To those among us who think that 'we' should boycott 'France' (really all French companies lumped together) for something the French president said (or even his administration's policies) - all I can say is, if I had to agree with everything Mr. Bush said or all of his policies in order for me to buy American, I couldn't go shopping very much anymore.
There was another thread several days ago devoted entirely to this proposition of advocating a French boycott. This is not only ridiculously simplistic, it's arrogant beyond belief. Whatever one's opinion of the prospect of the US attacking Iraq, I do not understand people who seem to have this notion that every one of our allies is obligated to affirm the US administration's position. They are as free to disagree with administration policy as I am, and those Americans who, like the president, apparently revel in stating that this freedom merely reinforces the morality of their plans for war aren't truly democratic in their sentiments (but we already knew that Mr. Bush wasn't that!).
French audio companies have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to deserve economic punishment, and trying to create a linkage between French exports and French/US policy disagreements is neither fair nor could it be expected to alter the French administration's position (nor indeed the minds of the French public, and rightly so). By that kind of ignorant, emotional reasoning, French and German citizens ought to be boycotting American audio gear right now due to Mr. Rumsfeld's more crass remarks about their countries.
For those of you advocating this boycott, I want to ask: When was the last time you checked out an Audiogon member's politics before agreeing to do a transaction with them? I'll tell you this - anyone taking the position that everyone else must agree with them or suffer the consequences needn't bother responding to me when I answer your ad...
There was another thread several days ago devoted entirely to this proposition of advocating a French boycott. This is not only ridiculously simplistic, it's arrogant beyond belief. Whatever one's opinion of the prospect of the US attacking Iraq, I do not understand people who seem to have this notion that every one of our allies is obligated to affirm the US administration's position. They are as free to disagree with administration policy as I am, and those Americans who, like the president, apparently revel in stating that this freedom merely reinforces the morality of their plans for war aren't truly democratic in their sentiments (but we already knew that Mr. Bush wasn't that!).
French audio companies have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to deserve economic punishment, and trying to create a linkage between French exports and French/US policy disagreements is neither fair nor could it be expected to alter the French administration's position (nor indeed the minds of the French public, and rightly so). By that kind of ignorant, emotional reasoning, French and German citizens ought to be boycotting American audio gear right now due to Mr. Rumsfeld's more crass remarks about their countries.
For those of you advocating this boycott, I want to ask: When was the last time you checked out an Audiogon member's politics before agreeing to do a transaction with them? I'll tell you this - anyone taking the position that everyone else must agree with them or suffer the consequences needn't bother responding to me when I answer your ad...