Mort pour la France

May 23, 2003 9:14 AM

Mort pour la FranceSetting aside partisan differences and arguments re: Iraq for the moment, and at the risk of offending the more cynical of the denizens that lurk within with what they may consider the smarminess of this link, we would do well to remember during the upcoming weekend, what Memorial Day should be about - a tribute to those who have served & fallen in uniform.
posted by Pressed Rat (13 comments total)

Do they have memorial day in France? We have armistice day in the UK instead - it's in November.

To be honest I'm not convinced about paying tribute to all who fall in uniform, while many have obviously sacrificed to serve a higher cause many others in uniform seem to unthinkingly allow others to make their moral decisions for them and will fight regardless of the cause as tools of others purposes, whatever they might be.
posted by biffa at 9:27 AM on May 23, 2003

What's up with that title . . . died for France? Is Pressed Rat trying to teach the French MeFites a lesson about American soldiers' sacrifices? C'mon, y'all, Francophobia is so "Operation: Iraqi Freedom."
posted by mikrophon at 9:57 AM on May 23, 2003

Is there some rule that tacky Flash presentations have to feature badly scaled images?
posted by Armitage Shanks at 10:15 AM on May 23, 2003

The "Mort Pour la France" refers to a famous world war II picture, included in the presentation, of a dead American soldier's helmet sitting on a cross in a Normandy cemetary. Attached to the cross is piece of paper with those words, expressing French gratitude for the sacrifice (they're hard to read in the presentation's picture). I'm no "Francophobe" - far from it - and it's not at all intended as a slight to the French re: Iraq or any other BS - I still like my French Fries. Apparently you didn't bother to digest the intended sense of the rest of the post, either. Keep trollin' though, mikrophon....
posted by Pressed Rat at 10:38 AM on May 23, 2003

"To be honest I'm not convinced about paying tribute to all who fall in uniform, while many have obviously sacrificed to serve a higher cause many others in uniform seem to unthinkingly allow others to make their moral decisions for them and will fight regardless of the cause as tools of others purposes, whatever they might be."

I plan to honor the soliders who fought so biffa had the right to make such a stupid statement -- and so he didn't have to say it in German.
posted by darren at 11:17 AM on May 23, 2003

"many others in uniform seem to unthinkingly allow others to make their moral decisions for them and will fight regardless of the cause as tools of others purposes, whatever they might be"

Oh? so you'd like the military to decide for you when we should go to war? Part of having a separation between the government and the military is that the elected government, not military officers, decide when the country should go to war. A soldier can only refuse if ordered to commit a blatant war crime, otherwise he or she is obligated to fight, regardless of personal feelings. That's the way war works in a democracy.
posted by unreason at 11:50 AM on May 23, 2003

Troll, moi?

I'm sorry if I missed the intent of the post, but the French title, the reference to "differences and arguments re: Iraq," and then all the photos of the D-Day landing, it all seemed like a dig at France's obligations to America, which seemed a little misguided to me. Also, I missed the titular slide, and am unfamiliar with the photo you mentioned.

Sorry about the mix-up, but, for the record, I'm not the only one to miss the point.
posted by mikrophon at 11:54 AM on May 23, 2003

Anyone recognize the music in the background, it sounded pretty familiar.

Biffa, We have Armistace Day as well (Nov 11 or there abouts, right?) We call it Veteran's Day. Both celebrate the end of the First World War. Memorial Day in the US celebrates all war-dead.
posted by pjgulliver at 12:02 PM on May 23, 2003

Sacre bleu
c'est folie
posted by clavdivs at 12:14 PM on May 23, 2003

I've always loved Kipling's choice for the epitaphs of the soldiers they couldn't identify in WWI:

A soldier of the Great War - known unto God
posted by fluffy1984 at 12:17 PM on May 23, 2003

I plan to honor the French soliders who fought so biffa darren had the right to make such a stupid statement -- and so he didn't have to say it in German the Queen's English.

Vive la France and may David Koresh bless America.

Conscription is slavery, also known as involuntary servitude. Many soliders died for causes they did not believe in.
posted by nofundy at 12:21 PM on May 23, 2003

"On Memorial Day, a grateful nation is meant to give thanks to all the servicemen and -women who have risked and lost their lives fighting on behalf of the United States. This last Monday in May will be no different.

"We will and should say thank you a million times over to our veterans, as well as to those now serving overseas.

"But in light of recent disasters like the one currently devolving in Iraq — a country that, all the experts agree, is teetering on the brink either of all-out anarchy or civil war — instead of just expressing the usual perfunctory gratitude, maybe we should also be saying we're sorry. It seems the least we can do. So here goes."
posted by homunculus at 12:22 PM on May 23, 2003

Great link yet again homunculus! But, but, but, Norah Vincent wrote that? That Norah Vincent? My how the worm is turning! Next thing you know Richard Lugar will be writing stories critical of Bush. You say he already has? One more question, where are the Dems?

Sorry for the derail roadkill ratty...
posted by nofundy at 12:58 PM on May 23, 2003