Why do the French Hate America?

[Professor S]

I found an interesting article over at MSN:

The French
Why do they hate us?
By Chris Suellentrop
Posted Wednesday, January 29, 2003, at 4:27 PM PT

In the aftermath of Sept. 11, Americans rushed to bookstores and libraries in search of the answer to the question that had been thrust upon them: Why do they hate us? But who knew that we should have been boning up on the history of France, not Islam?

A funny thing happened on the way to the war: Our old allies the French, rather than our new Muslim foes, have become the caricatured foreigners of the war on terrorism. The French are tarred in the New York Post, among others, as the leaders of the "Axis of Weasel." National Review's Jonah Goldberg has made "cheese-eating surrender monkeys"—a Groundskeeper Willie line from an episode of The Simpsons—the rallying cry of Francophobes everywhere. After France's ambush of Colin Powell at last week's U.N. Security Council meeting, where the French foreign minister declared that military intervention in Iraq "would be the worst possible solution," it can't be long before someone declares the need for regime change in Paris.


The debate over French anti-Americanism centers on the same question as the debate over Islamic radicalism: Do they hate us because of who we are, or what we do? As with the Middle East, the right takes the former tack, arguing that the French can be cowed into submission only by shows of strength. (The president also makes a point of claiming not to care why anyone hates us—least of all the French.) The left, on the other hand, tends to argue that we need to be more solicitous of France's needs. Their argument, in a nutshell: "It's our foreign policy, stupid."

Most recently, Eric Alterman laid out the liberal case in this week's cover story for The Nation. Alterman's explanation: The Bush administration's unilateral policies, both before and after 9/11, explain the French distaste for the United States. In fact, the French don't even dislike the United States, Alterman argues. Rather, they dislike its leader. President Bush's religiosity, self-righteousness, and indifference to allies justify France's low opinion. Alterman is essentially saying to Americans what Bush told Iraqis in the State of the Union address: "Your enemy is not surrounding your country—your enemy is ruling your country. And the day he and his regime are removed from power will be the day of your liberation." If President Clinton—or even Ronald Reagan—were in charge instead of Busharoo Banzai, the French would embrace America with open arms.

It sounds convincing—after all, lots of Europeans have been complaining about Bush of late. But it's not true. The French never really liked the Clinton administration, either. In June 2000, during President Clinton's last year in office, France was the only one (talk about unilateralism) of 107 countries to refuse to sign a U.S. initiative aimed at encouraging democracy around the world. A year earlier, State Department spokesman James Rubin complained, "We do find it puzzling and passing strange that France would spend so much energy and focus so much attention on the danger to them of a strong United States rather than the dangers that we and France together face from countries like Iraq." The French oppose the United States, quite simply, for what it is—the most powerful country on earth.

If Britain's "special relationship" with the United States is to pal around with it and work to influence its policies from within, France thinks it has an equally special relationship with the U.S.: Its sacred duty is to check American power by publicly and ostentatiously objecting to it from without. The French are so concerned by the dominance of American power—militarily, economically, culturally, and technologically—that a former French foreign minister felt the need to coin a new word to describe it: hyperpuissance, or "hyperpower." Think of it this way: France thinks the United States has so much power that the French language didn't have a word for it.

Much of the French opposition to American power arose after the fall of the Soviet Union made the United States the only power in a unipolar world: According to one poll, the percentage of the French who viewed the United States "with sympathy" dropped from 54 to 35 percent between 1988 and 1996. But French grumbling over U.S. power predates the end of the Cold War, too. As Philip H. Gordon outlined in the National Interest in 2000 (during the Clinton administration), "resentment and frustration" have marked French-American relations since the end of World War II. When Charles de Gaulle became president of the Fifth Republic, he was still resentful that FDR had refused to recognize his Free French resistance over the Vichy regime during the war. De Gaulle decided never to depend on the Americans again, and though he was an ally of the United States, he was an exceptionally cranky one, pursuing détente with the Soviet Union, withdrawing militarily from NATO, and establishing an independent French nuclear force.

