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By France 24.
https://www.france24.com/en/france/20250316-french-mp-demands-the-us-give-us-back-the-statue-of-liberty
It took merely two months that the US "no longer represents the values that led France to offer this statue.".
rubypilgrim
This crowd of thieves won't give it back. They'll chop it up for scrap and sell it first. Because that's how they roll.
Nooctae
That's a funny line, but as a frenchman, I can tell you Gluckmann ( the politician that said that ) is a bit of a failed atteetion seeker. Dude really wants to try to exist on the political scene despite most rejecting him for trying to highjack the united left for his selfish benefit and being very obvious for it.
Flipittyflapthosetoes
Because his original political party, mild center left is nearly dead...
OnePieceRoboFranky
Trump - It's Bidens fault the French people want OUR statue back.
datphone777365
Fair.
RetrogradeLlama
WarlockSniper
Remember Deus Ex?
Where France said that France was wrong in giving the US the statue? After the Twins got bombed? After the USA slides into a theocratic fascist state? During a plague that was originating in China and was half engineered to keep the rich and powerful in power?
For fucks sake.
Hayashima
Looking forward to our omniscient media control AI overlord
CoarseAndSalty
I'm shocked trump hasn't deported her.
amyamazeballs
Sounds about right. Get the Nazis out USA you're embarrassing yourself
reverendbonobo
How much copper is in that thing? We should at least give it to them for safekeeping, before Elmo sells it for scrap to buy more ketamine.
IToldYouSo1
France be like
HEARTS0FSPACE
Do it. I 100% support France on this one. Trump and his disgraceful administration deserve such a disgusting stain on their legacy. We voted for this mess, so we deserve it, too. The fall of the principle of American liberty will no longer be debatable, as it will quite literally become a reality.
Telemapus
Dystopian Sci-Fi since the 1950s: Image of blown up Statue of Liberty or her head lying in Manhattan street etc.
Actual dystopia of the 2020s: French contract-workers calmly dismantling the statue and loading it onto a container ship flying a French flag.
SarahTheEverlame
cunninlinguist
Epic!
availlableusername
Ugh. French here, don't pay attention to that, it's just Raphael Glucksmann talking to his supporters at a convention of his party "Place Publique", as they have to decide who they're choosing for the presidential election of 2027. I don't know what he said there, but, of course, the medias only reported his hyperbolic joke about the statue of liberty. smh.
GiantFlyingLabia
He’s not wrong though. We don’t represent liberty anymore.
IHateToTurnUpTheVolumeOfMyTvBecauseMyCatIsSnoring
That statement is on point tho
AgamemnonsMemes
I mean yeah but you should go and get it back because america really doesn't deserve it anymore.
jetact12
No greater gift...sry we are not to erecting the guillotine yet. Let us get a run at it, and hopefully, we'll grow a set.
TheMrPendragon
Embarrassed American here. I am absolutely ashamed and appalled by the insipid and morose behavior that my country is exhibiting. Perhaps in all seriousness you should take it down/back/or just blow it up. Somehow, someway, the Americans responsible need to learn a lesson that freedom does not give you the right to be a discriminating purist with Hitler-esque tendencies. Liberty is not to be taken for granted. It would be a black spot on our history, but perhaps a necessary one.
availlableusername
"or just BLOW IT UP" ?!
TheMrPendragon
Well… poor choice of words. You can’t physically take back something that size whole. It has to be dismantled somehow, taken back in pieces, or demolished like a building.
slinkiisu
You should take it back, though. One of our elected officials thinks AMERICA built the fucking statue.
Noodlesocks
They could replace it with a statue of Trump and call it the colossus of chodes
FuckGlitter
You know they would make it from "gold" too.
VastMajorityRule
Don't give him ideas
WolvesAreTheBestPeople
I guess we could always put up a symbol that matches the United States now.
PlotTwistJunkie
That will work nicely.
miklkit
Heh. I'm surprised the statue of Liberty has not just started walking back to France already.
Snooj
It can't. This isn't Ghostbusters 2.
Cobalt1
As an American, I agree
WolvesAreTheBestPeople
discostewsm
It was on loan this whole time.
TuckerCarlsonWarnedYouTheredBeGirlsLikeMe
did we ever say, "thank you?"
hiiamluciole
You let us have Jodie Foster once in a while so if you forgot, we forgive you (and merci pour Jodie).
