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 04:01:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This is the case in two urban areas (LA & SF) in California. Not sure whether this is the case in other parts of the country (except for Vermont & Wisconsin, of course).

Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.
by Bernard on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 04:25:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
And yes, there is an underground market for those cheeses & creams that don't...

Cheese fatalities? Samizdat dairy products?

Are most of the customers intellectuals?

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 06:38:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You got me really confused for a moment, I thought the quick-eating people were the Americans.

Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 05:46:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Extra amusing given that there a lot more intellectuals in the US than France.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Fri Jul 6th, 2007 at 03:45:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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