why do some americans say they hate the french?

Question

just wondering because i have heard people say this before, including my mimi(grandma. she's like 86 so maybe living through the wars have affected her point of view also) and i don't pay enough attention in history or something hehe soo yes. that is my question. why do some people say they hate the french?

Answer 1

BC pretty much shows what were saying..he has a completely skewed view of France, based on typical American steryotypes.

Firstly, Vichy France was a puppet government enforced upon the French. We would have had the same in Britain if Hitler had come over here.

Second, they dont 'suck up to Americas enemies'. They realise, as does the rest of Europe, that blowing the crap out of everything is not the answer. Diplomacy is needed to achieve a harmonius world.

Answer 2

well if you ever have visited France especially Paris you would see why. But it has been a two way street. Have you ever heard of the ugly american? It is a story of an american tourist who goes to Europe and acts like a loud, obnoxious jerk with no class at all. So some of it is how bad our compatriots act abroad and the reaction of those cultures to that type of behavior. But I have been to France on a number of occasions I have found many instances where the French people were complete and total jerks. There was definitely an arrogance there and a lot of looking down their noses at americans. I personally had a number of occasions where i was clearly mistreated because i was not french and was even asked to leave a restaurant once because they did not have the entree i had selected. Can you believe that? the waiter said "sorry we are out of that so you must leave" he did not say would you like to order something else, he said i must leave because they did not have what i wanted. I then asked if he minded if i ordered another entree and he responded wiht. "sorry you ordered this and we are out so you must leave" So i guess with attitudes like that we can see why some people would not like the French. I have heard many, ,many stories like this so i know it was not just me or a rare occurance. they can be very rude to foreigners.

Answer 3

Alot has to do with strong criticism of the US for many years coming from the French. If a French politician is opening thier mouth and the US is in the words somewhere it is something derogatory against us.

In the UN they vote against us almost %100 even in matters they agree with us.

The French are happy to sell nuclear, chemical and biological technology to anybody with hard cash.

The French got us into Nam after hopelessly messing the situation up then ran leaving us with the mess. Not the first or last time the French got us involved in something militarily then deserted us.

The lack of French fighting skills combined with brave talk. This causes a lack of respect for the French. The cowardice shown by the French over and over again, especially against terrorists leaves us thinking the whole country is craven.

Tales of rude treatment of Americans by tourists has something to do with it. However many of those tourists are very rude themselves, so hard to say if either or both are to blame there.

There is a long historical contention going on. The French were world leaders one time in diplomacy and as that slipped and as English replaced French as the default language of the world the French became increasingly bitter about the situation. The resulting compitition has left some animosity between the French and the US.

Then there are things like the French criticising US involvement in the middle east when it was the French who sold the poison gas technology to Iraq that was used to gas thousands of civillians. When the French were the ones who sold Isreal it's first aircraft. The French have not exactly been accused of being kind in Nam or African former colonies. Hati is a mess! Where is France when it comes to Hati? Nowhere, we were left cleaning up thier mess as usual.

Where was France when the tsamis hit Asia? In France yelling about how the US should do more. France has championed socialism and at times betrayed NATO by sending secret info to the USSR. The result? Economic collapse and riots in the streets about things that France critcizes the US about.

When we needed to send a message to Ghadafi who's Gov had recently blown up an airplane full of UK and US civillians, including some French nationals. We had to fly AROUND France because they were so scared of Ghadafi. Well it worked, Ghadafi quit openly sponsoring terrorism and today Lybia has become one of the few Arab nations not exporting terrorism on a large scale. We did "accidentally" hit the French embassy in that raid. Something the French havn't forgiven us for yet :) As a comdedian had put it, "Maybe if the pilots were not so tired from flying AROUND France they would have been more accurate" LOL.

The French people I've got nothing against. Have had a number of friends over there over the years. Even picked up a smattering of French at one time to speak to them more effectively. The actions of the French Gov and it's basic beliefs are complete opposites of US views. A large part of our extreme left really should move to France. They'd feel right at home there. I mean they should. They would be happier and we'd be happier without them :)

Answer 4

A lot of people parrot what they hear on the Rush Limbaugh show and other puppets for the reich. As you remember, France strongly advised the US not to invade Iraq. Obviously this was good advice, and obviously the US screwed up very badly by ignoring it. But to make the French and others who were against starting the stupid needless war look stupid, their puppets in the press and on talk radio began slandering them. The French have always been friendly toward America--we would not have even won the Revolution without their help. They gave us the Statue of Liberty with its beautiful words of freedom and compassion. When American soldiers helped liberate France from the boot heel of Nazi oppression, they said "Lafayette, we are here!" meaning just as the people of France helped the US in our time of need, so the people of the US gladly helped the people of France in their time of need. France is a fine country! Vive le France!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 5

it is by the fact human beings choose human beings consistent with ushually the 1st data they see. yet I beleive yhe french human beings being cowards comes from ww2 while the frwnch surrenderednyo the germans. For some reason human beings beleive it is because of the fact the French are cowards who do no longer decide for to combat. yet, they surrendered because of the fact they have been extremmly overpowered by utilising the German forces and unable to combat back o.k.... So fairly of scuffling with back they did the clever element and that they surrendered an stored various peoples lives. i think of that human beings might do the comparable element in this place, and that i think of it is going to come very quickly as some international locations are catching as much as usa and could quickly pass them yet ring advert boastful as they are they do no longer see this. and that i'm Canadian and that i haven't heard a French shaggy dog tale from a fellow Canadian yet have heard them various situations by utilising human beings on the information superhighway

Answer 6

I guess they get it from the English since most of the colonies in America were of the English. And you probably know about English vs. France wars, like the Seven Years War and stuff. So, yeah.

Answer 7

Mostly because we bailed them out (in a very big way) during WWII and they seem to be pretty ungrateful. How quickly people forget.

By the way, why is there a Brit answering a query about American sentiments?

Answer 8

Because everytime i have come in contact with the French they are pushy, rude and smell. When I was in Scotland at the William Wallace memorial they cut in line and were very rude...

Answer 9

Because:

- We've had to bail them out on several occasions, including
WW II.They make a habit of backstabbing - ie the Vichy French
in WW II.
- They are "suckups". They will suckup to the enemies of the US to prevent any military action. They've gotten in the way of peacekeeping efforts in Lebanonl, even though they were among the countries calling for it.
- The French are rude.

Answer 10

Americans hate the french? I have heard it the other way around though...