Just for your information

[JR]

I recently received an e-mail suggesting that we boycott companies in the U.S. owned by the French. The following is a group of companies identified in this message.

* UbiSoft (computer games). Uniroyal. Universal Studios (music,
movies and amusement parks; owned by Vivendi-Universal). USFilter

You make the call.

JR

 

[IOATech]

Universal Orlando is 50% owned by a French company, but 100% managed, operated and maintained by about 13,000 Floridians with families and bills to pay. What do YOU think.

 

[JR]

I think that is one of the key issues one must consider when responding to this e-mail. I did not and am not trying to influence anyones actions. Only stating the facts I received and have not personally made any decisions yet on this matter.

JR

 

[the Dark Marauder]

People send out all sorts of ridiculous e-mails all the time. How many times have you gotten a forward about a "gas-out"? Did it work? No. This chain-mail was probably made up by the same guy who started with the whole "freedom fries" bit.

 

[JR]

To Dark Maraurder,

HUH?

JR

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Didnt you ever get an e-mail saying "on days x-z dont buy gas" for a "Gas-out" to boycott the rising prices of gas? It was nothing but ridiculous and failed. I think the logic behind the "boycott french companies" is just as ridiculous.

 

[JR]

No, I have never received such an e-mail. Have you not followed what has been going on in the UN and the feelings the majority of the American people regarding the French position, our supposed allies?

JR

 

[DocBosch]

To say that the "majority of the American people" are silly enough to have these sort of feelings is as asinine as suggesting that a private company should be punished for a policy decision that their government has made.

I say we should concentrate on our real enemies and leave alone sovereign nations exercising their understandable rights within an international organization, let alone a theme park company.

I would've imagined this sort of thing being posted under the subject title of "Can you believe someone sent me this?"

-Kevin

 

[robvia]

I'm surprised Vivendi hasn't sold off the Movie and Amusement parks back to American companies. That's the news I'm waiting for. Vivendi also owns Blizzard and Sierra game studios. There we're rumors a few months ago but nothing happened.

 

[BarryHom]

Originally posted by the Dark Marauder
Didnt you ever get an e-mail saying "on days x-z dont buy gas" for a "Gas-out" to boycott the rising prices of gas? It was nothing but ridiculous and failed. I think the logic behind the "boycott french companies" is just as ridiculous.

I thought the Gas Out day meant not to eat spicy burritos that day.

 

[trishy]

Here's the link that everyone's been talking about.

All Things French

It was big on AOL and Compuserve and generating a lot of interest. Yes, Universal is French-owned. and Yes, Universal Florida does employ Floridians. However, like all free Americans, we can each decide on our own what path we want to take. I personally will not be using French products based on my opinion that our "friend" is not backing us up. But that's another thread...

 

[Dznefreek]

So............ do we give back the Statue of Liberty? It was a gift from France.

What I do not get is all of those people pouring out French wines AFTER they had purchased it. The French already have their money.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

That's funny--pouring out French wines that have already been bought. Duh!

There are plenty of Americans who are opposed to a war with Iraq, but I suppose that's a different thread, too.

 

[MIB999999]

I imagine the French will hop on board after they are sure there are is no downside to the invasion just to save face.

If they do not, then i imagine the interests they hold in iraq will not be thiers for much longer, or the next round of WTO negotiations will see the farm subsidy issue go against the French this time around

World politics can be so nasty

 

[DocBosch]

Originally posted by Barry Hom
I thought the Gas Out day meant not to eat spicy burritos that day.

I guess those Tex-Mex Warps at Confisco's really had an effect on Barry!

You would think, though, that more people would be for boycotting gasoline (or at least attempting to be more fuel efficient), and cutting off Sadam and Osama's funds, rather then pouring out expensive wine (that they've already paid for) and renaming greasy food.

I guess most people prefer being symbolic to actually effective in their activism.

-Kevin

 

[oelpa]

i'm from europe and i cannot understand why one would punish the french because of a legitimate decision their government made it's really stupid to stop buying french products in the believe that this would make a difference i for myself am against the war and i am not in the favour of your president mr. bush who is in my and most europeans opinion a stupid man......but nevertheless i still go on vacation to florida and buy american products because that has nothing to do with the politics of mr. bush or would you prefer i we europeans would stop buying american products and stop going on vacation there. Because one doesn't agree with america doesn't mean one is against it i think that's the point one should consider. also this freedom fries thing doesn't do the states a favour it's all over the papers in europe and it makes the states look ridiculous....so i for my part prefer going to florida instead of staying at home because i don't agree with your politics and missing out on all the fun

 

[MIB999999]

I wonder if FDR really did let the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor???

It made an unpopular war entry possible to help a failing Europe and to make sure the U.S. interests were protected.

Maybe we should just wait for a Pearl Harbor closer to home before we pre-empt an Iraq strike on the U.S.

OOPS that was the Twin Towers wasn't it.

 

[JR]

Oelpa,
Is that the same Austria that the world let Hitler march into uncontested and put under German rule?

JR

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Maybe everyone should play nice. We all have a right to our own views, afterall.

The US has most certainly done some things to be ashamed of. I grew up in Indian country and learned a lot of the Modoc and Klamath history from an early age. Very sad. Many countries have skeletons in their closets, but they are not decisions that the current citizens had any part in making. Slavery in this country for instance. I had no part in that decision, am appalled by it, and shouldn't be punished for something that some people in the history of my country did. The key thought is that I am appalled by it. If I wasn't I would be just as guilty as those who did the terrible acts.

 

[ChrisFL]

Originally posted by MIB999999
OOPS that was the Twin Towers wasn't it.

Oh, of course, they of course were all Iraqis on those planes, and they all answered to Saddam