Sacre Bleu! – Er, Make That Red White And Bleu!

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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There has been a lot of activity in France lately concerning the United States government spying on three French Presidents.

The current President of France even called an emergency meeting of the Conseil de la Défense, the country’s highest national security forum to discuss the emergence of documents that appear to implicate the US National Security Agency (NSA) – now who’da guessed that? –  spying on Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy, who ruled France from 1995 to 2012.

The documents further indicate that the NSA may have also targeted the personal communications of Francois Hollande, France’s current head of state.

The files were published by WikiLeaks, which described them as “top secret intelligence reports and technical documents”, detailing NSA spying operations against the French presidency, as well as espionage directed at several French government ministers and at France’s ambassador to the US.

The documents include intelligence briefs, which detail the thoughts and diplomatic maneuvers by French presidents and other senior officials, on subjects such as the Greek economic crisis, the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, and the United Nations.

This is further evidence of more disgraceful and arrogant behavior by US spy agencies.

The thing is, however, no one is surprised any more.

Since Edward Snowden’s revelations the world has come to expect illegal and bad behavior from Americans. It is as simple as that. And for the reputations of Americans it is as bad as that. Which is a great pity because these activities do not represent in any way the vast majority of the American people.

So, if they aren’t a surprise to anyone, will the latest revelations cause trouble between America and France? I think the undoubted answer is “Oui”, but only a “petit oui”.

As befits normal protocol in these kinds of things, the American ambassador to France was summoned for what was called ‘an official protest’, but little or nothing more happened apart from President Obama getting on the phone with the French President, groveling and apologizing and assuring him in no uncertain terms “that the US is no longer spying on France”.

No, I don’t believe him either, but there it is.

There was no need for America’s snooping. As with Germany, French and American intelligence agencies cooperate with each other regularly. They jointly monitor international issues of mutual concern, such as what is happening in Syria, Iraq, the Ukraine, Libya, and even the financial catastrophe that is Greece.

For now that will continue, but the road ahead looks bumpy.

Wikileaks has already made good on its promise that its “French readers can expect more timely and important revelations in the near future”.

The latest release from the whistleblower website contains more documents that indicate that the National Security Agency (NSA), under orders from Washington, were tasked with collecting secret information not only about the economic policies of the French government and the country’s financial sector, but on export contracts by French companies.

In fact every French-registered company involved in negotiations for international projects or other sales contracts valued at over $200 million, like car makers Peugeot and Renault and financial institutions like BNP Paribas and the agricultural credit union, were also subjected to US government secret snooping.

Washington’s pathetic statements that none of this information is ever used to benefit American companies competing for international contracts rings mighty hollow with the French, and the rest of the world come to that.

This latest information is a lot more damning and may necessitate a much stronger response from the French – even if it is just to save face.

Like their attitude over the invasion of Iraq, I think any further reaction would include little or no cooperation in any future American interventions in the Middle East and maybe the use of a veto or two in the United Nations.

We might be at the start of a new meaning to the term “non” cooperation?

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Did You Know? More Fab Facts From The Files

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Yes, more fab facts from the files here at the fasab blog.

These posts are as random as they get so hopefully you should be able to get something out of them no matter what your interests are.

Check them out below.

And enjoy.

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The phone number to the white house is:

(202) 456-1414.

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It takes about 63,000 trees to make the newsprint

for the average Sunday edition of New York Times.

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Pucks hit by hockey sticks have reached speeds

of up to 150 miles per hour.

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Intelligent people have more

zinc and copper in their hair.

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In every episode of Seinfeld

there is a Superman somewhere.

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The most poisonous spider is the black widow.

Its venom is more potent than a rattlesnake’s.

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Fish that live more than 800 meters below

the ocean surface don’t have eyes.

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Mercury is the only planet

whose orbit is coplanar with its equator.

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There is actually no danger in swimming right after you eat,

though it may feel uncomfortable.

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Starfish have no brains.

(I know several people like that!)

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The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses.

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Los Angeles’ full name is

“El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula”.

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Al Capone’s business card

said he was a used furniture dealer.

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A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

A quarter has 119.

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John Lennon’s first girlfriend

was named Thelma Pickles.

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You can lead a cow upstairs

but not downstairs.

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The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.

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There are 336 dimples on a regulation US golf ball.

In the UK its 330.

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At the height of its power in 400 BC, the Greek city of Sparta

had 25,000 citizens and 500,000 slaves.

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In “Silence of the Lambs”,

Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins) never blinks.

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Did You Know…. Another Random Selection Of Facts From The Fasab Files

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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More from the fascinating fact file.

Here are a few more things that you didn’t know you didn’t know.

Enjoy.

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There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

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A healthy (non-colorblind) human eye

can distinguish between 500 shades of gray.

So the book is wrong!

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A pregnant goldfish is called a twit 

–  especially by her parents!

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If you plant an apple seed,

it is almost guaranteed to grow a tree

of a different type of apple.

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Andorra, a tiny country between France & Spain,

has the longest average lifespan:

83.49 years.

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“The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick”

is said to be the toughest tongue twister in English.

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‘Duff’ is the decaying organic matter found on a forest floor.

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Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer are the only angels named in the Bible.

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Abraham Lincoln’s ghost is said to haunt the White House.

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Only female mosquitoes bite.

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The past-tense of the English word “dare” is “durst”

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Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a “Friday the 13th.”

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Ninety percent of New York City cabbies are recently arrived immigrants.

(and ninety percent of that ninety percent have no clue where they are going!)

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The volume of the earth’s moon is the same

as the volume of the Pacific Ocean.

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The New York phone book had 22 Hitlers before WWII.

The New York phone book had 0 Hitlers after WWII.

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King Louis XIX ruled France for about 15 minutes 

–  he succeeded with abdication of Charles X

only to abdicate in favor of Henry V.

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Armored knights raised their visors to identify themselves

when they rode past their king.

This custom has become the modern military salute.

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Winston Churchill was born in a ladies room during a dance.

(and all new babies look just like him, except your own of course!)

 

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