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Ian Langsdon / EPA
Armored vehicles parade down the Champs Elysees as part of the Bastille Day Military parade in Paris, France, on July 14. The Bastille Day, the French National Day, is held annually on July 14 to commemorate the storming of the Bastille fortress in 1789.
Guillaume Baptiste / AFP - Getty Images
Two French carrier-borne strike fighter aircrafts Super Etendard, and a French long-range reconnaissance aircraft Atlantique 2, fly over Paris and La Defense, during the Bastille Day military parade in Paris, on July 14.
Ian Langsdon / EPA
French President Francois Hollande arrives by car with French Army Chief of Staff Admiral Edouard Guillaud, right, at the Place de la Concorde to attend the Bastille Day military parade in Paris, France, on July 14. The Bastille Day, the French National Day, is held annually on July 14 to commemorate the storming of the Bastille fortress in 1789.
Guillaume Baptiste / AFP - Getty Images
French military aircraft fly over Paris during the Bastille Day military parade in Paris, on July 14.
Mal Langsdon / Reuters
A formation of military helicopters fly over the Arc de Triomphe during the traditional Bastille Day military parade in Paris on July 14.
Bertrand Guay / AFP - Getty Images
French soldiers from the 1st Spahis Regiment take part in the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on July 14.
Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP - Getty Images
Nine alphajets from the French Air Force Patrouille de France release trails of blue, white and red smoke, colors of French national flag, as they fly over Louvre museum and the Louvre Pyramid during the Bastille Day military parade in Paris, on July 14.
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I didnt know France had a military force. Through historic gestures and actions i guess they are more for show than use eh?
Are you kidding?
Happy Bastille Day to all the French people!! Let us not forget what the masses can do to end tryanny and reclaim their lives. It's in our hands if we want it enough.
And the blood of innocence that flowed freely for the fight for freedom. Blessed be to those who gave their lives for generations to come.
Indeed, 600,000 French were killed in this the start of the French Revolution. Yes what the MOBS can do-
Parts of the French army is in Afghanistan and a great deal of them in sub-Saharan Africa where the United States won't go......FYI
Question - How many gears are on a French tank?
Answer - 6, one forward and five in reverse.
Must be the safer areas to fly through;) I seriously doubt it's because the US lack the nerve. FYI, we STILL saved those ungrateful French in WWII. Of course, it's still easier today for them to ignore that and just hate us. Let the ungrateful cowards have their celebrations.
This may come as a shock to you, but that's old news. It was our moment of glory, but the world has long since finished grovelling at our feet. Give it a rest.
To Mr. Rod, the Leclerc tank, which is the French main battle tank, does have 5 gears forward and 3 gears in reverse. 120 mm smooth bore gun, and an operating distance of 300KM without refueling.
Suggest you do some reading.
Ungrateful? I don't think so bud. You know how many US GIs got laid in France after we liberated them? A ton!!! France has always stood by us for the most part. Yeah De Gaulle feigned wanting out of NATO, etc, but they have always been there. WHo do you think played a key role in us winning the Revolution? Without the French fleet bottling the British fleet off of Yorktown, history might be a lot different.
Also, just because France wanted an independent foreign policy, doesn't make her ungrateful. Our foreign policy of the last 100 years for the most part has been an unmitigated disaster. The entire war on terror could have been averted if we didn't get so paranoid about Soviet expansion during the Cold War. Or even better if Wilson showed some balls and kept to his 14 pts and letthe Arabs form their own type of governemnt after WWI instead of letting European powers carve it up in spheres of influence. Biggest mistake was our involvement in WWI. Europe would be thriving, we would be thriving, and maybe the mostly secular Ottoman Empire would still be around, with no Muslim crazies to contend with.
USA won't go to Africa because the big business does not want spotlight on the atrocities that they cause in Africa. It is easier to enslave Africa if American people don't know what is happening.
The people of France have voted for a good leader - President Francois Hollande.
Heck now! He is going to be a disaster for france! Just like any socialist/communist government in france since 1936.
Liberté, égalité, fraternité = Guillotine
It's too bad they didn't have this kind of show to keep the Nazi's at bay.
