France in a great country, but why do France and America have an unspoken difference?

Question

What is going on between America and France?

Answer 1

A US decision to unilaterally abrogate the ABM treaty so that it can deploy national missile defense in the absence of agreement with the Russians or acceptance by the Chinese;

A stock market crash in the US that obliges US pension funds and other investors to pull out of the French stock market (which they've been propping up with massive investments)—leading to a backlash against globalization in general and the United States in particular;

A decision by the US Congress to pull troops out of the Balkans, especially if linked to Europe's alleged unwillingness to pull it's own weight (the Europeans are actually doing more in the Balkans than Americans, focussed on the military issue, realize);

A French decision to trade with or invest in Iraq. Including taking away an oil contract from a US oil company, while Russia got the other 2.

"Anti-Americanism" in France goes back well before the interwar period, and has been a recurrent phenomenon since. In the early period it was largely a cultural thing, with the French looking down on America's "jungle-capitalist, consumer-driven, mass-production" society, that did not adequately appreciate subtlety and traditions. Later (mainly after WWII, and not replacing the cultural issue but adding to it) anti-Americanism was fuelled by America's dominance as a military power and the Cold War (presence of American troops in France and Europe, European dependence on US in the Cold War, etc.)

So is anti-Americanism today greater or lesser than in past periods? Many have begun to argue that it's growing, as a reaction to US-led "globalization", the dominance of the English language, and America's unsurpassed military power (and the will to use it in places like Kosovo and Iraq). I know American diplomats who say US-French relations and anti-American feelings in France are "worse than ever." I don't agree. I do think these feelings are rising for the reasons just cited (why else would Jose Bove have become a hero for vandalizing a McDonald's?).

Answer 2

The French and the English were, for a long time, fighting each other. A lot of Americans are viewed by the French as nothing more than English cousins.

Even in North America's early history, the French and English fought pitched battles to control territories. Ultimately, the English won most of the lands, but the animosities between them never completely disappeared.

Even in Canada where they have official bilinguism (french and english, as official language), the French and English don't always get along.

100 years from now, many Palestinian and Israeli kids will probably wonder why their grandparents hated each other so much,... context is everything. Without knowledge of history, thus context, nothing makes sense.

Answer 3

The leaders of France and America are pursuing what they see as their nations' national interests. This is just as it should be. The two nations' national interests will not always be the same and so they'll have spoken and unspoken differences.

All the noise about France from the American far left-wing is just that - noise. The truth is that we have no fundamental problem with France nor do they with us.

Answer 4

that's just recently, partly dealing with France trading banned things to Iraq during the sanctions. I wont go into who is right and who is wrong on that though, don't feel like going hear that beehive! lol

Historical they have been great friends and neither would be around today with out the other. France helped us become a nation (revolutionary war) and saved our butts in the war of 1812 by fighting the English. then in WWI and WWII we helped save France.

I have no doubt that the two nations will continue to help each other in times of great crisis, just in this one they don't see eye to eye.

Answer 5

France is not just a great country, it's a wise one as its history allows it to be. That's a real civilisation, not tons of barbarians there. That's why France is not like the USA, such idiot guy still called president.Don't you see? Can't you think just a bit ? Do you think such a president could ever be elected in Europe? NEVER.

Answer 6

France has become a weak sister and ally under Chirac. He and they seem to forget that we saved them from annihilation and set them free from fascism and Hitler. Their short memories have accounted for their being a thorn in our side rather than a strong friend.

Chow!!

Answer 7

Many of our guys died, including my uncle, freeing France from the Nazis after they just surrendered. But France never ever reciprocates. They surrendered because they were selfish and they continue to be. Yet, they would expect us to save their a$$es again if it came down to it. And we would.

Answer 8

Hi,

Yes, America rescued France 50 years ago, and we won't be able to thank you as much as you deserve, for all the soldiers who gave their life and fallen down for liberty; and there's English too.
But we don't owe you nuthin, since France rescued America against England 200years ago; ok, it was especially to fight England, but America had came free western Europe especially to avoid communism spreadin in whole Europe. Otherwise, Us would had came sooner....
which countries USA would had sell his products to, if the western europe turned communist?
Let close this historical part.

In France, we like american people, like others; we only disagree with Us politics, like we disagree with french politics.
Personnally, I love many things in United States, (I really think about working overthere) even if I only went once there. France and USA have always defended Liberty overall ; remember France gives you the Statue of Liberty, it means what it means.
I'm sure we're closer that we could imagine, remember that medias, tvs shows us only a part of reality, in all countries there are dumbs, like there are kind and smart people everywhere. Generalization is a mistake I think.

we just think that your boys, are fooled, only used and killed for big companies interests, owned by people close to politics.
We only think dat Foxnews tries to scary people with their fairy tales, to get their political friends' goals voted by citizens.

