Boycott France in WS??

[caitycaity]

i think that's really nice merry poppins.

 

[dandave]

The only countries in the WS that we haven't fought with at some point are Morocco and Norway, right? Or have we fought with them, too?
So, safely we could eat fish while watching the belly dancers.
Shouldn't we just boycott WDW all together, since they are allowing, i.e. sponsoring, all these countries in the WS in the first place?

 

[dixiegirl]

No I will not be boycotting any part of WS. To me, this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The countries themselves are not going to be affected by doing that - only Disney will be affected and that isn't my goal at all.

Plus, regardless of where we stand with any or all of those countries, I still would like to experience their individual cultures.

 

[CarolA]

I just don't get this whole boycott idea. At one point this year I had a trip planned to France, if I had the vacation time I would still go.

I think that the decision to go to send your young men and women to war should be the decision of the country. The US has made it clear they will go either way. (which we won't get into here!). By acting like bullies and refusing to play with people who don't agree with us we don't exactly make them think they made the wrong decision. Instead we reinforce the attitude that Americans think they are ALWAYS right and everyone else wrong.

You win more friends with honey then vinager.

 

[JAP]

Originally posted by dixiegirl
No I will not be boycotting any part of WS. To me, this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The countries themselves are not going to be affected by doing that - only Disney will be affected and that isn't my goal at all.

Plus, regardless of where we stand with any or all of those countries, I still would like to experience their individual cultures.

You said it perfectly. This is Disney we are talking about. No one else in the world is going to care if you eat in WS or not!

 

[grinningghost]

No, I wouldn't boycott any of the World Showcase countries. Ultimately, it's WDW that would suffer, and we've already been dealt too many cutbacks as it is. We, as WDW lovers, should do what we can to ensure it survives, and eventually truly thrives again soon.

 

[DawnCt]

If I were going to WDW, I wouldn't hesitate to boycott France, Germany and China. With all of the really great restaurant choices in World Showcase and the rest of the "world", I don't need to give my hard earned dollars to representatives from ingrateful countries. France and Germany have a lot in common. First of all, they tend to be rude. Secondly, they would both be speaking the same language if it weren't for the United States.
Without U.S. dollars, France and Germany, will be wishing they were on the "right side".

 

[caitycaity]

First of all, they tend to be rude.

uh, how do you quantify this? and couldn't the same be said about americans?

Secondly, they would both be speaking the same language if it weren't for the United States.

yeah, and we might still have a queen if it weren't for the french.

 

[Jenzebelle]

Funny how people are so quick to mention that we helped France in WW2, but neglect to mention how France helped us to become our own country.

The Statue of Liberty- a very important symbol of Freedom was a gift from France. Should we send that back too?

As far as French being rude, I'm sure they can say the very same thing about Americans. I know how much I detest the entitlement mentality and the rudeness of Americans in shopping malls and grocery stores. I can only imagine how horrible it must be to not speak the same language and have to deal with the same behavior.

 

[caitycaity]

Without U.S. dollars, France and Germany, will be wishing they were on the "right side".

i don't understand how someone can say this and then say that the protestors are crazy and their actions won't have an impact. a few people not going to the france WS or drinking french wine is going to have about as much impact on France as some protestors stopping traffic at rush hour will have at convincing Bush not to go to war.

it's not like this is suddenly going to cause the french economy to dry up. how much of the French GDP do you think is the French WS pavillion? let's keep things in perspective here.

 

[DawnCt]

I have encountered French and German tourists numerous times over many years,, not only in WDW, but through out the United States. I have eaten in Germany in the past when the servers were abrupt, unfriendly and rude. I have shared a group table at Sea World's luau with a German family, who was incredibly rude, demanding of the server, who objectively was doing a great job, drank over a half a bottle of wine they ordered because "it wasn't good" and then stiffed her on the tip besides. When I commented, I was told that it is typical behavior. I have been in a buffet line at the Beach Club and have had German tourists cut in front of me and remove a ladle from my hand! Many Americans I know who travel and work in Europe, all relate similar rude French stories. There is actually a commercial that begins with "you don't need to be rude to speak French". Stereotypes do not come from thin air! As far as the French economy? We have already withdrawn from the French airshow, which is a big money event for them. There will be more repercussions to come. They aren't doing well now. Remove a few billion dollars and they will have more problems. In my opinion, 50,000 American graves in France is a much greater "monument" than the statue of Liberty but as far as that statue is concerned? We earned it! We are keeping it!

 

[caitycaity]

Remove a few billion dollars and they will have more problems.

you are right, but do you really think people not eating at the WS is going to add up to a few billion dollars? pulling out of an airshow, people not drinking french wine or eating brie and bleu cheese is not going to add up to a billion dollar deficit. not even a million dollar deficit.

and let me share another "secret" with you. france (the country) doesn't even get ANY of the money you spend in the WS. the people who are employed there are going to get paid by disney no matter what. they aren't going to pull the french pavillion b/c profits from chefs de france is down 1%.

that makes about as much sense as the protestors who want everyone to walk out of work on monday. their actions (if they have an impact at all) are going to hurt the american economy, and so will boycotting the WS.

france's total exports in 2002 were valued at approx. $300 billion. exports to the US were about $26.1 billion. here is what he CIA world factbook lists as france's export commodities: "machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages "

do you know what the entire total of all Us import of french wine/champagne was in 2001? it was only 9 million dollars. even if every person in the us boycotted french wine, which clearly is not going to happen, that would be an impact of less than 1 billion dollars. how are you going to get up to 2 billion +???

let's get real here!