They had the Maginot Line but the Germans went around it through Belgium. The French know how to cook, love, live. Fight? Not so well . . .
Easy to judge people when they are longer around to defend their actions.
@wheels460: It's also too bad that you have such a poor understanding of history. You might recall that if it weren't for the assistance of the French, you'd still be drinking tea, and paying taxes to the Queen, but American history glosses over that truth. .
In WW1, only a generation before the Nazi's, the French lost an ENTIRE generation of young men. They had no one left to fight the Nazi's. Krakow, Warsaw, Prague, were all destroyed when they resisted. If we'd lost an ENTIRE generation in Vietnam, do you think we'd be so eager to be the aggressor in the Mid East?
Yes, it's too bad they didn't have this kind of show to keep the Nazi's at bay. Unfortunately, all those who could have fought had been killed in WW1. You might say we 'owed' them one, in WW2.
Spot on Moover...so many people are so ignorant of history. We, in the United States, are paying the price of an ignorant populace. Those who don't vote get whatever the others vote for. Those who do vote are drunk on their own bias pudding, whether it be the Democratic flavor or the Republican/Tea Bag flavor. I love the democratic socialist systems of northern Europe. They keep their elected officials on a very short leash. They have a broader, realistic and more diverse ideological base with many more choices to vote for because big money (ala Corporations and Wall Street as here in the U.S.) hasn't destroyed and corrupted their system and made voting irrelevant. God Bless France!
Hmm, yes, Europe has really got it together over us. Must be why it's going so smoothly over there. Moover, yeah, they helped us during the Revolutionary War, but we would have eventually pulled through, with or without them. Now, try imagining what the French would be doing if we weren't there to save them in WWII. Yeah, they'd be dead or in prisons. A lot worse than "drinking tea." It's just easier for the cowardly French (and most of the world) to hate us and generalize us through what poor actions our government has done. Speaking of "ignorance." They've perfected it.
So you US-bashing morons can quit assuming America and it's government are the only ones screwing up now and then. Most of the problems are political. A small percentage of the citizens. If you don't think corruption is overseas as well, you're truly blind.
Most people in the world don't care for us either way, rbjk0174s. If you bothered to travel outside the country for once in your life you'd realize that America isn't the center of everyone's universe anymore.
Though from what I've read, a great way to guess if someone's conservative or liberal is to ask whether they believe the whole world loves them or hates the U.S.
The funny thing is the colonists would have been better off under the King than the guys they put in charge. The colonists only paid between 1-2% of their income in taxes. Once the new nation was founded with the Constitution being the law of the land, their taxes started to go sky high from what they were paying.
Yeah, keep fighting the wars of the rich. Idiots. You are all slaves in your homeland.
We need to have our own Bastille Day: let's storm Wall Street and drag every investment banker and financier through the streets; let's--quite literally--take our country back from the rich. They can keep their heads, though.
I think specific social economic regulation would be good....I believe this is what the French have in mind.....:-)
Yeah....but look what happened. Reign of Terror? does that strike any memories?
And the conservatives were put back in power by the Congress of Vienna after Waterloo...the Return of the Monarchy....then throughout the 19th century they couldn't figure out what they were gonna do....they even had a socialist government at one time but that didn't last either.
Being in the French military would be easy. All they have to know is how to lay down their weapons and say this way to the Eiffel Tower in German.
You are a dumbass. Read your history. Being on the US military was easy too, in the Revolutionary war. As great as we thing the Patriots were, it was the French who beat the British for us.
By storming The Bastille, they definetely said BULLCRAP to royalty.....:-)
Easy moover. While the french did help, they didn't win the war...that's a misrepresentation of history. Simply put, they did not, under any circumstances, defeat the British for us. Their involvement was almost entirely naval (not insignificant...but the only thing that can "win" a war is foot soldiers). Hell the spanish and the dutch helped us as well...don't give all the credit to the french!
Being on the US military was easy in the revolution? Go read the book 1776. Seriously, it's a good read. Maybe a bit biased (what book isn't?) but nonetheless a good read.
Defeat after defeat and slaughter after slaughter doesn't exactly equate to "easy" in my book.
