The Klingon From France

Living in Europe, we constantly seek television programming in our native parlance of English. Unfortunately we have only a TV line-up selected by Socialists. It includes France 24 in English. Like BBC and virtually every other channel, they are usually vehemently anti-American in their coverage of world news.

Broadcasts often start, “Another day, another shooting in America.” Their distaste for America exudes from every pore. There is virtually nothing they like of my native country, from our current president to our politics to our very culture. Nasty is the word that described them best.

However, nowhere in the selection of channels is the anti-American spirit so bold as on France 24 in the person of reporter Douglas Herbert, International Affairs Correspondent. With every breath, he seethes his anti-American sentiment, punctuated with bits of drooling sarcasm. If there is something good to report, he always finds a way to diminish it and substitute it with his own personal brand of hate for America.  His latest salvos have been directed at Israel and the United States over the relocation of our embassy to Jerusalem. News flash little Klingon: The United States of America can put its embassy any damn place it wants to; we don’t need special permission from an anti-Semitic Europe nor do we need your crap after the fact.

Note the title of this blog post. Monsieur Herbert does indeed resemble a Klingon warrior from Star Trek, both in bug-eyed looks and temperament. A douche? No, just a Klingon in every respect! His demeanor, voice and comportment all scream Klingon aggression and unfortunately it is so often aimed directly at the United States. When he speaks about international affairs, he vomits his anti-Americanism. He is never neutral and he always tries to play the  poor man’s Joan of Arc against the United States.

To be fair, I actually generally like France 24 news reporting, sans the Klingon. Florence Villiminot and Nadia Charbit are delightful, informative and downright fun. Other contributors are also great reporters, often bringing a somewhat non-biased approach to their reporting. It is only the Klingon who seems to always spew his anti-Americanism on every broadcast in knee jerk fashion. He comes on the air agitated and prepared to do battle. Why? Is he not a fan of Lafayette? Is he not a fan of liberty? Is he off somewhere during the night polishing his photon torpedoes? What the frog gives?

Unfortunately, Monsieur Herbert, Monsieur Klingon Commander is not alone in the European anti-American news corps league. British, German, Italian and almost all European outlets seem to take great satisfaction in running down the United States of America at every opportunity. Why? We have rebuilt their pathetic little countries after two world wars and two German aggressions yet they seem to be eternally pissed at us and our every nuance. If we are not stuffing money in their pockets, they turn on us at every juncture. In a word: Bullshit! Europe, it’s time for you to grow up, grow a pair and pick your friends more carefully.

If U.S. news broadcasts started with. “Another day, another terrorist attack in France and another knifing in London,” we would hear a whine heard around the world. These folks would come uncorked in an instant, leaving their Champagne and Brown Sauce bottles askew. Please little brothers, you are not so damned special. You are just small specks in the global firmament who don’t really count for squat. Show a little respect!

A little piece of advice for the Klingon and his anti-American contingent: Editorial reviews belong on the third page, not on the front page above the fold. In other words, save your personal opinions and grievances and just report the world news straight up without your personal distaste for America. Merci beaucoup! (Qatlho’)

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