Quote:
Originally Posted by RPKESQ
They are a major world power.
Only country to have a nuclear aircraft carrier besides the US.
They are a nuclear power with intercontinental delivery capability.
They are a member of the G8 and the UN Security consul.
They are an economic power.
They send troops where they feel troops would do the most good, not to impress you.
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Well put.
And their contributions to world culture have been huge. People have been talking about food & wine (second to none and a cuisine equal to Chinese in its depth and comprehensiveness)....
BUT they made tremendous contributions to science and technology - not to mention military strategy - esp. the early use of armor BTW.
The US pretty much took over the world cultural domination business a century ago (cultural, if not economic; economic if not military), but the French hung in there for quite a while.
Further back, the proto-French (the Franks) were one of the "savage tribes" that helped wipe out the Roman Empire. That was both good and bad, and was pre-Brie. But there is a long history there.