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July 05, 2005

Sophisticated French Diplomacy

Gosh, I must admit, us cowboys do have a lot to learn about suave, sophisticated discourse from Messr Chirac:

(Jacques Chirac), chatting to the German and Russian leaders in a Russian cafe, said: "The only thing [the British] have ever given European farming is mad cow." Then, like generations of French people before him, he also poked fun at British cuisine.

"You can't trust people who cook as badly as that," he said. "After Finland, it's the country with the worst food."

See what happens when you let old Europe sit around a table and have a few glasses of wine?

Mr Putin and Gerhard Schröder, the German chancellor, laughed. Mr Chirac then recalled how George Robertson, the former Nato secretary general and a former defence secretary in Tony Blair's Cabinet, had once made him try an "unappetising" Scottish dish, apparently meaning haggis.

"That's where our problems with Nato come from," he said.

Mr Schröder and Mr Putin laughed again.


Somehow I don't see Blair or Bushy McChimphitler acting in the same fashion.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at July 5, 2005 08:11 AM

Comments

I've always wondered why the French laugh at other cuisines when they serve up snails with such delight. Although I must admit croissants were a pleasant addition to my regular (non-)diet.

Posted by: The Real JeffS at July 5, 2005 09:22 AM

That was insufferably, Gallicly wude. Putin's a weasel and Schroeder a tub of lard.

However, in the interest of truth, justice and the American way...having spent two weeks and hard earned American dollars wandering the highlands by myself, sampling the local cuisine at every turn, I can only say:
"Go, Jacques!"
There's a reason those dreary Isles are full of pasty faced buggers and it ain't all solar deprivation.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at July 5, 2005 12:25 PM

I don't think anyone is actually disputing the veracity of what he said :)

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at July 5, 2005 12:34 PM

Oh, I spent a week in England myself, once, THS. I agree with you, with the sole exception of some English beers.

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at July 5, 2005 02:00 PM

The Scottish hospitality and the quality of the family (MacEwan's) quaffs saved me. You might spend the whole visit starving, but you're entertained and might not remember you were hungry until morning anyway.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at July 5, 2005 02:23 PM

The U.K. is junk food heaven. Prawn crisps, canned pate sandwiches, chocolate-covered digestive biscuits, fish and chips--it's far better (or worse, I suppose) than the U.S., although we're the ones constantly associated with junk cuisine.

Posted by: NJ Sue at July 5, 2005 10:15 PM

And lots of beer! Yum!

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at July 6, 2005 08:16 AM