Perhaps the most astonishing description of the rocky French-American relationship comes from the French diplomat who, in 1983, told the Atlantic that a particular change in U.S. policy "makes us wonder whether we can count on American administrations—just as we've been wondering since Congress refused to endorse the Treaty of Versailles." Americans don't have this sort of historical consciousness—at least, not for anything that happened abroad before World War II. It's as if an American diplomat said, "Well, we had to beat the frogs in the French and Indian War to lay the groundwork for national unity and manifest destiny, and well, we've been beating them ever since." Or, "You know, we've known ever since the XYZ Affair that you couldn't trust the French. That's why we've been sparring with them since the Quasi-War."

But history is at the core of the tensions between France and America. Donald Rumsfeld's comment last week about "old Europe" was telling: Americans see France as akin to Portugal, a once-great power now in decline. But as part of its own "special relationship" with the United States, France refuses to cede the world stage to the Americans. French identity is similar to American identity—France sees itself as a great nation worthy of power, the birthplace of democracy, and a culture and system of government that the world would be wise to emulate.

Which is why, in the end, France will go along with the Bush administration on Iraq. If France vetoes a Security Council resolution, and the Bush administration goes to war anyway, France will have been proved powerless. But if it accedes to the war after demanding more evidence, it will be able to claim that it influenced American policy—whether it's true or not. Germany will likely stand on principle and oppose the war. But France would never do such a thing. As a U.N. diplomat said last week, "It matters to matter for France."

It was an interesting article and remarkably even handed in its analysis, not really taking a pro or anti-French stance. It leans a little to the right, but not too much to be biased and backs up its points with facts and quotes.

France has penis envy? Who'd a thunk it?

I would also like to point out that not all of Frace dislikes America. The Atlantic shoreline in particular loves Americans. When my parents visited Normandy they did not pay for a drink or a meal while they were there because the love Americans for our effort in WW2. When seeing the pictures of the massive graveyards there filled with dead Americans, I can see why they are constantly reminded.

[The Duggler]

A typical American attitude: "You are not with us? then you suck!"

It was an interesting article and remarkably even handed in its analysis, not really taking a pro or anti-French stance

Really?

Our old allies the French, rather than our new Muslim foes, have become the caricatured foreigners of the war on terrorism. The French are tarred in the New York Post, among others, as the leaders of the "Axis of Weasel."

cheese-eating surrender monkeys

And what's your point with that pointless article?

Wake up man, there is more than France that hate (this is a strong word, it's more like disagree with) your country.

[Dyne]

Didn't France build you Lady Liberty?

...sheesh.

[Mechadragon]

Our lack of nude beaches and abundance of deodorant? :P

[GameKinG]

They think we are too arogant. They dont even want you in their country if you dont speak french. I guess they feel like if we went to france, and got off the plane we would say, "wow, look at all the foreiners."

[manasecret]

cheese-eating surrender monkeys

Possibly the greatest derrogatory name ever created.

[bobcat]

I thought the French were more arrogant (steriotypically speaking).

[Seven7]

Originally posted by Mechadragon
Our lack of nude beaches and abundance of deodorant? :P

unless i'm mistaken it was Americans who are the ones that started the nude beach thing in France...

[Professor S]

Ranzid, you have a horrible habit of taking quotes completely out of context when the item you are quoting IS IN THE SAME THREAD. The cheese eating surrender monkeys comment was noit a quote from the author, buta quote HE made from a New York Post columnist.

If you actually read the article entirely you would find he has credible sources and opinions from people who believe that the French dislike America so much because France was once in the place of America as the world power, or sharing it with England. This was evident all the way until WW2 or maybe WW1. Not too long ago.

Now England and France, being 2 former superpowers, have taken 2 different sides on the new superpower, America.

1) England - Everything America does is dandy, just keep us involved.*

2) France - Everything America does is wrong. Lets go pointlessly test some more nukes that we never needed to develop in the first place. Nanny nanny boo boo.*

I don't consider these disparagements, but rather an illustration of national psyche. I for one do not know how we as Americans would take it if all of a sudden we had to call in, say, Canada to get our backs because they held all the military cards. Most likely we would be quite resentful and believe that all Canadians are arrogant and war mongering.

Now you keep on saying America is arrogant, when it is you who have CONTINUALLY spouted your opinion as fact throughout the General forum. So who is arrogant?




*Yes, I realize this is an oversimplification but it illustrates a clear theme.