US sneers at 'chocolate makers' - European only NATO

[dArKeR]

The United States on Tuesday sneered at plans by four European countries to create an autonomous European military command headquarters near Brussels separate from Nato, referring to the idea's proponents as "chocolate makers".

In unusually blunt language that drew surprised gasps from reporters, State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher scoffed at Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg for continuing to support the proposal that they first introduced at a mini-summit in April.

He described the April meeting as one between "four countries that got together and had a little bitty summit" and then referred to them collectively as "the chocolate makers".

After hearing the reaction to his comments, Boucher immediately stood back from the remark, explaining that he had seen the phrase in press reports and saying that he should not have repeated them.

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1410833,00.html

[FlashHarry]

1. Christ almighty! The arrogance of this administration is astounding!

Considering we need these 'chocolate makers' to help us prosecute the 'war on terror,' I'd say that was a diplomatic error of epic proportions!

On edit: not to mention the fact that, collectively, the EU's GNP is bigger than ours. The Euro is on the rise. We may not be the biggest bully on the block for a whole lot longer. Like Chevy Chase, the people you piss off on your way up will piss on you on your way down.

[Sick of Bullshit]

15. I love that line:

"The people you piss off on your way up will piss on you on your way down." This should be on the wall of every foreign policymaker in the US.

[alfredo]

21. What they say in public is probably not near as bad as

what they call them in private.

[TahitiNut]

33. I can imagine. Something begining with "fudge", I'll bet.

(sheesh!) :eyes:

[TahitiNut]

30. Commander Codpiece probably thinks "diplomasee" ...

... is show 'n' tell with the fancy-lettered certificate his Daddy bought him. :shrug:

[tabasco]

2. Good thing the adults are in charge

This seems like a pretty mature way to conduct diplomacy.

[Lisa]

3. better a chocolate-maker than a mean-spirited bully!

At least chocolate is good for you ...

[damnraddem]

4. Whereas Dubya's WH is a fudge factory.

Europe's chocolate is tastier than all the neocon fudge.

[SOS]

5. These Bush idiots insult our former allies

over and over and then want them to bail out the US in Iraq.
I hope the "chocolate makers" say "F#ck you!" to Bush when he goes begging at the UN.

[htuttle]

6. Dear Mr. Bush

We apologize, but we are unable to help you out in Iraq.

We are too busy making chocolate.

Signed,

Europe

[bpilgrim]

7. we won't stop till we're at war with those 'chocolate makers'

hopefully this will help wake even more folk up... the sooner the better.

peace

[Bonhomme Richard]

8. Those "Chocolate Makers" came close to.....

being the rulers of the world lest the arrogant assholes in this administration forget. Of course that was with the help of bush's grandaddy.

[jenm]

9. Elevating ridicule to a fine art

Did he just come out of a meeting with smirk????

http://www.consortiumnews.com/Print/082701a.html

[StandWatie]

10. I think the "chocolate makers" are in the WH right now..

I think they are producing it in their pants now that they realize what they have gotten into in Iraq.

[DinahMoeHum]

12. Yeah, they're chocolate-coating the shit and shit-coating. . .

the chocolate.

"Don't eat the bridge mix."

BTW, that's a phrase from the late activist feminist lawyer Flo Kennedy.


:kick:

[Buns_of_Fire]

39. Ummmmmmm..... "Freedom Chocolate"............

:evilgrin:

[Kellanved]

11. WTF?

Could they please decide?
Last I remembered they were asking for a higher European defense budget; now that it is used to give EU foreign policy some meaning it is bad? Is the old/new crap getting too old? Is it now chocolate and non-chocolate Europe?

A mobile rapid response force under EU/NATO command is a very reasonable thing IMHO - one that the US might have a use for in the future.


On edit: what about Cadbury? New EU ruling allows calling Cadbury's chocolate (what it, per definition, isn't).

[StandWatie]

13. the point is not to let the US use it..

which is what set off the "chocloate maker" derision.

[Sick of Bullshit]

17. I just had some Belgian chocolate yesterday

Jacali-- White chocolate and praline! Yummy!

Make chocolate, not war!

[JohnyCanuck]

14. Those *&^(^*%! chocolate makers

The chocolate makers'consortium, Airbus, is now outselling Boeing in passenger jets. Not bad, for a bunch of mere chocolate makers.

[htuttle]

16. "After hearing the reaction to his comments,..."

"...Boucher immediately stood back from the remark, explaining that he had seen the phrase in press reports and saying that he should not have repeated them. "

So, that's kind of like when someone says a racial slur in public, and then apologizes that it was because "I say it all the time at home"?

For some reason, I'd had the impression that Boucher was a career guy at State, and had a little more class than this.

[shugah]

18. charming

once again, i roll my eyes, shake my head, and sigh heavily.

what in the world are these people thinking?

[gmoney]

19. LIke the memorable line from Mr. Potter

In "It's a Wonderful Life" Lionel Barrymore's character of the evil Mr. Potter summarizes' George Bailey's lot in life:

"Yes, sir, trapped into frittering his life away playing nursemaid to a lot of garlic-eaters. Do I paint a correct picture, or do I exaggerate?"

I believe the chocolate-makers share a border with the garlic-eaters...

[coralrf]

20. Germany is not known for chocolate....

nor is France. Belgium sure...and they do it very well. Luxembourg is known as a small but very industrialized nation with a prosperous economy...they make money.

