Sorry, did I say "great?" I meant to say "batshit insane and ludicrous."

I mean, I'm all for war and everything, and the French can go fuck themselves for all I care. Personally, I am so American that I can't even be bothered to learn where French-land is, or what their culture is like. I think they eat lots of bagels, or snails, or dandelions or something. Also, they have anal sex in public. That's all I know about the French, and all I care to know.

Nevertheless, renaming "french fries" and "french toast" to "freedom fries" and "freedom toast" is silliness beyond measure. It is also so-typically-American that it makes my teeth ache.

Personally, I'm inclined to demonstrate my irritation with the French in a much more responsible and effective fashion: by driving with my headlights on (after dark only), and by not shopping at Wal-Mart (depending on whether astralounge ever gets around to accepting my whimsical challenge, of course).

All of that being said, this dollop of rancid idiocy has accomplished something besides staining the fabric of American culture; it has given the French the opportunity to make us look even stupider than we did a few minutes ago:

The French Embassy in Washington had no immediate comment, except to say that french fries actually come from Belgium.

One can only hope that this statement was made with a quizzically raised eyebrow and a look of mildly incredulous contempt and disbelief.

Anyway, GO USA! Way to make a statement, boys. As a recommendation, maybe we could also rename the "intelligence community." I think that the "freedom community" has a nice ring, and would also be suitably ironic.