the French [Theme]

They were French, they were Jews, they were you.

Parisians are not as open as Americans, but if you smile, they bloom like spring flowers for you. They nod, smile, and may pat your hand.

Freedom, beautiful human freedom, is not at all the same as social freedom, which, for example, the French achieved, apparent freedom. Freedom, as I understand it, is the kingdom of the spirit, a high, perfect sense of well-being, consciousness of oneself, one’s soul - the son of the infinite universe - the favorite of the main central force - the Creator. You can be free in appearance and a base slave in mind, in spirit, have limited, petty-bourgeois interests, and you can be chained in iron chains and be free in mind, in self-awareness - to be the king of thought.

- What's the difference? Is it the color of the uniform? They died from cold, hunger, fear... After all, this is not written on the monuments.

When de Gaulle says that France is him, he is telling the truth. But he forgets about me. I am also France, although of a completely different kind.

If the French were German by nature, how would the Germans then admire them.

The French spend as much on their stomachs as the British spend on cars.

The French have the same passion for cooking that other nations have for sports or politics.

There are no just wars - war is chaos. Brute force against brute force until the complete destruction of one of the parties. <... > There is no honor in war. The French understood this by fighting against the British. There is blood, death, armor against armor until one side surrenders due to death or superiority of forces.

Quiet Jews gather and say: so, guys, we have three days, we need to learn how to breathe under water.

- Strange after all, as you think, because why are we here? To defend their fatherland. But the French are also here to defend their fatherland. So who's right?
- Maybe we and them.
- Well, let's say so, but our professors, pastors, and newspapers claim that only we are right (let's hope that this is the case), and at the same time their professors, pastors, and newspapers claim that only they are right. So, what's the big deal?

- Isn't it Mademoiselle Anne? Very nice! His Grace, Cardinal Wolsey, told me about you, but did not say how beautiful you are. For a Frenchman, this is almost a crime.
- But the French tell all women that they are beautiful. Isn't that a crime too?

- Is he beautiful?
- He certainly thinks so.
- Is he vain?
- Your Majesty, he is French.

- They knit. And if you cough with them, they also dry the vobla!