Luxembourg: NO DEFICITS!!!
http://www.mapzones.com/world/europe/luxembourg/economyindex.php

Germany: No trade deficits and an economy centered on high tech and manufacturing. Foodstuffs a minor aspect. 3rd largest economy in the world.
http://www.photius.com/wfb1999/germany/germany_economy.html

France: Exports, machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages. No trade deficits, 35 hour work week. Has the 7th larges economy in the world.
http://www.workmall.com/wfb2001/france/france_economy.html

Belgium. Home of the most beautiful city in the world: Brussels. They make Chocolate and it is considered the best in the world. NATO is headquartered there. No trade deficits.
http://www.yahooligans.com/reference/factbook/be/econom.html


We need the European countries on our side. THis is not how to do it.

[Kemet]

24. And you forgot

Belgium beer. In my view, the best in the world.
:toast:

[Ferretherder]

43. Here, here!... on the Belgian beer!

Nothing even comes close to a cool glass of Duvel's!

[NYC]

31. France makes black chocolate.

The Swiss chocolate company Lindt, has their black chocolate (70% and 80% cocoa) made in France.

[legin]

22. The thing that sprang to my mind

was that Vincint Price horror movie where he plays a very hammy Shakespearan actor who takes revenge on all the critics that write really bad reveiws about his performances.

The critics sort of get bumped off in a way that is suitable to that particular critic, if I remember rightly there is one critic that is very keen on wine-tasting and he gets dumped head first into a vat of wine.

Anyway back to the topic in hand, thankyou for your kind comments Mr. Boucher. We have noted them and look foward to discussing them with you at a later date.

[xxqqqzme]

23. well, it is back 2

Diplomacy 101. Must have missed the beginning lecture.

[aquart]

25. I'm sure this will help with the UN votes.

Yes, indeedy.

[Don_G]

26. Let Them Make Chocolate!

And see if they'll bail out the US in the Middle East before Dimbo 's re-selection.

Nobody's big enough to piss in the wind successfully or ignore your friends.

[drscm]

27. US sneers? US sneers? Once again

this administration's behavior is treated as if it is representative of the majority of the US. If * did not sneer in the first place, other nations would not feel the need to protect their lives and their interests against an administration that is pathologically arrogant.

The * administratin is in a world of its own and the US's - not to mention the rest of humanity's - worst enemy!

[rocktivity]

28. Fermez la bouche, Boucher!

That much French I know. And what is French, German, and whatever they speak in Luxembourg for "defense mechanism"?

Boucher...explain(ed)...that he had seen the phrase in press reports and (said) that he should not have repeated them.
Oh, so the author of that press report is to blame! If he or she hadn't written it, Boucher wouldn't have been compelled to say it!


rocknation

[TahitiNut]

32. "Maul zu, Boucher!"

It's better in German. In German, "Maul" is the word for an animal's mouth ("muzzle"), while "Mund" is used to refer to a person's mouth. "Maul zu!" is even better than "muzzle it!" or "stifle it!"

[Paschall]

37. "Ta gueule, Boucher!"

Would be the exact French equivalent. "Ta gueule!" A common, and very insulting, French phrase not found in Berlitz. ;-)

[Turley]

44. The correct expression is

Halt's Maul.

[femmecahors]

41. Boucher est francais pour "BUTCHER."! Ha, Ha, Ha . . .

So Monsieur Boucher comes from a long line of CHOCOLATE MAKERS!

[Beetwasher]

29. This Guy Didn't Get the Memo

We're pretending to like them now that we need their help. Yeesh!

[leesa]

34. What is wrong with these people???

It is like they are brain damaged...everything they do makes NO SENSE.

[Paschall]

35. Can Boucher provide details on those "press reports"

...where he allegedly lifted this remark? I think Boucher did a little fast thinking on his feet there to cover his ass. I hope at least one reporter will demand the original source for his remark. (I suspect there is none).

[Kellanved]

42. I think it's because of the recently reformed EU - ruling

France, Germany, Belgium, Luxenburg and Italy had the same rules about what is chocolate and what isn't (and got the EU to follow that ruling).

Recent changes (against the protest of the above chocolate-makers) allow fats other than cocoa butter in chocolate; opening the market for British, Danish and US products.

[bagnana]

36. talk about sneering

what about the awe inspiring "coalition of the willing" the U.S. and UK dragged into Iraq? We had Bulgaria! Yahoo!

[Athame]

38. And does Richard Boucher call himself a

DIPLOMAT ?????

:argh: I am more and more ashamed to call myself American.

[femmecahors]

40. Chocolate jets fly over my house every day . . .

I think they're called Mirages.

And don't forget about all those Chocolate nuclear bombs the French keep exploding on their Pacific islands . . .

I think the chocolate makers have a good beginning ASSORTMENT in their sampler box.

[Turley]

45. The problem is

Germany and France have no room in their budgets for such undertakings. They also have no heavy-lift capabilities to speak of. That lack of logistics means no real power projection ability. A real problem.

[Kellanved]

46. not yet

But both nations ordered A400M transporters.

[July]

47. Little bitty?

Isn't that how Bush described one of the tax cuts? Between this and the chocolate makers remark, it sounds like Boucher (I'm not a diplomat, I just play one on TV) has been talking to Mr. Humble Foreign Policy.