Heightened state of alert

[Joh]

Be aware that the French government announced yesterday that it has raised
its terror alert level from RUN to HIDE.
The only two higher levels in France are Surrender and Collaborate.
The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white
flag factory, effectively paralysing their military capability.

It's not only the French that are on a heightened level of alert.......

The Italians have increased their alert level from "shout loudly and
excitedly" to "elaborate military posturing". Two more levels
remain,"ineffective combat operations" and "change sides".The Germans also
increased their alert state from "disdainful arrogance" to "dress in uniform
and sing marching songs". They have two higher levels,"invade a neighbour"
and "lose".

Seeing this reaction in continental Europe the Americans have gone
from"isolationism" to "find somewhere else in the Middle East ripe for
regime change". Their remaining higher alert states are "take on the world"
and"ask the British for help in doing it".

Finally here in GB we've gone from "pretend nothing's happening" to "make
another cup of tea". Our higher levels are "remain resolutely cheerful"
and"win".

Terry

[Renaud]

The police in Liverpool cordoned off a street after something unusual was spotted in a car. Turned out to be a tax disc.

[Iceni]

Regarding the original post.

We stood looking at a large stone monument - for those that died in one day and the hundreds who were deported - never to be seen again. This was in France, the land you suggest is made up of cowards and informers, this was also this week.

This joke will go down really well with their families.

My father neither ran nor hid, he just came back from the war a broken sick man who's brain never revcovered - he just took 35 years to die from the horror that is your joke.

You might find it funny, I find it reduced me to tears.

This might be the 'lighter side of France' but even those that post here should have morals or have I got it totally wrong.

[Ejc]

Have to say that with tomorrow being the aniversary of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima and as the grandaughter of a belgian refugee, who lost most of his family, then joined up and fought the rest of the war in the Bristish army  I also didn't find this post very amusing

[Catalpa]

<< This joke will go down really well with their families >>

Well, of course, it would not. But isn’t that the thing with a lot of humour? – it will be entirely inappropriate for someone. In general, I suspect the French would smile at Joh’s post – if not at their own caricature at least at the others. The Germans would probably grit their teeth and wish the world would move on from clicking heels and fingers held crookedly above upper lip. Perhaps particularly in the UK we do poke fun at more or less anything because in so doing we defuse, deflate or make a horror more mundane.

Obviously this particular joke isn’t one of the finest but plenty of people will smile at it. I think suggesting Joh has a lack of morals because you have personal experience that rightly prevents you doing so isn’t really warranted. I have some buttons which, if a joke pushed them, would leave me very stony-faced and unamused. But even so – and maybe especially right now – I will defend forever the right of others to make them.

[Turnip]

Everyone is different. Some find the post amusing some don't. Whilst it is sadly true that many suffered, it is also true that life goes on. One way of coping with life is the use of humour. But humour should not be censored simply because it offends some. I found the post highly amusing whilst not taking the contents of the humour as truth. Next we will have the Belgians writing about how they are the butt of French/German jokes

[pinkfluff<P>Big Wet Drops and Lots of Them, Are a Sure Sign of Rain!<P>]

Its just goes to show that the British have a good sense of humour. one of our qualities, sing a long in the air raid shelters making jokes whilst been bombed yes thats us and who would expect any one else to understand when I read the initial post after I had a giggle I just knew someone would have a winge about it but a little exageration to say it made them cry

[Iceni]

[quote]Its just goes to show that the British have a good sense of humour. one of our qualities, sing a long in the air raid shelters making jokes whilst been bombed yes thats us and who would expect any one...[/quote]

It used to be known as shell shock - the brain is damaged beyond repair - he was so smashed that there was a court order stopping me ever seeing the man who was crushed by helping to keep our free world free. Perhaps the lack of respect of the many to  the few who tried or died is the reason why you can laugh and also cannot believe that it might just reduce a normal nice human being to tears.

[pinkfluff<P>Big Wet Drops and Lots of Them, Are a Sure Sign of Rain!<P>]

This is the humour page and the joke was at least a bit funny. not to be taken seriously  

[Iceni]

This is a public forum, jokes are jokes and respect is respect. I remember when I was at school that jokes about disabled children were fine and accepted (I appologise for that but I do have a disabled child so use this as a personal comment). In the South of the US there used to be jokes that today would get Living France closed down and the owners sued. 

Humour should be just that and not insulting to one race or another to get a smile - that is just a puerile mindset.

What insulting France had to do with the 'Lighter side of France' is beyond me, except perhaps to convince some of them that the barbarians have arrived.

[Miki]

Goodness me, that makes some comedy series and several films that should all be banned by that reckoning and talking about it even less recommended.

Come on some of the funniest moments have been laughing in the face of adversity and before you start in about Fathers, my Father lost brothers down the mines in South Wales and so his Mother begged him to leave the pits.....he did and within months was sent to war, Dunkirk and then Normandy followed, he shook forever after the war, spilling his tea regularly but he laughed out at loud at 'allo 'allo (OK, not everyones taste !!) but vowed never to ever visit France again, once he got home from the war and he never did.

[RayB]

[quote]Everyone is different. Some find the post amusing some don't. Whilst it is sadly true that many suffered, it is also true that life goes on. One way of coping with life is the use of humour. But humou...[/quote]

**Everyone is different.**

Exactement! I can't think of any jokes that don't offend someone if they dwell long enough on it. If I see one that offends me I just mumble some obscenity about the forehead of the teller. ignore it and move on.

Different jokes for different blokes.

[Joh]

Oh dear, here we go again,

Original post was only meant in a light-hearted way, RE "The Lighter Side Of France". Most people here have/had family lost or affected by past conflicts, even myself. However "The British Way" Grin and bear it!

I do not apologise for the original post in any way. Perhaps if they were no French involved, then that may not have upset some people, but then this  site is to do with France?

I can also not apologise for those who have had a "Sense of humour by-pass" and Don't go out on Friday's because their anoraks are in the wash....

Terry.

 

[Mozman]

Well I roared with laughter. Really enjoyed the joke. So there.

Spare us from Political Correctness....only by laughing at things will we put them in perspective.

[Miki]

[quote]Well I roared with laughter. Really enjoyed the joke. So there. Spare us from Political Correctness....only by laughing at things will we put them in perspective.[/quote]

Yeh but it took you nearly two months to get the joke

[Viv]

What I can't understand is how the same people who got their knickers in a complete twist over the 'funny French website' or whatever posting , yet have no problem with this one. ( and that's not a criticism of the original post)