And let's not forget they didn't do it for us, they did it to hurt their enemy. The freedom of the American colonists wasn't their interest...sticking it to the English was. Don't forget that just a generation before that the French were killing our colonists in the French and Indian War. They help no one but themselves
They did send Lady Liberty here.....:-)
Well said, Tim. I guess Moover thinks he was actually there, so he knows for sure (ha-ha).
Ok wise guy, tell me about Corrigdor and (Bugout) Doug MacArthur...
You know, the one that ran off and left his troops to surrender to the Japaneses army?
How about those English running off at Dunkirk and surrendering in Singapore?
They really helped more by giving us money than anything else.....they did show up and block the British at Yorktown. I guess we evened it out when the doughboys showed up and defended the Argonne Forest.
Heureux Jour de la Bastille pour tout le monde à France.
Bonne journe heureuse.....:-)
God bless the USA;)
I will let all the have there say on this.But from 1 U.S. citizen to France, Congrats.
And my father fought in WW2 he did a 4 year hitch as a foot solider.
To those who classify France as a gutless wonder and its military as a toothless tiger all I can say is that you have your heads where the sun doesn't shine. In addition, if not for France our piece of the North American continent would in all probability remain a possession of Great Britain.
If your history consists of watching the Patriot go back to history class.
I would recommend you read your history. If memory serves me correctly, General George Washington and the French under General Rochambeau surrounded Yorktown. French Admiral Grasse prevented the British Royal Navy from assisting Conwallis.
Mr. James, I would suggest you desperately need to go back to school
We helped France in both WW's and by helping them, it also helped the rest of Europe and the United States. Don't forget that it was France that helped us to gain our independence from Britain and there never has been a war between France and the United States. I believe the two countries have a lot to celebrate.
We helped spread the debt based monetary system. It is not a coincidence that individuals, and tax payer are in excessive debt in USA, Europe, Japan. Big business and financial elite won. Small guy would lose in any case. Little guy is always used by his masters. When economic sanctions, political pressure and assassination fails, young Americans go to fight the wars of the rich. Public waves the flags, mothers and wives make greatest sacrifice. Media glorifies it. We live for the rich, and die for the rich. Your birth certificate is nothing but a warehouse receipt to use as collateral for debt. The matrix is real. You are only a battery to them.
France is a friend, we should be proud of that we have so few.
France is no friend.
France is an official ally of the United States, Derik, you ignorant sack of #$%#. Stop making decent Americans look bad with your ignorance.
The French have a military? They should be celebrating August 25th instead. The day the world came and kicked the Germans out of Paris.
think i'll have some french fries...to commemorate this event...
Happy Bastille Day. I love you France. I wish I lived in France, I wish I was French.
Why don't you move there and apply for citizenship? It's really easy if you convert to Islam beforehand.
Happy Bastille Day ! The French might be stubborn , but many times in history they have helped the US. World war two let us remember the brave french resistance ( Men & Women ) that saved many people sacrificing themselves for freedom... Viva La France ! Yes I am and American .... I was told if you can't say something nice.... Don't say anything at all .....
Is this what they're teaching in history class nowadays?
Who is going to save you from your slave runners when you realize you won't have freedom at home? Your rulers sold the country for profit. It will happen as Thomas Jefferson said. One day you will wake up homeless on the continent your fathers conquered.
This concept of French helped us, we helped them etc is a baby talk to keep you entertained. The struggle was between two groups who wanted to rule the mankind. One group won over the other. I can assure you, you and I are not in that rich club. Never the less, they use us to fight their wars and to die for them.
Celebrating the murder of tens of thousands of innocent people by the blood thirsty "revolutionaries". Which led to the Napoleonic dictatorship.
Hooray?
The French have very little to celebrate, obviously
Let's celebrate the French colonialism and imperialism too. We are all really proud of raping and plundering the world. How quickly people forget what American revolution was about. These western democracies do not represent such noble values.
for you stupid uneducated american, the French do have a army, and been fighting way before united states was around, who kick the british out so you can have your country. but who got his ass kicked in vietnam, somalia, afghanistan, you are ,because your arrogance is bigger than your ability. go back to school.
Funny.
You would have no country if America didn't save your snivelling asses in WW2. Perhaps it is you who should "go back to school".
