And Have You Ever Tried

And Have You Ever Tried to Find a Decent Taco in Marsaille?
Brenda Largent writes in with some keen observations on France (Motto: We surrendered already! Honest!)

I’ll excerpt a few tasty bits:

They refuse to allow their language to grow with the influx of foreign influences (read English) – a stultifying language is a sure sign of cultural decay. The insular approach they are taking to perserve their culture will actually accelerate the rate of cultural decay they experience.

Well put, Brenda. Whenever a society attempts to suppress harmless activities, whether word choice (France), pornography (U.S.), or prayer (China), then you know something is not right with that society. The worse the oppression, the more trouble they’re in. So China is tottering, France is approaching useless, and we’re pretty much all right.

More:

Due to their insular and disdainful behavior, they are no longer regarded as the center of the word for fashion, food, wine or philosophy – their only (former) claims to fame. They have nothing to offer except a whine!

Brenda is right. When Stag’s Leap can produce a Cabernet Sauvignon (try the ’92 Cask 23, if you can find it) in Napa that’s every bit as good as a Grand Cru Bordeaux, then what the hell use is France?