SteveMND
I mean, if Trump's America is now trying to take the Panama Canal back after we gave it back to... *checks notes* Panama, yeah, the French should ask for THEIR gift back as well.
safebot
It's like wanting from someone who is bullied to pay for the help you gave him three years ago...
hiiamluciole
French here : you can't imagine how rude it is, in French culture, to just begin to think that maybe, just in case, maybe maybe, one could ask for a gift back. We have a "proverbe" for that, that clearly states that's a hard no : "Donner c'est donner, reprendre c'est voler." (roughly : "to give is to give, to take back is to steal". I know Glucksmann (not in the government) is "joking" here because of course, France is not going to officially ask for it back but just joking about it ... damn !
iRegretThisUsernameAlready
Surely you mean the America Canal? /s
khaoselement
Fuck us up, rest of the world. This shithole deserves it.
jalcantara88127001
And because of the degrading values they will not give it back and just demolish it.
inquisitivefluff
AintNoGame
Legendary line that's super applicable, overall I give it a 5/7
Sebastopol140
Remember this idiot?
wibbIywobbIytimeywimey
wolfspirit21
CuileannDhu
This is what happens when you never pick up a history book.
Elkarlo1977
They pick up History Books to either store them in their Book wall or to throw them into a fire. But they don't pick them up to OPEN them and Read. As an European for me those US Bookwalls with their pristine Backs is not a sign of education but vanity.
BoobJiggle
Have to have some measurable degree of intelligence for reading comprehension before attempting to read anything deeper than the cat in the hat.
But even that is at the upper limit of their mental capabilities.. I say this about all conservatives.
wodansring
☝️💯
bluewitch
That's not him. His account says Jesse, not Jessy.
sundaymondayhippyday
Good catch I’m getting glasses
MeeseOnABeam
he's stupid twice, the statue of liberty is mighty impressive dont get me wrong, but we don't have a notre dame or an il duomo, technically. our versions of those things are postcap bastardizations of those premises: covered stadiums, shopping malls, etc
NachoIskerka
I don't mean to throw shade on this idea, but the US does have stuff like this, its just from a legitimately different art movement and lacking almost 900 years of people OOH and AHH ing it. But literally look up the next time you go into your state capital building and look at the artisan deco work that went into it locally. A lot of this design and art dates back to the Romantic and Modernist movements. Youre trained to look up in France. How often do you look up in a nice building at home?
Zobbie
Hearst Castle is a good example
slinkiisu
BikerRay
But you have a huge pyramid that's a bass pro shop!
Illumian85
Last I heard, they don't have a Notre Dame either
viila
We have it again, the re-opening after the restoration was in December.
Illumian85
My attempted snark aside, this is fantastic news.
sundaymondayhippyday
celestedrake
celestedrake
*guys
CyrilConnolly
besttom
Plug in your phone.
kaliedoscopicfrenzy
Double down dork
Thelatestpopularculturereferance
I seem to remember that America was asked to fund the base. However it wasn't very popular.
Nerdy0ne
*facepalm*
HEARTS0FSPACE
No fucking way... That has to be a poe.
sundaymondayhippyday
Poe?
isthisusernametakenquestionmark
Path of exile?
bricePlanetDiver
Poe's law?.when you can't tell between irony and earnest stupidity.
donutposse11337
As opposed to a Cole
JetsterDajet
It's like someone trained an AI to be an asshole.
rbudrick
Tbf, you have to train AIs not to be assholes, but valid.
kaneek
Ignorant asshole was gonna be my comment. Oh well. C'est la vie.
TheMostKink
AI could never replicate these pure levels of idiocy. This is the Mona Lisa of asshole.
DigitalDragon75
Remember when Education and Social Studies was a 'thing' we did?
slangblade
I don't think people realize how important social studies was back then. It guaranteed you up to the first $300 blocks in jeopardy, any topic
Idonotbelievewehavecompany
Well fine, we will make our statues with blackjack and hookers!
Whatdoyousaytoanicecupoftea
Bring me your poor, so I may prostitute them
ComoSeIguana
astrangehop
A ridiculous monument to short attention spans in the city of greed and broken dreams?
AliceInjection
In fact, forget the statues and the blackjack.
Monsoonaluna
More like crypto and child sex slaves with these degenerates.
xizar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York-New_York_Hotel_and_Casino
minkuschild
Can only imagine the picaso/uneducated archetype who'd design that shit. It would look a cybertruck but on its tail end? No doubt orangutan would suck a certain dick to make it happen.
NarratesTheDarkerStory
I guarantee it'd be that talentless hack that bought the rights to use that super black, and designed a giant mirrored bean in Chicago
minkuschild
Vanta black or someshit. Cool concept, shit owner... sounds super familiar
grrfvck
You did its called Vegas
hwatL4bloopy
Best we can offer is puritanical beliefs and Confederate statues
CorvidPrime
Hot damn! That hurts, but HELL yeah, France! Hell of a statement!
Poppypoppoppop
Meh, French President is a sell out. So this will do nothing.
