Jolimont

At a fancy private party last night I participated in a few conversations that went something like this:
-I don't understand why Bush is in such a hurry to invade Iraq
-Seems a little foolish to me
-He can't sit back and do nothing
-The NSA has all the evidence but they can't share it with anyone without compromising their spying secrets
-Troops are getting tired of sitting there

Then I chimed in and said "what about those French" and the great whining would begin:
-They've never liked us, not even when they came to the rescue during the Revolution (said one guy, I have no clue what he meant)
-They are rude to us
-Their military sucks
-They are a bunch of communists
-They are resentfull that America liberated them in 1945 (???!)
-They refuse to speak English even if they are fluent at it therefore forcing me to look ridiculous trying to speak French

Some of you may know that I was born and raised in France, but have no accent and sound like any regular American, so they didn't know that. After listening to some whining I would say "why do you think that" or "maybe if I spoke nothing but French in New York City I wouldn't get good service either" or "aren't they entitled to their own opinions?" As soon as I revealted my origins most people changed their tune to "well it's not so bad, I do love going over there, how do you like it here?" sort of talk. So really it's nothing personal, it's just recreational whining at the French, which is fine and which I greatly encouraged by egging them on.

BUT DO THESE PEOPLE HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WHINY THEY ARE?
This is what I heard:
-Why isn't everybody kissing our asses all the time?
-How dare they disagree with us?
-They should worship all things American and be grateful.
-We can flatten their tiny countries in no time at all.
-They are of no consequence.

When will Americans grow up?

Kamchatka

Approximately the same time as the French.

The French are equally whiny, equally arrogant, equally ignorant, equally manipulated, and equally impotent relating to the current crisis.

Jolimont

That's possible, but tell me, any French person whined to you how Americans don't like them? Personally, I've never heard any of it and I do know lots of French people. I'm quite sure you can come up with some slams against the French, so could I, but the issue is why are Americans taking this personally? World opinion is against Bush invading Iraq. Isn't it fair to expect Americans should respond to disagreements without whining that others simply don't like them?

Kamchatka

While I have not been to France recently, I do visit Canada on business, often. The anti-American sentiment, especially emanating from Quebec, is pervasive.

"Americans are the new Nazis."

Just having been identified as American has lead to statements suggesting I am not safe on the streets in Canada.

"Why do Americans hate the rest of the world."

The jokes and cartoons derisive to America can be found in almost all media.

I have dealt with French citizens in many locations in the world. Anti-American sentiment is nothing new among the French. And therein lies the answer to your question. Anti-Americanism is so deeply ingrained in the French psyche that the present crisis is anti-Americanism as usual, while the anti-French sentiment has finally come to an equal boil as a result of the current situation.

I am not making any excuses or apologies for the irrational anti-French in general sentiment that has resulted in America as a result of Chirac's monumentally hypocritical stance on the Iraqi crises.

Now YOU can come down from your cliche of a perch above us all with the rest of your anti-American compatriots, and grow up with the rest of us.

Happy Wonderer

What is hypocritical about a nation implementing the will of its people?

Why this focus on France? -- Turkey is causing us the most operational problems. We should just invade them. And don't forget Russia, Germany, African nations, Malaysia, and the other 2/3 of the UN. Heck, the whole world is just hypocritical and anti-American. When is the rest of the world going to grow up and acknowledge the US as the New Rome and global world ruler? Don't they realize how important this Iraq campaign is to the 2004 elections? They are slowing down the fireworks show! What whiners, indeed.

I have been treated with courtesy and kindness in both Canada and France, although I'm a bit worried about what it is going to be like for me this year.

HW

Perhaps the reasons that some of these nations are against war is that they have actually experienced it on their own soil? 9/11 was terrible, but it was nothing compared to the death and destruction caused by a war. 13,000 civilians killed in gulf war?

theyeti

Well, it's really simple, see. Most of the world's powers are against this war, including the Russians, the Chinese, the Germans, the Japanese, the Canadians, and dozens of smaller countries that make up the industrialized world. American conservatives, totally lacking even the slightest semblence of a logical counterargument, have decided to slander the French. I mean really, if you're asking them to use their pathetic brains and come up with something rational, you're asking too much of them. Mentally speaking, most of them are still stuck back in kindergarten (I hear we're about to change the name to "freedom school") where the best comeback they can come up with is name-calling. Doing something other than taking shit about the French might actually force them to pay attention to the reality of the situation, and we just can't have that.

theyeti

P.S. In case you can't tell, I'm in a pissy mood. This fucking war is irritating the shit out of me.

Jolimont

Kamchatka you can't compare French Canadians with French people. It's a completely different culture thousands of miles away with no political ties and just very old history in common.

If France hates America, why did the headlines read "Nous sommes tous Americains" on Sept 12 2001? (We are all Americans), why did France support American in Kosovo? Why did they support America in the 1990 Gulf war? Why is France helping America arrest Algerians involved in Al Quaeda? I can only think of two major dissagreements between France and the USA in the last 50 years: when De Gaulle refused to have American bases on French territory (pray tell, how many foreign military bases are on American territory?) and today's situation. That's not much hatred if you ask me.

As far as this pervasive anti-American sentiment you talk about, either you're talking out of your ass or you must be hanging around the wrong people. I think Americans are just hyper sensitive to getting bad service in some restaurants in France. Tell you what, some waiters treat me badly too in France. That's just how they are. Some people are nice, just people are assholes. There are some French people who are stupidly anti-American, maybe a fraction of a percent of the population, but that's hardly pervasive. Read French papers today, listen to French radio and tell me, where is the hatred towards Americans?

The French are proud of their heritage, proud of their culture, as every country should be. Call it arrogant if you wish. At least French legislators aren't trying to re-name the hamburger.

Kamchatka

Chirac suggests that inspections are working. He and the French establishment are hypocrites because they have had NO hand in the implementation or success of the inspections.

If Chirac and the French want to give inspections more time then they should pull their thumbs out of their ass and replace the American forces in the region and accept the economic and military responsibility of making the inspections work.

We all know that is not going to happen because Chirac is all talk (and hypocrite).

Kamchatka

I'm with you there.

Mr. Superbad

Did France ask us to send 250k troops into the middle east?