You can't even save your country from the immigrants. Or yourselves for that matter.
jean pierre....dude, who left Indochina (Vietnam) and left the US to hold the bag??? Try again dumbass
Yeah and mine is bigger than yours.
yes for all uneducated americans, the French have been fighting for centurys, but americans wont go to Somalia or vietnam, they had their ass kicked.
Hey genius, the Viet Minh kicked the French out of Viertnam before the U.S. was there. Which continued their pattern of getting their sissy asses handed to them in a hat.
Wish I could vote it up twice.....They can't even get anyone brave enough to go up to the front line with the white flag.
Jean Pierre....you ever hear of Diem Bien Phu???
Why do the "civilized" countries keep fighting for centuries?
1 Comments
bakulaji
6:58 PM EDT
Vive la France
En ce jour, 14 juillet, je souhaite a tous mes de lecteurs de tres bon vacance. En ce jour, 14 Juillet, je souhaite à tous mes lecteurs de très bonnes vacances. Célébrez la naissance d'une nation qui est si célèbre pour sa devise, liberté, d'égalité et de fraternité. Rien m'inspire plus que ces trois mots simples.
Fais les bons mots. Nous devons aimer et à chérir les pensées, les actions et les valeurs dont alla derrière eux.
Vive la France.
... et je suis Sid Harth@webworldismyoyster.com
Best wishes to France's common people. Like the common soldier of America, in the annuals of history it was the lowly man taking orders from leaders who helped the colonists. Whatever the motivations those leaders may have had, it was the lowly military man who came to our aid. Just like today, it is not the politician calling the shots but the front line man in uniform who carries the weight and takes the risks.We have more in common with the common folks in France than we realize. I have no doubt if given half a chance to sit down among any random group for a meal, most of us would soon find good friends. Our forefathers drew on their experiences in the old world to create a new Federal constitutional government and we are still living with the wisdom of their handiwork. Watching France's people struggle with the Democracy system also shows its values and the importance of being active in helping to ensure good people are sought for positions of leadership.With freedoms comes responsibilities. A well educated citizenship that actively participates in government affairs is critical for the preservation of those freedoms and none of us can afford to slumber. Least the wolves move in and all is lost. Complaining does no good unless one is prepared to do something. We must each do our part no matter how small it may seem. One of the saddest things to realize, is how many people simply won't vote thinking their vote doesn't matter. If they only knew of the cases where people got into office, just by one vote, they might think otherwise.
Of course we have a lot in common! we are all slaves. But at least we are closer to the top of the pyramid when you consider slave shops, oops, sweat shops around the world.
Beaucoup musulmanes en France....I hope they enjoy their country, what's left of it, while they still have it.
Must have been the last time the French had any guts - history shows that they "laid down" to the Germans in WWI and WWII - providing the Germans with wine, women, and song.
The French army surrendered to the Germans on orders of the French Govt that ran off.
They did not want to surrender. In fact, they were setting up a last line on the river Loire.
In their fighting against the Wehrmacht, they lost a total of 200,000 at least. Sniveling cowards?
Tell me, why the Americans surrender to the Japanese at Corrigador?
The question is: Why did France declare war to Germany?
Hey to the morons in the room that love to bash other nations.
The french freed us.
When you make comments like the ungrateful french and pigs and so on. Just be glad they saved us as well.
The stupidity is amazing.
As for the comments about them being wimps and so on. Maybe america is the idiot for attacking anyone who doesn't agree with them. Maybe America should learn not to put its nose in others business.
How pathetic have we become that we think it's ok to just be bullies?Those that run their mouth usually are the ones that got their little asses handed to them in life.
They also have some of the most advanced land warfare vehicles don't be so quick to run your mouth. This isn't world war 2.America was not the only country in the fight. Get your facts straight. Besides you don't see big bad america starting wars with china or Russia do you. Yeah we are so big and bad. Please. The wars in the middle east are nothing compared to true world war. Do be so fat to think we are so great.
The history thought to the common people is nothing but propaganda to keep them under control. You are being lied to. The matrix is real. Education system is a joke. You are only a battery to them.
Happy Bastile day. Just remember that it's easier to get in than to get out.