TwiceK
The French asking for loan repayment of the revolutionary war is a statement. This is a guy
BlueTyphoon
as awesome as that would be for France to demand us to pay them back, I think it can be fairly agreed on that we sort of already did in WWII
mmmerf1
Yep. C'est une brûlure de mèche.
Valaar
As a french, I disagree with this statement. As asleep as american democracy is right now, we still know that there are millions of people supporting it.
I just wish they would show it more ans more.
CorvidPrime
You are correct. But we need people both inside and outside the US telling those who support the nonsense he’s doing just how bad it really is. They need to understand that the world does not agree with them.
waheliod
I agree with the French statement if it's true but it was built originally as a gift for Egypt. The French don't care about it that much, but the point is and stance they are taking, if true, is valid.
joshuasplinth
Please no, don’t draw his attention to it FFS. He’d destroy it before handing it back.
magikmarker
I don't doubt it
M1ntysandwich
I agree 100% it's supposed to be a symbol of freedom. Look we made it to Ellis island we're safe now that we're in the USA.
My God, do I hate my country currently. To all our once allies and neighbors, HE doesn't represent all of us. We are so ashamed also America is so sorry.
sleix
Saying sorry is not enough. We need to show our rejection of the current administration through our actions, not just meager words.
RetailCat
I'd like to see you try that and see how far it gets you.
BlindedByTheWereLight
If you think your current head of administration is all your country's problems you're sorely mistaken. And this as a friendly imgurian onlooker - not meant to offend, but you guys really need to sort your shit out. Guns, abortion, book bans, school shootings, police violence, immigration, wages. These are not new issues... But one at a time I guess. We're with you, just hoping to see some real progress...would love to visit your beautiful country but I'm not game to visit...yet.
phoenix071
Sick of hearing from people who love to point out the obvious, if you care so much then help us. Physically do something, boycott the corporations screwing us over here that exist where you are. Organize/attend marches, call your government officials, etc. Me and everyone around me is doing everything they can, we don't need to be talk downed to by people who just talk and do nothing else for us
RayneOfSalt
"do nothing else for us". jesus fucking christ.
BlindedByTheWereLight
What the fuck would an Australian do that would actually had some effect? Calling my government would do absolutely nothing. Just look at how Trump & co. treated Zelenski. Protesting rarely works and usually pisses people off. Boycotting companies in our area would be misinterpreted by the company as being a problem here not there and probably be ignored anyway.
These are USAs problems that USA needs to solve. Very little we can do other than set a good example maybe.
sleix
I refer to the administration as a whole, not just the head. And I agree, everything needs an overhaul, but in a legitimate manner and not just a single rich assed billionaire's thought, but one priority we need to hit on is to tax the top 1% A LOT MORE. They haven't been doing their share since Reagan, and they need to step up to the plate to help keep this country strong.
sundaymondayhippyday
Infrastructure is failure. My brother-in-law was talking to an American colleague and succinctly put it
“America is a 3rd-world country once you past the big cities, the roads, bridges, all need to be fixed ”.
Puolitettupuolituttu
That's not a statement by France any more than your Imgur posts are statements of whatever country you reside in. Just for the record.
CorvidPrime
Don’t care… It’s an accurate statement on that guys part. And I live in the US… That’s why it hurts.
Puolitettupuolituttu
I get you're upset about what's going on in your country, but what actually happens is (at least in the rest of the world) still more important than what you feel is happening, and assigning too much weight on a single MEP is a direct way to madness. The European Parliament is an important EU organ, sure, but it's also the place where political parties dump members too popular to ignore but too embarrassing to keep around. TL;DR: Whether you care or not, it's not a statement by France.
LongTimeCallerFirstTimeLurker
Don’t worry about it, they’ll jump on anything that doesn’t further the “cause”. Whatever that means by now. It’s like anything is fair if it suits your ideology
CorvidPrime
Okay look… I get that. No, I was not previously aware, and I do appreciate learning something. Genuinely… I understand now that it is not a “France” statement. But it IS a foreign person in a position of power (even if it’s only symbolic power) telling our country what it needs to hear. Let me be exited about that for a minute! You can enjoy being right, and I can enjoy seeing someone stand up to our leaders.
Puolitettupuolituttu
Well, then, I have good news for you: "a foreign person in the position of power calling the US out on some stupid shit the US has done" is not exactly a precious rarity. You can enjoy it any time you want if you just pay any attention to the rest of the world. You don't even have to look past France if that seems too daunting. (P.S. MEP wield more than just symbolic power, since the European Parliament is a major legislative organ in the EU.)
Onlyhereforthelaughs
Too bad that will be all it is. :\
Ialwayslookhungover
Almost scared theyd replace it with a trump statue.
turbothetinyturtle
My thoughts exactly. Gah.
