Why do Americans hate the French?

I have heard there is a lot of slack against the French these days, but I rarely have the strength to subject myself to the American news media. I call it Terror TV. So I'm a little out of the loop. Can anyone explain it to me please?

So why DO Americans hate the French so?

Just because your told to?

How many of you have BEEN to France, or know much about French culture?

Perhaps it's just me, I rarely meet many Americans on the road these days. When I do, they are usually wearing Canadian flags too. But I just get the sense that Americans rarely travel, and are simply not that well informed about the rest of the world. I don't mean to be insulting, and the American travellers I HAVE met have been top notch people. Except for the Peace Corps wankers, who are a bunch of nerds.

So what is it about the French? Surely it's not because they DISAGREE with you? I though America supported free speech?

Because the French are a bunch of pricks. We saved their asses in WWII (after they bent over for the Germans) and then they don't have decency to "get our backs" in time of need. Two cases in point: 1. When Khadafi was attacking Americans in the Middle East & Reagan decided to fight back, the French said "not over our airspace" and our pilots had to take a more dangerous and less direct route to their target (nice); 2. after the world trade center attacks, the French were unwilling to do ANYTHING to help us hunt down the people responsible.

See how much the French kiss our ass the next time they get invaded (which seems to be the only real military accomplishment they can be attributed to in the last two centuries).

And let's not forget the real reason the French didn't support the invasion of Iraq - Saddam Hussein was one of France's biggest customers.

Because they are a bunch of two-faced surrender monkeys.

I don't like the fact that they have more spies in America than any other country, and they are supposed to be our allies. They are too sneaky, I just don't trust them.

I belive there motives for not supporting the war were less than noble. Not to say that the US motives were noble either.

I think the question should be, why do the French people hate America?

I belive it is because they want to be treated like the super power they once were, and it is not happen.

Well, GW Bush's gandaddy, Prescott Bush had eight of his businesses closed down under the 'trading with the enemy act'. Hitler was Time magazine's 'Man of the Year' in 1938, and the US had no problem with Nazi Germany for quite a while and only entered the war after everyone else was decimated. So the States, or some powerful elements in your country supported Hitler for quite awhile. All the Nazi ball bearings were made in New Jersey for instance. So the Frech are not the only ones involved in the 'dirty' weapons game.

How many countries do YOU allow to violate YOUR airspace? It's quite common to disallow another country to have free reign over your skies. Especially if you're not on friendly terms.

Also the US were not the only ones who entered the war and 'saved asses'. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other commonwealth countries got involved at that point.

So it's because the French disagree with you? Do they HAVE to agree with you? Was Khadafi all that big a threat? I don't hear much about him now. If he was so evil, why is he not targeted for execution now?

If I were you, I'd start to read a little more international news, just for a different point of view. It's just possible that the news you're getting is a little one sided. Please don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself.

I've talked to people from all over the world in the last few months (from countries even as obscure as Greenland), EVERYBODY without exception HATES what America is doing right now. I can't believe your country is so unpopular. I knew it was bad, but I'm shocked that it's this bad. I may be critizing, but often I find myself sticking up for Americans.

I want everyone who responds to this thread to tell me if they've ever been out of the States, where, and for how long.

They smell.

I had to say it

As for my outside the US visits, I've been to Switzerland and Spain for 2 weeks. I really have no problem with the French, I think a lot of times Americans like to poke fun; that's what we do.

Oh and Ninjorp, just because you asked a bunch of people what they think of America does not mean that EVERYONE shares their opinion, as you so eloquently put it. That's what? 10-20 people out of the entire world who don't like America. That small number does not equal EVERYONE, sorry to say.

I'm sure a lot of people don't like what we're doing. But I'm sure those third world countries to which we give aid are glad we're around. And all the countries with which we trade, and where our commerce and economy helps them prosper, I'm sure many of those people aren't complaining. So yeah...

