French-hating

[Lord Kelvin]

It's been a long-ass time since that incident with the Freedom Fries and Toast, yet I'm still seeing a crapload of shit about how the French are whiny cowards and such. Why is that? Hell, they even changed the names of that stuff back to French Fries and Toast, and I'm still seeing French-hating even in this forum (although I have yet to confirm whether it is serious or not). I haven't seen public memory stretch this far before about something as trivial as this.

Discuss.

[Ch33zy]

Yes, french hating has been around since the dawn of time. Freedom shit was just the first time you'd heard of it.

[Degree:N]

The only reason I could see people disliking the French (for actions in the last ~50 years) would be the corruption in the Iraq oil-for-food program. I just saw the CBC docco last night. Is there other such incidents of which I am unaware? (probably)

[Daywalker]

its like most America-hating, irrational bandwagoning.

[Canuk]

its like most America-hating, irrational bandwagoning.
Which is all really just an enjoyable way of passing time. Who doesn't get a good laugh out of bashing some other country? It's so damn easy (with any country).

[GrosPoisson]

The only reason I could see people disliking the French (for actions in the last ~50 years) would be the corruption in the Iraq oil-for-food program. I just saw the CBC docco last night. Is there other such incidents of which I am unaware? (probably)

It could just be me, but France's wonderful little adventures in former colonies, i.e. Algeria and Indochine, AKA Indochina, AKA Vietnam make me think less of them. I don't hate them per se, but I don't think they're as superior as they like to think.

[Moe_Rahn]

It could just be me, but France's wonderful little adventures in former colonies, i.e. Algeria and Indochine, AKA Indochina, AKA Vietnam make me think less of them. I don't hate them per se, but I don't think they're as superior as they like to think.
If you're going to cite handling of colonies as a reason for dislike, you might as well think less of... well, a bunch of countries. England, Spain, Portugal, et al. didn't exactly handle their colonies with kid gloves.

[GoatChomper]

A few of you misread the sign over the door, apparently thinking it read "OTF".

Carry on.

[Kak]

France rules.

I'm a huge defender of France, especially since everyone thinks it's cool to hate them because they make jokes about them on the Simpsons. Or when people say they have never been successful militarily, or saying "LOL FRANCE ONLY RETREAT ROFL". I kindly remind them that Napolean conquered much of the known world in his time, and that France was a rival world power with England for hundreds of years.

Modern day France rules too, although the language is kind of goofy sounding. They have an extremely hardcore military, with sweet equipment.

[BlindSite]

For the fact they (being the government and people) to slam the coalition of the willing, the Iraq war and generally most western governments willing to protect themselves from terrorism. Then they kill civilians on the ivory coast... They're hypocritical and arrogant in their politicing and in many cases not correct in their evidence to back up their stance/s.

[Stig]

My actual opinion on the country is really quite neutral. It doesn't stop me from making fun of them (and it didn't stop me from learning their language for 7 years). It's just something that I can do, as an American.

It's like making fun of Canada. We make fun of them too, but Canada's filled with cool guys who have funny accents and we love them all (except for the ones from Quebec).

[kreket]

It could just be me, but France's wonderful little adventures in former colonies, i.e. Algeria and Indochine, AKA Indochina, AKA Vietnam make me think less of them. I don't hate them per se, but I don't think they're as superior as they like to think.

Most well reasoned opinion for "hating" the french that I´ve heard of so far. They really messed up some of their colonies on the way out. Algerie is an important pointer here, too. Another thing is how some French colonies were not left with adequate institutions.

It may be that I´ve read too few sources, but the way I heard it the french foreign legion is a military that marches for loot. Some other sources say Algerians of today strictly seperates between ´the french´and ´the french army and it´s crimes.´

All that about how the French will retreat.. ..excuse me, but were the feck does this come from? WW1? The casualty rate might explain something. WW2? Had Nazi-Germany laid next to any continent it would have overrun a good third of it. Give me a source for this claim!

[-V-]

Feel pritty neutral towards France. Can't say that it's policies has raised any major ire with me.

[siddy]

My actual opinion on the country is really quite neutral. It doesn't stop me from making fun of them (and it didn't stop me from learning their language for 7 years). It's just something that I can do, as an American.

It's like making fun of Canada. We make fun of them too, but Canada's filled with cool guys who have funny accents and we love them all (except for the ones from Quebec).

don't worry, most canadians don't like quebec ;)

[M123]

France and America are quite similar.

[Apoc]

Basically the hatred stems from the criticism and fear of dissent that is so precious to "conservatives". Many of the people who "hate France" don't even know how conservative the country is or how xenophobic they are with respect to Muslims (among others). Admitting this would be admitting failure and past mistakes, so they can't do that. It's asinine, but that doesn't stop "conservatives" from doing it. I suppose that statement describes the current "conservativism" rather well.

[Chris R]

Basically the hatred stems from the criticism and fear of dissent that is so precious to "conservatives". Many of the people who "hate France" don't even know how conservative the country is or how xenophobic they are with respect to Muslims (among others). Admitting this would be admitting failure and past mistakes, so they can't do that. It's asinine, but that doesn't stop "conservatives" from doing it. I suppose that statement describes the current "conservativism" rather well.
Right, because of course it's much better to do a blanket generalization about conservatives than it is for the conservatives make one about the French. Two wrongs do not a right make.