Jewdakris
For real though, he doesn't want that thing there. The man always talked about NY being his home or some shit but he hated NY. He wanted to ruin it with his ugly ass buildings and shit. Fuck him.
HylianFox
Remember this abomination?
skinkabamba
Oh yeah! Thats prettymuch what I'd imagine a Trump statue would be: cheap plastic, painted to garish "gold"
johnnyhasadhd
Taking bets on how many days before it's vandalized and cut apart for scrap money.
spittytrinkles
Simpsons did it.
SomeGuy389
I would be willing to accept that if, for example, Trump was hanging by a noose in said statue.
AnAverageBoxEnthusiast
trump is making a heros memorial soo yeah....
GonzoRunner
I hate typing this, but two weeks ago I joked that the SOL is going to be replaced by some Trump crap like a “Patriot Patty” statue.
TheZommie
every state would get a trump statue
PossiblyNotAGoblin
I dont think new york would accept that
FistfulOfAssholes
Every time they put up statues of leaders, things get… dicey. And eventually those statues get toppled.
ScarecrowSticks
And then get dumped into the nearest harbour
TheBreadTurtle
every state would get PROMISED a trump statue, then they'll drag it out for years before abandoning the project and/or half-assing it
SunFart
Every person will get a portrait of trump that you are required to pay for and hang in your home. Nothing else on the walls.
grapesofwrath1120
Like Hitler.
spittytrinkles
Every State will be required to BUY a Trump Statue, from Trump's New business venture "Uncle Donny's Bible and Statue Emporium." Opening soon at the former site of your local public library.
sundaymondayhippyday
That is too scary , accurate
CuileannDhu
A shiny gold colossus with tiny hands. A graven idol to delight all of the pseudo-christian fascists.
Rpgjgb
Motherfuckers already had a 6ft tall on back in 2018
sundaymondayhippyday
And it was made in Mexico!
xj4low
This would be the only reason trump would let the SOL go. So they could but up a big golden statue of a thing trump, with a good head of hair, and normal sized hands. He already wants his head on the Mount Rushmore. You know, just dictator things.
Problem is, either of them would be made so cheaply that it would fall over with the first storm that rolls in.
sundaymondayhippyday
I’d like that…. Bigly bigly….
sundaymondayhippyday
SOL?
xj4low
Statue of Liberty. Sorry for making it an acronym but I saw others use it in the post and was feeling lazy.
Not sure why someone down voted you for asking a question. There are some real dicks on imgur.
usernametakenisthestoryofmylife
Do it France, demand it back, we don't deserve it! Let shitstain be known as the dick who lost Lady Liberty.
jetact12
We don't deserve it as long as we don't rise up and guillotine
q2grapple
How embarassing we have become
WholeWheatBunnyHugger
I'm not embarrassing, I am embarrassed.
VaultGirl69
We've been embarrassing for a long time. It's just obvious to everyone else now because of a particular idiot.
theworldcouldbeflat
What's really sad about your statement is that the US have kind of been a non stop embarrassing stretch ever since JFK died. But your statement makes it sound like a recent change lol.
SkamanSam
We need this more than ever. We need to be reminded that we were supposed to be supportive of others.
winkyroomba
Bigly
VastMajorityRule
How cromulent.
WeAllLiveInAUserSubmarine
Hey, heyyyy, if it's any consolation, you didn't deserve it beforehand
ZooseKatz
Very
djangojazz
Not we. MAGA Republicans. They also have tried to claim that plaque under it was 'long time later' when it was not.
FrancsTireur
No it is "we" and by that I mean you, because I'm just a foreign resident. You and your parents and your parents parents etc are responsible for shaping the nation into what it is. America is a representative democracy which means that there were many, perhaps thousands of little steps, little policy choices, little shifts in priorities; didn't seem like much at the time but over time they add up to this. We understand that in Europe, we understand it in Asia, my dad's country Japan nearly 1/
FrancsTireur
Triggered a snap election over the deployment of a single destroyer to the international mission in the red sea; as if today its one destroyer and tomorrow we're bombing Pearl harbour again. Obviously that's a ridiculous notion but the Japanese people aren't willing to risk it. There were thousands of those moments, largely over the last 100 years and Americans squandered them. I don't know if it's arrogance or ignorance or stupidity or a mix of all three but America has always gone for the 2/
FrancsTireur
Expedient solution over the hard yards, and like all rush jobs, they are either temporary or come with gigantic flaws. 3
DVSBSTrD
spittytrinkles
Divided States of America
DVSBSTrD
We were only united by appeasement.
TorvusBull
I hate that I'm in Kentucky.
DVSBSTrD
My sibling in Christ, all you have to do is follow the drinking gourd.