Re: [OT] Frog Bashing

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Atkinson" <johnmatkinson@yahoo.com>
>  Besides which, while we have Vietnam,
> the French have Algeria and Indochina the first time
> around, and a hell of a lot of other cock-ups.

I guess you mean Algeria and Vietnam the second time around ?
The first time around would have been the conquest of those countries in
the
19th century.

> In fact, one is hardpressed to think of a sucessful
> French military operation since Napoleon Bonaparte
> dropped dead with the exception of the task force that
> covered the Coalition's left flank during Desert
> Storm.

Several 19th century colonial campaigns, including the conquests of
Algeria
and Vietnam. As to post-WWII colonial campaigns, very few countries
managed
to do well there. Even the US lost one (if you want to see Vietnam as a
colonial campaign).

Suez 1953 was a military success, AFAIK, though a political disaster

> They are also pretty damn egotistical and have some
> serious failures in their military and civil culture
> which causes them to be percieved poorly.  For
> instance, my old Squad Leader in German had run the US
> SFOR Mine Action Center as an E-6 Staff Sergeant.  A
> French captain rolls in and asks to speak to the OIC.
> He replies he's in charge.  The French guy laughs in
> his face and insists on speaking to a "responsible
> officer."
> Ask SSG Easter why he detests French officers and
> there's a real reason.

Hmmm...
I have met a number of unfriendly French and they generally do have a
reputation for being rude and arrogant. On the other hand, I have worked
with a number of French and most of them were nice people, and when I
was in
Paris last year I was surprised by the general level of civility - much
better than the last time I had been there many years ago. They even
would
speak English :-)

I have met a lot of Americans who are very nice people, both online and
in
person. On the other hand, I have met quite a number of rude and
'over-zealously patriotic' American, especially online on various
mailing
lists. Does that give me the right to say "Americans are rude and
Nationalistic" ?

As to arrogant officers (or civilian bosses) you can find them
everywhere. I
have heard stories about a British army wargames club in Germany that
broke
up because the officers insisted that only officers could be club
officials.

Greetings
Karl Heinz