A poor little frenchman lost in a big turmoil concerning his little homeland...

Hi everyone !

As a dirty foreigner from Paris, I make (obviously) the effort to be understood by the others. Sorry for the bad level of English.

It's amazing to see how a little part of earth called France generate so much frenzy from american, British, Italian people and so much more... We French, are we so important that a lot of blogs or forum have to be made so that everyone can tell everyone what they think about 60 millions French inhabitants stretched between Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Luxemburg, Belgium, and Great-Britain ( Since 2003, "french bashing is a national sport, doesnt it)?.
Arrogant, rude... Always the same cliché ... You will have to give your signification in a sharpest way for these words because I think it doesn't have the same meaning on the two parts of the Atlantic Ocean or on the two parts of the British Channel.
Have you ever read the comments in a well read English tabloïds the week before France & England meet in a Rugby match (A kind of American Football with no protections where you have to score touch-downs, but you can't give the ball in front of you, to make it short )? It smells like they wanted the Hundred's Year War (1337-1453)to erupt again! They cry for hate against the F...in' froggies, You will never see the same in a French newspaper about English, American or anyone else because we will complain about this kind of uncivilized behaviour!

Does everyone love everyone in America ? If a foreigner have troubles with his rude american neighbour, would he be right to claim that all American people are rude ? It will be stupid of course!

Here in France, we make more and more efforts to accept that others are different. Yes we are not perfect, and we know it ! Yes, we know we have to accept that once powerful, we are not anymore the 1st or even 2nd greatest land in the world and we dont talk about the past "Grandeur de la France" with tears in the eyes ! Napoleon 1st is more a tyran than a heroe to us ! And we try to point out and contest some basic anti-americanism whenever it spreads through networks, because it's unbearable even in a land with freedom of speech.

And last but not least : ALL FRENCH KNOW (EVEN YOUNG GENERATION) WHAT THEY GET FROM THE SACRIFICE OF YOUNG AMERICAN SOLDIERS (WITH BRITISH,CANADIANS,POLISH AND EVEN FRENCH COMMANDOS)1944 JUNE THE 6TH ! COME IN NORMANDY AND IF YOUR FATHER, OR GRANDFATHER DIED ON OMAHA BEACH OR UTAH BEACH, BELIEVE ME, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT IT STILL REALLY MEANS SOMETHING FOR US ...
At the opposit, no French will tell you about La Fayette and the "French help" to the Insurgents.
This succesful "help" doesn't give the French any right on Americans...Honestly, do you really believe that this helping hand from King Louis XVIII was for free in his mind ? Before helping the Insurgents, the most important was to break the growing power of the British and wipe the English out of its American colony. It's not as romantic as we would like it, but it's truth...

There are more reasons that could explain why relations are not easy between Americans & French.

It's like a couple : love & hate !

If you don't like French, I know there is nothing I can say that will change your mind...

Anyway : Long life to America.

Rodolphe

Rodolphe 05 May 2009, 06:34 - Report