[Edited on 26-4-2004 by Faisca]

They surrendered in the second world war

and made it a lot worse for everyone else who was the "Allies"

Also i think the omaha beach/overloard happened because the french surrendered

They were also allowed to keep their country even tho they were traitors

And now they are trying to create the EU 1 because their aconomy dont seem good/running out of friends and 2 they dont have any chance of being a super power anymore unless its via europe

Thats just my opinion

I am from the UK

I have also spoken to people in the Middle East and other countrys who dont like france so its not just US

But the surrendering in the second world war did it for me

[Edited on 26-4-2004 by Crash]

that hideous french laugh!!! ugh!!

So you hate the French because of French political leaders, and they dislike you because of your political leaders......I see a patern emerging.
The French people I know aren't fans of Bush, and are against the war in Iraq, but they don't hate American people. Put the politics aside and you'll see that there's much to like about each other.

Heh. I'm not even American and I don't like the French either.

But let me just make it clear that it isn't the French people whom I despise - it's their succesion of weak, lily-livered, self serving governments.

The French are only interested in one thing. Themselves. Always have been and always will be.

As a nation they are arrogant, immodest and unbearably self centred. You could bend over backwards to help them out and they don't even offer a thankyou. They treat their allies with contempt and fawn over their enemies knowing that eventually someone else will clear up their mess. De Gaulle was a case in point. A Frenchman who had nothing, was reinstated by his allies and then shat all over them - and I do mean shat. He tried everything he could to damage the UK after they had gone out on a limb to save his country.

Every year, the UK gets a Christmas Tree from Norway, which it places in Trafalgar Square, as a thankyou for helping free them from the Nazis. I don't see #-all coming from France.

So why the dislike? I feel that the whole thing is due to the superiority attitude that the French nation possesses. It was a nation that had a large empire, wanted to make the whole world a part of that empire and then, when it got it's ass kicked, refused to recognise that it is only a player and not a leader. As long as France strives to regain it's dominant postion in the world, it will always be a major pain in the ass.

I hate them because they call for peace and turn around and sell weapons to Iraq and such. If they were really comitied to peace they would not be selign weapons around the world.

Was Khadafi all that big a threat? I don't hear much about him now. If he was so evil, why is he not targeted for execution now?

A big threat! Um, yeah. Google is your friend (Lockerbie, Pan Am 103, for example). Why isn't he targeted now? Don't hear much about him? Oh jeez! Have you been watching the news? Reading a newspaper? I just can't believe that statement! He's been in the news so freakin' much lately! CNN, BBC, Le Monde, or wherever you choose. Check them out. Normalizing relations with the US, coming clean with it WMD history. Kind of a big issue. I not saying you're not a smart guy, but it seems that you don't know a lot of history or current events. And it's cool that you want to learn more by asking questions on a forum. But before you reply to some of the responses you receive, try checking out their facts, before you respond by what you think you know. Because it seems like you don't know that much. I don't say that to insult your intelligence, I don't mean your not intelligent, because you must be smart to want to learn more, I just think you need to study up more on some history and current events. Just check the stuff people tell you to see if it's correct or not, before speaking on it.

They put too much sauce on badly cooked food.

And I was most profoundly disapponted when De Gaulle did not arise on the third day.

Seriously, I think it is the French attitude toward us that incurrs a less than favorable attitude in the eyes of many Americans. That doesn't make us better or "specialer"... But if you keep calling me names, and bad mouth me at every opportunity, eventually I will quit being your friend... And the next time you get beat up or someone takes your cookies away, I may not bother to defend you, save your bacon, or retrieve your lost cookies.

But then the whole French thing, right or wrong, seems obvious to me. They aren't nice to us as individuals, we aren't nice to them. Having suffered genteel verbal and mental abuse at the hands of French, and French-Canadians, I am not necessarily, favorably disposed toward either group. On the other hand, I will tenuously deal with individuals until I find they are either nice folks, or typical French/French-Canadians, at least as they appear in my metadigm.

I'm a bit out of the loop, I've been on the road for awhile now, and I'm currenty in a country where nobody speaks English. I haven't heard the recent new Re: Khadafi, but there was a decade or so where he was hardly mentioned. As for Lockerbie, there are some suspicious concerning his direct involvment in that. I'm not saying I'd like to have him over for dinner and share an afternoon stroll in the park with him!

