Do you like the French?

Question

Why?

Answer 1

I see that most of the people who responded are ignorant and reflect upon why I so love the French - they are not silly, uneducated and mean-spirited as many of my fellow US citizens have become (especially under the influence of Australian owned Fox news).

First, I love the French because with rare exceptions they have been very kind and good to me. This was the case even when my French was very bad. They did not laugh at me but responded in English.

I love the French people because more than any other people I know of (other than French speaking Africans) they are a logical, thinking people. And, I think here you can stereotype. Why, because the French educational is so highly uniform and centralized that it is said that the minister of education knows exactly what each child in France is studying at any minute in the day!

And, what are the repercussions of being a thinking people? It means that the French have always given me what I wanted. Why? Because my French is very good and I know how to present a logical argument in French. And, I know how to add the appropriate melodramatic stories and gestures necessary to get one's point across in French.

This is perhaps what some people don't understand. Arguing in French is not mean-spirited as in English. This is one reason I love to argue in French whereas it stresses me in English. The other reason I love to argue with them is they respond to a logical argument and you get what you want and need from them. And, they are often amused to see a foreigner take them on in their own style - which helps my case.

On the other hand, Americans mostly ignore your logical arguments; they will pretend to do something and not do it; you may have to drip US bureaucrats with every sort of honey you can imagine to get anything done. To get any work out of your US secretary you may have to constantly search for ways to flatter her in small ways each day. To get anything from a US bureacrat you may have to be so sorry to interrupt them in their busy schedule.

So, I think all and all getting things done in France is a lot easier if only you know how.

And, yes, they are like me in that they are a nation of whiners and complainers but this has an objective. The whining and complaining announces that there is a problem which French people are quick to solve.

I even saw this while in the Zurich, Switzerland airport. I started whining and complaining in French about the luggage set up and the carts which wouldn't work and a Frenchman came up and helped me figure out the carts and how to get out! The Swiss by the way, ignore you or pretend to do things like Americans do.

The only down side is because they are logical they are often atheists but when they do believe their faith is a good, solid and strong one.

As for the French government: the French went into Afghanistan with us. I believe we were wrong to go into Afghanistan and Iraq so don't share these concerns. I think they did not go into Iraq, though, because they already had oil contracts which would be lost. They did go into Iraq for the 1st Gulf War under Bush the 1st.

Personally I am mad at the French government for working with the US government to forceably remove the democratically elected president of Haiti -Jean Bertrand Aristide from power (the US did this twice and for France it was at least this last time). But, the French government is a right-wing conservative government just not as extreme right as ours - so what do you expect! Also, I'm angered at Chirac taking up for Zidane with the head-butting World Cup incident --- Zidane should have gone to jail and had a track record of this behavior.

Also, I am mad at French and US media for their lies about Haiti's president Aristide.

But, the French people - God bless them- are still a lovely, kind, logical people when dealing with other kind and logical people - at least those who know their language. I lived there 15 years ago and was recently back for about a week.

Answer 2

I like the French people and enjoy their differences as well as thier similarities. The problem is that they are being stereotyped. Just becuase their government acts one way, it doesnt encompass the whole population. It's like saying all white people are bad dancers. or that all the english are like Simon Cowell.

Differeces make the world a more interesting place.. It would be nicer if all would respect eachother... but i am dreaming (sarcasm)

Answer 3

Absolutely! The French have manners, sophistication, style and class. They maintain a more formal approach to life and everyone knows where their place is in society.

Answer 4

I do not know any French people...but I do not like the people who govern France.

Answer 5

Man I hate the french. The damn french just sit on their lazy @sses thinking they're better then everyone and smoking their cigarettes. And when danger approaches they're always the first to retreat. Cowards. Boycott the French!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

who wouldn't? they gave us french fries and french toast and paris hilton I think too....lol

Just kidding, I have no problem with the nation of France, the french people...unless someone has done something to me PERSONALLY, I often don't make too much out of the political view or the views of our country expressed by any form of media

Answer 7

Love the French...beautiful culture! Love their cuisine.

Answer 8

no several reasons. the oil for food incident, we could not shut off iraqs banks with out shutting down frances. and telling us that we dont understand world politics and then having weeks of riots. and the school hat thing cant wear a hat in school even if its for religious reasons. just a whole lot of little things that add up to no i dont think i want to go there.

Answer 9

The French people contributes greatly to the intellectual heritage of the Western civilization, and they know it. :-)

Answer 10

I like their culture, love their country, and even dig the language.

But, I've met at most five French people that I like... Perhaps it is just their tourists that suck so bad.