Changing direction slightly, how could you possibly have any problem with a country that produced the Citroen DS19?

I probably didn't express myself well. My reference to Belgium was just to lampoon our indignant renaming of a French product that isn't French!

I don't have a problem with the country -- I have spent 75% of my vacations there over the past 5 years. Yes, some folks can be distant or even rude, but I love the roads, the small towns, the coasts, the food. People have been very nice to me.

The government (or the "political" France on the world stage)? Sometimes infuriating as in their last, pointless round of nuke testing, sometimes impenetrable. In the present case, I can think of some not-so-good reasons they are taking the stand that they are (like increasing their own position, avoiding dealing with some of their own commercial history with Iraq, perhaps), but it doesn't make their position wrong.

My objects of desire, that I wish to own before I pass on, are a Citroen DS19 Decopatable and a Revox tape recorder.

I always thought Revox (a major object of my unrequited lust in the 70s...) was Swiss!

Come to think of it, was an Empeg ever sold in France, I don't seem to have seen a French entry on the BBS?

Nosferatu, for one.