 

[Steve H.]

Repeat it with me...

The WS isn't France -- it's Disney World!!!

 

[DawnCt]

Originally posted by caitycaity
you are right, but do you really think people not eating at the WS is going to add up to a few billion dollars? pulling out of an airshow, people not drinking french wine or eating brie and bleu cheese is not going to add up to a billion dollar deficit. not even a million dollar deficit.

and let me share another "secret" with you. france (the country) doesn't even get ANY of the money you spend in the WS. the people who are employed there are going to get paid by disney no matter what. they aren't going to pull the french pavillion b/c profits from chefs de france is down 1%.

.

Pulling out of the airshow, using French contractors to resupply some parts for our military aircraft, does represent a "billion" dollars. Furthermore, if attendance is down at the French restaurants, the French may get to home early. You don't think that they actually maintain full staff when things are "slow". You did know that the Yacht Club Galley closes when it is "slow". Where did those workers go? Home

 

[DonnaS]

Planogirl-- DH was "made" in Germany, but born here so I had to distinguish somehow to be able to boycott MIL. LOL

DawnCt-- I've traveled extensively in Germany and I did not find the people rude at all. Sure there might have been one or two, but it is the same proportion as there are rude Americans. Personally, I would consider stereotyping people by a few encounters rude.

Additionally, one of the nicest people we met on our travels in Europe was a French woman who went out of her way to make sure we made all of our train transfers on our way from DLP to Munich. The Paris train station was quite confusing for us and she volunteered to help us every step of the way.

What comes across as rude is sometimes just discomfort. At the train station at DLP we initially found one of the staff "rude", but soon realized it was because we were there at a busy time, she was uncomfortable with English, and we had very little French. We returned when it was quieter and the very same woman was much more patient and helpful as we tried to make ourselves understood to one another.



In essence, I think SteveH has it right.

 

[DawnCt]

France sends $28 billion worth of "stuff" to America every year. We send $19 billion back to France, so they are making money from us. French economy is stagnant and America tourism there is falling fast, down 20% last year alone, it will be down more this year. If France wants to prop up Saddam, that is their right. It is our right to disagree and act on that right. If France, Germany and China had supported the U.S.A, Saddam would have been gone by now. But their message gives him the message to "hang in there, we are on your side". Of course they are. They do billions of dollars of business with Iraq and as late as January were selling munitions and military parts to Iraq.

 

[CarolA]

How do you report this hateful thread to a mod. I am so mad right now I can't see. This needs to go to debate where the POLITE americans who have made these hateful comments can vent about other POLITE people. REALLY!!!

I cannot believe some of the statements I have read. If you heard them said about yourself what would you think? And based on what you have written, the statements may well fit you!

 

[Steve H.]

Originally posted by DawnCt
France sends $28 billion worth of "stuff" to America every year. We send $19 billion back to France, so they are making money from us. French economy is stagnant and America tourism there is falling fast, down 20% last year alone, it will be down more this year. If France wants to prop up Saddam, that is their right. It is our right to disagree and act on that right. If France, Germany and China had supported the U.S.A, Saddam would have been gone by now. But their message gives him the message to "hang in there, we are on your side". Of course they are. They do billions of dollars of business with Iraq and as late as January were selling munitions and military parts to Iraq.

And this is relevant to Epcot how?

 

[DawnCt]

Originally posted by CarolA
How do you report this hateful thread to a mod. I am so mad right now I can't see. This needs to go to debate where the POLITE americans who have made these hateful comments can vent about other POLITE people. REALLY!!!

I cannot believe some of the statements I have read. If you heard them said about yourself what would you think? And based on what you have written, the statements may well fit you!

I guess I am just not quite as "sensitive" as you are. I don't see how posting an opinion translates into "hate speech". Is it the French comments that have you in a twist or did I insult the ex pres Jimmy Carter?

 

[caitycaity]

protesting the WS (which is the topic here) makes about as much sense as the protestors who want everyone to walk out of work on monday. their actions (if they have an impact at all) are going to hurt the american economy, and so will boycotting the WS.

france's total exports in 2002 were valued at approx. $300 billion. exports to the US were about $26.1 billion. here is what he CIA world factbook lists as france's export commodities: "machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages "

i'd be interested to see the numbers on how much the US military imports from the french government and if in fact they have stopped using french products as a result of the french position in iraq. please cite your sources for that inormation. i doubt that they have stopped importing from france yet. if they had i think it would have been on the news. also, i'm a government contractor and i know how long it takes to change suppliers for stuff like this. i'm nots aying you are wrong, but i'd like to see where you are getting your info from.

do you know what the entire total of all US import of french wine/champagne was in 2001? it was only 9 million dollars. even if every person in the us boycotted french wine, which clearly is not going to happen, that would be an impact of less than 1 billion dollars. how are you going to get up to 2 billion +???

let's get real here!

Furthermore, if attendance is down at the French restaurants, the French may get to home early. You don't think that they actually maintain full staff when things are "slow". You did know that the Yacht Club Galley closes when it is "slow". Where did those workers go? Home

yes, and even if it was incredibly slow, how many french people do you think they would lay off? 20? woop-de-doo! huge impact there. and you might be punishing french students who don't even agree with the french government's stance!