[Modest Genius]

france, like any country, has its good and bad points. but hating it? thats beyond me

from a purely historical point of view, the english, spanish and germans have plenty of reasons to hate the french, but the US has very little. yet other than the odd diplomatic row over the EU, theres no french bashing over here

[Kak]

Yeah, especially after all the things France has done for us, all the times they helped us against the British when we were fighting for our independance. And let's not forget that what many consider the national symbol of America, the Statue Of Liberty, was a gift to our country from France :)

[FaKToR]

I've never heard someone mention colonies while mocking France, that seems like a bit of an afterthought.

[Loké]

If you're going to cite handling of colonies as a reason for dislike, you might as well think less of... well, a bunch of countries. England, Spain, Portugal, et al. didn't exactly handle their colonies with kid gloves.
And France helped you upstart rebels from booting us out of America. So I think it's kinda rich that many americans are so french-hating.

[Evil Superstar]

All I can say is that they are lousy drivers D:

The French do have an attitude of "we only care for ourselves and don't care what other people think of us" mentality, which some people might find offensive.


and about the colony argument, why don't you hate Belgium then? 10 million dead congolese and a multitude of those with their hands and / or feet cut off and still no hate :(

[Chris R]

And France helped you upstart rebels from booting us out of America. So I think it's kinda rich that many americans are so french-hating.
I think part of the reason is also that, after World War II, France told us to leave the country, after trying to help them. At least, that is what I remember reading about. If I remember correctly, Patton told them "Does that include all the dead American soldiers burried in France?"

There was also an issue of vandalizing the graves at Normandy with "Go Home Yanks", but that doesn't mean that the entirety of France agrees with those.

[Modest Genius]

Yeah, especially after all the things France has done for us, all the times they helped us against the British when we were fighting for our independance. And let's not forget that what many consider the national symbol of America, the Statue Of Liberty, was a gift to our country from France :)remember, that was mostly a way of getting at the old enemy of the British, not because of some egalitarian instinct. still, thats what i meant about history

Evil S, i know what you mean. If you look at the CAP, you could easily think it was drafted as a stealth form of reparations by the germans to the french, and then the rest of europe got roped it (remember maggies 'give me back my money'?)

[GrosPoisson]

If you're going to cite handling of colonies as a reason for dislike, you might as well think less of... well, a bunch of countries. England, Spain, Portugal, et al. didn't exactly handle their colonies with kid gloves.

That's a good point, but again, I don't really hate France; the whole colony deal is just something to keep things in perspective for me that they aren't "above" any other countries in the region.

As for France helping this country do things... well, as someone else mentioned earlier, a lot of it was just to spite the British so it wasn't exactly done out of brotherhood and friendship.

[Daywalker]

I think part of the reason is also that, after World War II, France told us to leave the country, after trying to help them. At least, that is what I remember reading about. If I remember correctly, Patton told them "Does that include all the dead American soldiers burried in France?"

There was also an issue of vandalizing the graves at Normandy with "Go Home Yanks", but that doesn't mean that the entirety of France agrees with those.


Thats probably the most annoying thing about France, they seem to have a "snooty" attitude with their noses high in the air when there are thousands of soldiers from many different countries that died in their defense in two seperate incidents.

[Loké]

All I can say is that they are lousy drivers D:

The French do have an attitude of "we only care for ourselves and don't care what other people think of us" mentality, which some people might find offensive
Well, americans often come over as "we are too dim to care about anyone else, offend everyone and we think everyone loves us"

[GoatChomper]

Yeah, especially after all the things France has done for us, all the times they helped us against the British when we were fighting for our independance.
Twice, a debt repaid with interest.....and few people know that between the Revolution and 1812, we almost went to war with France over shipping down the Mississippi.

[Lord Kelvin]

Twice, a debt repaid with interest.....and few people know that between the Revolution and 1812, we almost went to war with France over shipping down the Mississippi.
Yeah, but wasn't it also because the US used a technicality as an excuse not to help the French against the British in post-Revolution France?

[Afro Joe]

I like France quite a bit. Between cinema and quisine it seems like quite the nice place. What I don't like however is French assholes, which I hate equally as much as an asshole of any ethnic variety.

[GrosPoisson]

What I don't like however is French assholes, which I hate equally as much as an asshole of any ethnic variety.

Agreed. It's pretty difficult to hate a people as a whole, it's always that minority segment that makes the others look bad.

[Noirceur]

That's a good point, but again, I don't really hate France; the whole colony deal is just something to keep things in perspective for me that they aren't "above" any other countries in the region.

As for France helping this country do things... well, as someone else mentioned earlier, a lot of it was just to spite the British so it wasn't exactly done out of brotherhood and friendship.
Yes, but they believed in what they were doing enough to bleed alongside us. We also can't really say without reasonable doubt what their reasons were. So...the way I see it, the US and France are just about even. Sure, we've helped them out more times than they've helped us, but there haven't really been any times we NEEDED help and they denied us help, at least not since we've been on friendly terms. They haven't helped us much in Iraq because they don't want the war and it's not like they're the only European country that didn't want to be in Iraq.

Not to derail...but does anyone know why MG is banned?
~Edit~
On second thought, I better ask that somewhere else.

[FaKToR]

You necroed this thread by a year.

[Noirceur]

You necroed this thread by a year.
Lmao.
Wow. I do believe that is a new record for me.
I saw it bolded as new...so I figured it was new.

[marty]

It was exactly by one year and a day. It's 2006, not 2005 ;)

[Noirceur]

It was exactly by one year and a day. It's 2006, not 2005 ;)
I'm aware now, thank you come again...
:cool:

[GoatChomper]

Fer frig's sake.....

CLOSED.