Viva la France!

Oldest joke in the world: How many Frenchman does it take to defend Paris?

Nobody knows.

I rarely have anything nice to say about France (and who even talks about Greece these days?), but I'm seriously going to have to rethink my position.

While Americans continue to lay down like patsies in front of anything that can't be stopped from the couch with a remote control, it's pretty cool to see that the French (and let's not forget the Greeks) are at least standing up and saying, "You know what guys? Back off."

I just finished reading Bernard Cornwell's new book Agincourt, a fictional account of one of the most lopsided defeats the French ever suffered at the hands of the English. I wish them better luck in this battle:


The European Commission was foiled Monday in its bid to force France and Greece to allow genetically modified maize from US biotech giant Monsanto to be grown in their fields.

Monsanto's MON810 strain is the only genetically modified crop approved in the European Union but last year France suspended its cultivation, invoking a "safeguard clause".

Greece used the same legal provision in 2006 and has extended it since then.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said the maize is safe and there is no scientific evidence to justify the bans.

Without a solid mandate the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, will refer the matter to EU ministers to decide whether France and Greece should fall into line and allow the GM crop to be sown.

Gotta love that last part, "decide whether France and Greece should fall in line". Here's the whole article: EU foiled in bid to force France, Greece to allow GM crop