The Brits have a long standing feud with the French, and that's understandable considering their history. I'd say drop it already, but there are still a lot of WW2 tensions around, even in the younger generations.

But seriously, arrogance? Americans can hardly claim to be less arrogant than the French.

AS I've said, I've been on the road, travelling in many countries. I've talked to people from all walks of life, much, much more than 10 or 20. I'm astounded at how unpopular the Americans have become. I don't think they really realize it. In this country I have trouble until I assure people I'm not American, I have to sometimes go to the trouble of flashing my passport to prove it. It's amazing how their attitude changes towards me after they find out I'm not from the States.

I really have to go now, the damn bathroom is locked. Be back tomorrow.

I have always hated the French since I found out that they had requested that the US remove its buried soldiers from french soil. They even went so far as to produce a cost estimate, with the understanding that the US would pay for the removal fee. The US promptly turned around and showed them a cost estimate for how much material had been lost to retake france with the understanding that the french would repay this "loan."

Really, France never tells anyone thank you...?

I believe if lady liberty raised her arm, you would find a large, hairy, smelly, French armpit! And how many massive statues has America built for them?

Most of the anti-French sentiment comes from them disagreeing with the Iraqi war. You know all of the jingoism sweeping the country makes the people not ask questions and curse those who do.

Ok, let's do a little role-reversal. Say France decides it doesn't like people of the Asian persuasion anymore and decides it will attack China. Why? Because they maybe, might be plotting against their country and might be making certain weapons with their little plastic American Flag making technologies. The French go before the UN to plead their case and America and UK both decide that they are going to veto unconditionally. They say it's not right to invade a country based on an unprovable theory. However, most of the world starts thinking that their reasons are for their own economy. After all, China ships a whole lot of cheap products to the US. The evidence continues to amount as the camel's back starts to break. The US still doesn't help and the French go ahead and make a pre-emptive strike. How would you feel about either country in these situations?

Does anybody actually think anyone in this world does stuff for the greater good, even if it doesn't benefit them...maybe even hurt them?

COOL HAND: that is an urban legend. You have been had.

EDIT: Here COOL HAND, I will even get you a link. www.snopes.com... Aren't I kind?

[Edited on 4/26/2004 by OXmanK]

I love the french. They are not uptight. I bet they arnt complaining about "Hip Hugers".

Originally posted by Mr No Oneafter the world trade center attacks, the French were unwilling to do ANYTHING to help us hunt down the people responsible.

Really i'm sure France sent troops to Afghanistan.

www.nytimes.com...

[Edited on 26-4-2004 by TPL]

Originally posted by OXmanK
COOL HAND: that is an urban legend. You have been had.

No it isn't. This happened not too long after the end of WWII. I know about the recent stuff, and that is bunk.

It was in a couple of books that I had to read in my military history class. You should have seen the reaction of the class to that one. Here is where some of the info is:

Steere, Edward, & Boardman, Thayer M. Final Disposition of World War II Dead, 1945-51.
Wash, DC: Hist Branch, Office, QMG, 1957. 710 p. UC34A2ser2nr4.
U.S. Army. Office, Quartermaster General. Memorial Div. Return of WWII Dead to US for Final Internment [sic]: Procedures and Documents. Report & briefing, Jun 1947. ca 150 p. D810D4U542.
_____. Office of the Quartermaster General. Memorial Division. Material concerning the Mar-
Apr 1950 trip of LTC Leslie W. Allen to Belgium regarding the close-out of the return of U.S. WWII dead. ca 50 p. QM Coll.

I will see what else I can dig up.


[Edited on 26/4/04 by COOL HAND]

Originally posted by jetsetter
I hate them because they call for peace and turn around and sell weapons to Iraq and such. If they were really comitied to peace they would not be selign weapons around the world.

oh and americans never sold weapons to anyone right?



oh wai

[Edited on 26-4-2004 by Flanker]