THANK YOU PARIS2012!(Official Paris 2012's burial)

[Guardian]

Well, there is always the next time. Besides, I thought Paris was going to win it. So much for my predictions.  :blush:

Besides, when do you think France will try again to put a bid for the Olympic Games again?

[jeux]

Sorry but IOC shows that it is again a corrupted organisation.

This is a strong general thought here in Paris.We all received an amazing hammerblow.

Moreover, Paris and France does not need olympic games organised by so-politics IOC which is far from original spirit.

Coca cola and all Anlo-saxon sponsors are again the deciders:

Atlanta,Sydney,Vancouver,London,New York certainly in 2016...are the proof of that(even Beijing).

It shows that the anglo-saxon world is dominant and France is very small country with anymore influence(ig:3 italians members on 4 voted against Paris).

I am sure and a lot of french should agree my view that Paris

will not a candidate city before a very long time.Paris is paying his uncorrect line on a lot of dossiers.And if Madrid or Rome and Berlin will bid,Paris will loose again due to alliance(Madrid's votes supporting London have to be granted by London's supporters in IOC members or the same for Italian votes).France is now alone, it failed the only window to open.

Unfortunately for me,I 'll never see SOG in Paris.

[Shura]

It shows that the anglo-saxon world is dominant and France is very small country with anymore influence(ig:3 italians members on 4 voted against Paris).

I am sure and a lot of french should agree my view that Pari

And not only the french

I strongly agree, it seems that Paris has had a lack of sure support of another countries, there is not a big francofon community worldwide, as spanish or english has in North and SouthAmerican countries (as an example), this strategic concept, joined to politic maneuvers by Blair, definitively affect to Paris great Bid.

Unfortunately for me,I 'll never see SOG in Paris.

Don't bepessimistic, there will always be a next hope, and London has already sat down precedent so that a city hosts 3 times the gamesb

I also hope you'll be right, and the support of Madrid to London in the final poll will be granted by the UK in 2016 or 2020 :wwww:

[Ripley]

Sorry but IOC shows that it is again a corrupted organisation.

This is a strong general thought here in Paris.We all received an amazing hammerblow.

Moreover, Paris and France does not need olympic games organised by so-politics IOC which is far from original spirit.

Coca cola and all Anlo-saxon sponsors are again the deciders:

Atlanta,Sydney,Vancouver,London,New York certainly in 2016...are the proof of that(even Beijing).

It shows that the anglo-saxon world is dominant and France is very small country with anymore influence(ig:3 italians members on 4 voted against Paris).

I am sure and a lot of french should agree my view that Paris

will not a candidate city before a very long time.Paris is paying his uncorrect line on a lot of dossiers.And if Madrid or Rome and Berlin will bid,Paris will loose again due to alliance(Madrid's votes supporting London have to be granted by London's supporters in IOC members or the same for Italian votes).France is now alone, it failed the only window to open.

Unfortunately for me,I 'll never see SOG in Paris.

Your notion that french culture is at one end of the spectrum and anglo saxon culture at the other is wrong IMO.

It is true all anglo saxon countries have a common language...but to suggest we all have common values is plain wrong. Don't forget that when it comes to social values...despite what you have read in the french press etc...Britian is far more similar to France's social model than the American free market society. As a nation we are spending more every year on social infrastructure....our economy is more liberal, but we want it that way to generate money for society to improve...not for the sake of only "more money".

There is no conspiracy against france or the french.....you must be able to see that there are enough franco-philes on these boards. The fact is that you have a president who the world hates....even france hates Chirac. He generates a lot of hostility....I mean you may hate some of the decisons Tony Blair has taken regarding Iraq etc....but at least he is not pompous and arrogant and he is able to talk to people as if they are inteligent human beings. Chirac is the root cause of the french depression and malaise. When you get rid of him the country will be reborn and will have a new found sense of optimism.

French culture is not an alternative to Anglo saxon culture...in my mind  it is just a part of the picture of Europe...along with British culture and German culture....their is no cultural war going on....of course the french language can be said to be becoming anglocised...but this is surely an inevitable consequence of the world's wish to be able to communicate and trade with each other using a common laguage....I don't see it as a bad thing at all.

If you lump all of the english speaking world in to a homogenous anglo saxon culture...can we then not do the same for the "latin world". If so...I think you will see that the latin world (including France) has had more than its fare share of Olympics in recent years...Barcelona and Athens...not to mention Turin 2006. So I just don't buy this anglo saxon vs france idea. Look at the numkber of sporting events held in France in recent years ...

Albertville 1992

WC 1998

IAAF 2003

Rugby WC 2007

now tell me that france is being continually victimised.

London won the 2102 Olympics...not because the Paris bid was sh1t or France was hated or irelevant, but because the London bid was better on the day.

[Rob2012]

It's a shame you feel like that on defeat. You lost by four votes. That means nearly half the IOC had more confidence in your bid than in London's. That's not a huge hammerblow and I think Paris should bid again perhaps for 2024.

[Surferdude]

Your notion that french culture is at one end of the spectrum and anglo saxon culture at the other is wrong IMO.

It is true all anglo saxon countries have a common language...but to suggest we all have common values is plain wrong. Don't forget that when it comes to social values...despite what you have read in the french press etc...Britian is far more similar to France's social model than the American free market society. As a nation we are spending more every year on social infrastructure....our economy is more liberal, but we want it that way to generate money for society to improve...not for the sake of only "more money".

