why did we skip the paris march?

[Anonymous]

I despise the Front National, but I think it was a mistake that Marine Le Pen was the only French politician not invited to a "unity rally."

[Anonymous]

Frenchwoman here - thanks, PPs! I'm grateful that so many foreign heads of state came, actually.

Looking at the photos of the massive march in Paris, I wish I'd been there. My elderly mother watched from her window, she's too fragile to get crushed in the crowd.

There was a general invitation extended to everyone to participate in a march, including every French politician - Marine Le Pen made it a big deal to refuse, which is typical of the Front National.

[Anonymous]

Muslima wrote:The awkward moment when dictators, leaders and supporters of terrorist nations march for freedom of speech and against terrorism. It is a funny world we live in, I almost wish this was satire~

I am glad you finally recognize the supporters of terrorist Hamas as supporters of terrorism.

[Muslima]

Anonymous wrote:

Muslima wrote:The awkward moment when dictators, leaders and supporters of terrorist nations march for freedom of speech and against terrorism. It is a funny world we live in, I almost wish this was satire~

I am glad you finally recognize the supporters of terrorist Hamas as supporters of terrorism.

As they say, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Frenchwoman here - thanks, PPs! I'm grateful that so many foreign heads of state came, actually.

Looking at the photos of the massive march in Paris, I wish I'd been there. My elderly mother watched from her window, she's too fragile to get crushed in the crowd.

There was a general invitation extended to everyone to participate in a march, including every French politician - Marine Le Pen made it a big deal to refuse, which is typical of the Front National.

While every French citizen was invited, the PS was in charge of extending invitations to the political parties, and they didn't invite the FN. That was a mistake, and surely MLP will use it in her advantage, as some sort of "victim."

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:It turns out that the French didn't want Netanyahu to come:

http://www.haaretz.com/.premium-1.636557?v=D9B18F0B6D785F827EDA7137FD551BC6

"French President Francois Hollande conveyed a message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend asking him not to come to Paris to take part in the march against terror on Sunday, according to an Israeli source who was involved in the contacts between the Elysees Palace and the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. The fact that this message had been conveyed was first reported by Channel 2."

Netanyahu has two objectives here:

1. To link the Palestinian issue with IS. This he has tried unsuccessfully to do for many months now.
2. To seize the opportunity to remind Jews in France that they can come to Israel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good heavens, you people will complain about everything. I'm sad about what happened, but it's time the French woke up and understood this is a problem in their own country. It is tragic, but it was 17 people, not 9/11. (France being the hotbed of 9/11 deniers, btw).

We could have sent Biden, because it's not like he does anything, but Obama on such short notice? Overkill.

As a Frenchwoman, I take offense at your statement. No one in France has denied 9/11, whatever that means. The French do not need waking up, because they and everybody else except for you, understand that "islamist" terrorism is a global menace. BTW France has dealt with very serious terrorist attacks before (Metro bombings), but from the Algeria terrorists, linked to its colonial past in that country. It is as equipped as any nation to fight terrorism.

I've not heard any French people complaining of the US President's absence. We helped you fight against England for your independence, but chose not to go to Iraq with you (because Bush lied about WMDs, remember?). Who cares about old history. Our interests are aligned when fighting terrorist threats and that is what matters. The presence or absence of Obama today at the rally will not change that.

You conveniently skipped over the magnitude of atrocities committed by French colonists against Algerians as they sought to prevent them from achieving independence. So relentless were they that there were several assassination attempts against De Gaulle after he agreed to a pathway to independence for Algeria.

The French and other colonial powers should not brag about their record of human rights when it comes to the countries they colonized.

[Anonymous]

Simply: the French don't support the US; the US doesn't support France.

[Anonymous]

Muslima wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Muslima wrote:The awkward moment when dictators, leaders and supporters of terrorist nations march for freedom of speech and against terrorism. It is a funny world we live in, I almost wish this was satire~

I am glad you finally recognize the supporters of terrorist Hamas as supporters of terrorism.

As they say, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.

I've never heard anyone say that. Gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Muslima wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Muslima wrote:The awkward moment when dictators, leaders and supporters of terrorist nations march for freedom of speech and against terrorism. It is a funny world we live in, I almost wish this was satire~

I am glad you finally recognize the supporters of terrorist Hamas as supporters of terrorism.

As they say, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.

I've never heard anyone say that. Gross.

You are remarkably ill-informed if you have not heard the expression. Jeanne Kirkpatrick, the US ambassador at the UN under Reagan, used it repeatedly - of course she viewed as terrorists those who were opposed to US policy but viewed those who were supported by the US as freedom fighters. The British - and for that matter all the colonial powers - took the same view and considered those fighting for freedom in their countries as terrorists.

Menachem Begin, Nelson Mandela, Jomo Kenyatta were all considered terrorists by those in authority in their respective countries. All three went on to become leaders in their countries after those countries became independent.

[Anonymous]

I met her when I was a kid. What I have never seen is that expression with a cute little smiley face. Doubt that was her delivery either. you are talking about one man's TERRORIST. gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Muslima wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Muslima wrote:The awkward moment when dictators, leaders and supporters of terrorist nations march for freedom of speech and against terrorism. It is a funny world we live in, I almost wish this was satire~

I am glad you finally recognize the supporters of terrorist Hamas as supporters of terrorism.

As they say, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.

I've never heard anyone say that. Gross.

You are remarkably ill-informed if you have not heard the expression. Jeanne Kirkpatrick, the US ambassador at the UN under Reagan, used it repeatedly - of course she viewed as terrorists those who were opposed to US policy but viewed those who were supported by the US as freedom fighters. The British - and for that matter all the colonial powers - took the same view and considered those fighting for freedom in their countries as terrorists.

Menachem Begin, Nelson Mandela, Jomo Kenyatta were all considered terrorists by those in authority in their respective countries. All three went on to become leaders in their countries after those countries became independent.

OK. But the saying most certainly doesn't apply here. Freedom is not the motive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it is solidarity for European nations? The US doesn't want to be a bigger target than we are? We don't want to be involved in France's foreign affairs and then need to take over their fight for them?

this, thank you.

Wrong.

[Anonymous]

Because it was world leaders who were joining the march.

And Obama's not a leader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it was world leaders who were joining the march.

And Obama's not a leader.

Which heads of state actually attended? I saw Merkel and Cameron. Good for them, but they are neighbors. Then I saw Netanyahu, who is doing this for his own politics, and Abbas, who had to show because Netanyahu showed. Sheikh Abdullah from UAE. Turkey sent the prime minister, not Erdogan. The rest were various foreign ministers or ambassadors. Meanwhile half of them actively oppress their own journalists.