LostInTranslation

Can't speak for the others. I, for one, do not hate the French people. I do, however, feel pity for those who have been manipulated by the media, while completely unaware of it. I don't really care that much about what Sarkozy has to offer. Barring a few, politicians will say whatever to keep them in the office. They have to strike a balance between the opinion of the voters and the special interest groups behind them.

You might have heard of the "boycott Carrefour" protests happening all over China. I don't know how these were reported in France, but I wouldn't be surprised if these protesters were labeled as brainwashed nationalist zealots. There is no Carrefour in Boston, so I don't have to take a stance. I wouldn't be terribly upset, though, if my wife decides to boycott Louis Vuitton (I am a poor man). My opinion (and many other Chinese's as well) is that these "boycotts" should be only the means but not the ends. The goal is not to drive "Carrefour" out of China, but rather, to use these protests as a way to convey a message, that there is a price to pay if one wants to resort to insults and disrespects. Without a doubt, the French businessmen have heard this message, and I would be extremely surprised if Sarcozy's letter does not reflect the pressure he might have felt from them, since it came weeks after the torch relay debacle in Paris, but coincided with the recent protests.

But more importantly, I think it is vital to communicate with the French people, and other westerners in general. That's why I came here to converse/discuss. This is my way of laying a small brick that will be part of the bridge between China and the world. The speech given by a Chinese student in a Paris rally reflects the thinking of many oversea Chinese, and I will quote him here (in French):

You can find the original speech (in French) here:

·¨ÓïÔ*ÎÄ - ÎÄѧ³Ç: ÈȵãÂÛ̳ web.wenxuecity.com

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What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. --CHL

mikado

As a Brit, of course, I don't need any excuse to hate the French in any section

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No Fear No Hate No Pain No Broken Hearts

mikado

I think the flag-burners and the people with signs like "Napoleon=Pervert" might be called zealots.

Are the protestors protesting about the Paris torch scuffles, or about Sarko boycotting the Olympic opening ceremony, or French coverage of the Lhasa riots, or what? If they're boycotting Carrefour purely because a Tibetan guy tried to take the torch from a disabled Chinese athlete then I think that'd be silly.

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No Fear No Hate No Pain No Broken Hearts

LostInTranslation

They are protesting because they were told that the biggest shareholder of Carrefour has donated money to the Dalai Lama. In addition, after learning that Chinese plan to boycott Carrefour on May 1st (International Labor Day), it was rumored that Carrefour's management has planned a big sale on that specific date, which only served to anger Chinese more (so you think we can be bought?) Such claim has since been denied by Carrefour, but we have all seen the power of rumor and media, haven't we?

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What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. --CHL

mikado

But that rumour turned out to be untrue didn't it. Louis Vuitton denied donating any money to the DL.

By the way, my wife has a LV handbag, but fortunately a Taiwanese jiade LV bag as I, like you, am not a rich man

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No Fear No Hate No Pain No Broken Hearts

Parisyann

I know I've even heard you Brits must be reminded of the so-called "entente cordiale"... Don't you hate it?

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History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake - Ulysses, James Joyce.

Parisyann

I know there's no Carrefour in the US as far as I know: They've got Auchan which is much better if you wanna try.

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History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake - Ulysses, James Joyce.

mikado

In all seriousness, France is a wonderful country, and Paris is one of the great cities of the world IMO.







(shame about the Parisiens... )

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No Fear No Hate No Pain No Broken Hearts

Parisyann

In all seriousness I don't mind to hear any criticism about the French/Parisians and it's fair. Still got that tune in my head from two of my favorite artists:

"Treat me rough! Mush my hair! Don't you dare to handle, me with care! I'm no innocent child, baby! Keep on treating me wild, honey!"

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History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake - Ulysses, James Joyce.

Luke

It is legitimate to boycott Carrefour, since Carrefour is one of the sponsors of the notorious "Reporters without Borders". I am not sure about Louis Vuitton, but I am sure Walmart will help boycotting Carrefour in China.

Almost all western politicians are hypocrites. This letter from French president makes me puke. I have heard that the French diplomat in China told the press that many of the mobs in Paris streets are NOT pure French, and they are mostly poor Arabs hired by political organizations. Though, I don't believe him, I do not think it is imperative to boycott anything French. After Dien Bien Phu, there is no French business in Asia.