In Europe, we can say how much we know what wars cost and lead to, with all the battles and wars we had on our ground, wars who had been the bloodiest and the more violent history can remember, you can trust.

Please, understand, you can't tell "we will set democracy and all our lifestyle here, you'll see it will be better" to countries which have a 3000 years history when you only have 300, and especially in bombing them with uranium and fragmentation bombs.... they have children too; they got the right to live like they want, even if it doesn't suit you; you have the right to defend yourself, of course, but you won't make us believe that Afghanistan and Irak with their 3 old MiG were a threat to your army, the most powerful in the world.... just take a look at a world map and you'll understand what is being built in middle east, which countries are the next on the "to-do" list....and it's always be civilians, families, women and children, people who don't ask anything but living their lifes who pays at the end of the story.

then, that's not only french people who has a misundastood with Us, but the whole world (excepted england, western Canada and Australia)....ask by yourself, when going outside your borders, if you don't believe me. I clearly said "a misunderstood" , and not "hate".
Here are some tracks to understand:

Remember US are burnin a quarter of the world's ressources, and is responsible for a quarter of the world global pollution, when its population represents 5 percent.
And this pollution will make everyone on earth paying a heavy duty with all these disasters to come.
Remember that your country is the only one in history which has throwed a nuclear bomb twice on civilian cities. So, you'll understand 2 towers are nuthin but steel and stone; and 3000 dieds, god bless their souls, regardin the 400.000 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki...... so, today, listening to Bush sayin "they have WMDs, we have to set democracy (with our abrahams tanks and our SCUDs)" and it doesn't need to be a genius to see that Bush doesn't believe only one word he says, and that is only a poor liar.

Now, you have your answer bout a possible "misunderstanding" between US politics and rest of the world.

For the moment, Us still has the most powerful army on this planet, but in the next 20 years, you'll see that India & China will have their words to say in the world diplomacy. Enjoy your power, it won't last.... every empire has its rise & fall.... why spending billions bucks in wars, while you could spend them in technology, health and education?

Regards,
Best wishes to all,
(excepted to Bush the coward, who sends young people to war, when he was exempted to....so easy to send people to hell from afar...)

Answer 9

Your premise is wrong. France is NOT a great country.

Answer 10

“Hmm, wonder why terrorists never attack in France?!”

If you were not so self-centred, if you would read sometimes newspapers informing you what happens in the world (no, USA is NOT the world); so you would know that France underwent terrorist attacks repeatedly. But if France fight terrorism, French are not stupid enough to go to war against terrorism.

“Do you think such a president could ever be elected in Europe? NEVER.”

Ahum. You know, it’s quite possible that Nicolas Sarkozy our secretary of the interior will be elected as President of France in 2007. And I’m afraid that he is a kind of Bush. Less warrior, but with a dangerous binary thought similarly to Bush’s one. Sorry in advance to disappoint Europe.

The main difference I can observe between US and France is that secularism is a very strong and profoundly anchored value in France, I would say the dominating value with freedom. That’s why a politician would never dare to tell French people what is “good or evil” nor go to war in the name of God. This would cause a big scandal.

If you are really interested to know why French people and others countries are so anti-American, just get a translator :

Les attentats du 11 Septembre 2001 ont fait 3025 victimes innocentes. Mais cette tragédie ne se serait pas produite sans l'incroyable arrogance de la politique étrangère américaine durant ces dix dernières années.

Depuis l'effondrement de l'URSS, les Etats-Unis sont devenus l'unique superpuissance d'un monde unipolaire. Forts de leur pouvoir géopolitique, militaire, économique, et technologique, les Etats Unis ont voulu imposer au monde entier leur vision, leurs choix, leur modèle de société, leur culture, leur ordre économique, au moyen d'un processus appelé "mondialisation" ou "nouvel ordre mondial".

Sans s'en être rendus compte, les Etats-Unis ont suscité un fort sentiment anti-américain y compris dans les pays amis, comme en Europe, où une majorité de gens refusent ce que les USA cherchent à imposer: la mondialisation, le libéralisme sauvage, les OGM, la marchandisation du vivant, les accords multilatéraux inspirés par les multinationales...
Premier pollueur de la planète, les USA ont refusé de ratifier les accords de Kyoto sur l'environnement et les émissions de CO2, et ils ont ignoré le développement de la misère et de l'esclavage dans le monde, s'arrogeant le droit de prendre ce qu'ils veulent, où ils veulent, s'arrogeant aussi le droit de bombarder n'importe quel pays. (les USA sont intervenus milltairement 111 fois depuis le début du 20è siècle en dehors des 2 guerres mondiales)

Cette arrogance vis à vis du reste du monde fait que la plupart des pays ont vis à vis de l'Amérique de la crainte, ou de la haine, mais peu d'amitié.