There is no conspiracy against france or the french.....you must be able to see that there are enough franco-philes on these boards. The fact is that you have a president who the world hates....even france hates Chirac. He generates a lot of hostility....I mean you may hate some of the decisons Tony Blair has taken regarding Iraq etc....but at least he is not pompous and arrogant and he is able to talk to people as if they are inteligent human beings. Chirac is the root cause of the french depression and malaise. When you get rid of him the country will be reborn and will have a new found sense of optimism.

French culture is not an alternative to Anglo saxon culture...in my mind  it is just a part of the picture of Europe...along with British culture and German culture....their is no cultural war going on....of course the french language can be said to be becoming anglocised...but this is surely an inevitable consequence of the world's wish to be able to communicate and trade with each other using a common laguage....I don't see it as a bad thing at all.

If you lump all of the english speaking world in to a homogenous anglo saxon culture...can we then not do the same for the "latin world". If so...I think you will see that the latin world (including France) has had more than its fare share of Olympics in recent years...Barcelona and Athens...not to mention Turin 2006. So I just don't buy this anglo saxon vs france idea. Look at the numkber of sporting events held in France in recent years ...

Albertville 1992

WC 1998

IAAF 2003

Rugby WC 2007

now tell me that france is being continually victimised.

London won the 2102 Olympics...not because the Paris bid was sh1t or France was hated or irelevant, but because the London bid was better on the day.

Ripley is right. France has much more in common with the UK, both socially and culturally. Our values are very much similar as are others of our European neighbours. The inate instinct of the UK matches closely that of France: liberalism with social responsibility, a questioning of commercialisation. This is the antisthesis to American ideology. The US may speak English, but it doesn't understand much of the history or culture behind it. France on the other hand doesn't need such things explaining to it -it is much the same. And that's not supposed to be a derogatory comment aimed at the US, it's simlpy how things are.

France is feeling lost at the moment because it lacks decent leadership which is respected around the world. If Chirac goes around with his snide remarks about a country's food or his distaste for certain cultures, he may get a laugh from Putin, but he won't get any respect. Putin will be wondering what Chirac says about him or his country when he's not around.

Equally, if the Mayor of your capital is seen tro be a very bad sportsman and a sore loser (which he is, without a shadow of a doubt) then people won't feel sorry for him, they will berate him for his childish behaviour, and of course, any respect that was there will evaporate.

And the more the French whinge and look for sympathy, the more they will isolate themselves and become immersed in self pity.

As Ripley said, France has had more than it's fair share of world events held within its borders. So why should it be unfair when someone else wins a prize and wins because it was better and on merit? If Paris couldn't accept defeat it should never have entered the race in the first place.

I wonder if it ever spared a thought for all the countries it has defeated in the past, those that couldn't hold the Football World Cup, or the Rugby World Cup or the IAAF championships or the Winter Olympic Games because France had won them. No, because none of those countries ever kicked up the stink that Paris has over the 2012 Games. It is time to grow up.

[Mekky]

I recently studied mutual funds both in Europe and USA ... UK is similar to US (and also Australia) socially, there is no doubt.

[Surferdude]

I recently studied mutual funds both in Europe and USA ... UK is similar to US (and also Australia) socially, there is no doubt.

Well, that's conclusive then!

[Ripley]

I recently studied mutual funds both in Europe and USA ... UK is similar to US (and also Australia) socially, there is no doubt.

Mutual funds aside...people in the UK believe passionately in having a well funded public heath care system. We believe in socially responsible government and although our state benefits system is not as generous as in France....there is a firm belief in the population at large that there should be a safety net for the weak and unlucky in society. These are values which we have in common with European democracies and have become part of our way of life. There is no concensous about these issues in the USA....it is a strak difference betweeen our societies.

[Jamandell (d69)]

While I was probably the biggest London 2012 supporter you could meet, and I obviously screamed the house down when Rogge announced the result, I have always felt very sorry for the Parisians and the French.

You had a brilliant bid and you helped make this the most interesting Games Bids for...well, ever really.

When I saw the Parisian reaction in the Hotel de Ville I naturally felt for you...because I new how I would feel if London lost.  

Please Paris, please bid again eventually.  You really do deserve it, show that you do have the Olympic spirit in nver giving up!

[e1ena]

I recently studied mutual funds both in Europe and USA ... UK is similar to US (and also Australia) socially, there is no doubt.

Mutual funds aside...people in the UK believe passionately in having a well funded public heath care system. We believe in socially responsible government and although our state benefits system is not as generous as in France....there is a firm belief in the population at large that there should be a safety net for the weak and unlucky in society. These are values which we have in common with European democracies and have become part of our way of life. There is no concensous about these issues in the USA....it is a strak difference betweeen our societies.

We were much closer to the European social model before globalisation really took hold. Now there is no doubt that we are moving towards the US model bit by bit, but, as you say, at the moment we probably have more in common with the French and the other European nations, however much some Euroskeptics try to deny it.

As you say, our belief in Social Security and Public Services keep us tied to the European system. If we really ran on a US-style economy and society, for instance, it is doubtful that Labour would have won the 1997 election over the Tories, even with the problems they were going through.