why do people have an unreasoning hatred toward the french?

[datasuspect]

i can understand the case of my deceased grandmother. she lived in london during the blitz (my mother was born during an air raid in lambeth) and watched the newsreels of french citizens spitting on allied troops as they were paraded through the streets of paris.

but then again, she was a person who hated nazis, canadians, the irish, the chinese, blacks, gypsies, richard nixon, and ronald reagan. and she was from a different time. nor was she formally educated and probably didn't even realize that there was a strong french resistance.

but what i am talking about is people who hate the french for no apparent reason (other the chirac snubbing bush all the time).

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Because they're useless subhuman ignorant filth

THere's no reason for it, other than that they are so utterly ignorant they buy into every jingoistic right wing soundbyte bullshit fucking moron declaration.

[WindRavenX]

2. coz they're "snoody" or something

My first and last names are French. One day, some dude yelled at me (after over hearing my name): "GO BACK TO FRANCE YOU DAMN FRENCHIE!!"
Totally. Weird.

[realisticphish]

5. my last name is french/belgian

i've actually NEVER had anyone think it was french. they mispronounce it, but never with french pronounciation :shrug:

[WindRavenX]

6. my first name is so French...

"Genevieve". Esp. when my friends pronounce it in the French manner =)

[realisticphish]

11. i can imagine it being pronounced NOT french

jenn ih vee ehv ee :D

[WindRavenX]

12. tee hee

Or some people say "Guinivere" or something....

[realisticphish]

3. well, to them the french are "wussy"

you know, perfume, fine food, wine, etc.

they choose to forget the whole conquered-europe, and saved-americas-ass thing

[datasuspect]

9. that's what i don't get

we'd probably be a commonwealth/colony/dominion of great britain if it wasn't for the french.

we certainly do owe the french a debt of gratitude for all those enlightenment ideas and ideals that informed much of the debate and substance surrounding the primary documents of the united states government.

[CanuckAmok]

14. "probably"?

France was the number-one financial backer of the American Revolution. France spent so much money financing US Independence that the nation's economy was nearly wiped out, which was one of the causes of the French Revolution.

[realisticphish]

17. and few realize

how close we came to being under control of france. XYZ affair, etc. In fact, that was the reason for the presidential requirement of being born in america.

i'm sorry, but i would PAY to see freepers controlled by the French :D

[datasuspect]

20. god, that would be awesome

round them up, ship them off to france (maybe quebec) and force them to read derrida, foucault, baudrillard, and other exitenstialisme type works every day for about 10 years.

[baldguy]

34. Why would you want to do such a horrible thing - to France?

[BuyingThyme]

4. Conservatives like the French-hating angle because

the French are generally white.

[Zenlitened]

7. People don't. Freepiots do.

It's part of the freepiot code: hate anything that's different, sneer at anything that possesses a bit of refinement, and swear eternal enmity against anyone who refuses to jump and caper when ya shake a 'Merkun flag at 'em.

[CanuckAmok]

8. What do you mean? I love those snooty, arrogant, unhygeinic pricks!

Just kidding!

[realisticphish]

13. i can tell

you aren't from quebec ;)

[baldguy]

35. He's talking about the Americans.

[realisticphish]

45. lmao n/t

[Spider Jerusalem]

10. I think it's an Anglo-Saxon thing, basically.

After all, the US has been largely dominated for much of its history by Anglo-Saxon Protestants, and hatred and mistrust of Catholic France has been part of that. Just a bit of baggage we got from Britain, I think. Doesn't make much sense, but that's the best explanation I can come up with.

[mr blur]

32. You have to remember that we English,

traditionally, don't like anyone who isn't English. Which is bizarre because so many of us (especially the "upper classes") are descended from the French following the 1066 invasion. Those of us who aren't descended from Romans, Vikings...

But we don't hate the French any more than any other nation. In fact we like them, being so close and all. The recent anti-French sentiments, it has to be said, were stirred up by the US (not all of you, I know) just because France refused to go along with the Chimp's Imperialist plans. If only our own government had been so unwilling to become another Bush tool.

France is a great country - cultured, vital, beautiful - and I've never once encountered any anti-English sentiment or comments there.

[Jamastiene]

15. I don't know.

I like 'em. I suppose you mean why do people seem to hate them currently. The only reason I have heard people give is because the French didn't want shithead to go into Iraq and bomb a bunch of civilians, especially children. They even refuse to call French Fries, French Fries any more. Silly bastards. Hey, maybe we should start an internet virtual French Fry eating club and just go to right wing boards and chat rooms and say we are eating FRENCH fries just to mess with them... Well, it's a thought. I don't know if it would even be a good idea, but it would be funny.

[datasuspect]

16. only if we can put mayonnaise on them . . .

freedom toast?

freedom tickler?

[northamericancitizen]

23. I am French-Canadian do you hate me? nt

[datasuspect]

25. i only speak english

do you hate me?

no really, i've been to quebec a few times and i have to say you guys have it pretty good there . . .

montreal is a wonderful city. the people are very nice too. just had to adjust to the subway announcements.

[Jamastiene]

26. Okay

or Ketchup or gravy, just to annoy the repugs. I don't feel like I am doing my job unless I think of more ways to be a thorn in their side. :)

[MrOctober]

18. I dont hate the french

But I think Chirac is a right winger.

And I'm not a fan of their smoking culture.

[JohnKleeb]

22. He is a conservative yes but apparently not much of a problem

The leftists over there had a coalition with Chirac that was used to beat Jean Marie LePen a few years back, LePen is like a French Pat Buchanan, meaning he'll have some odd somewhat populist twists on economics but is a social right winger, and the French National Front is called by some, neo-nazi.

[Stirk]

19. I was in France for awhile last year and I thought the French were great.

They were friendly and helpful, I thought. I loved their pace over there. People take 2 hour lunches... they work to live, while we live to work.

[madrchsod]

21. here in the wisconsin and illinois

there are hundreds of cities and rivers named after the french explorers. the first "whiteman" where i live was a french trapper who in the early 1700`s trapped along the rock river and for many years the indians and the french co existed with respect for each other`s culture. it wasn`t untill the fuck`n english decided to come here that the whole thing went to shit. fuck the english scum-i`m siding with the french...

[datasuspect]

24. english scum?

i guess half my family is scum then . . .

funny, i never thought my mother was scummy?

[northamericancitizen]

27. Many, I don't know the percentage, French-Canadians don't like the French

Even thou half if not more of our ancestors come from France. The other half split betweens the Irish, the Natives and the English.

In Québec the French are perceived as being arrogant and "know all". The worst are the Parisians, even their compatriots don't like them. They have the reputation of being the most arrogant SOB.

That said the French culture is a significant part of my culture and heritage. I find it a big plus in my life.

lise

[neweurope]

28. Envy. Hatred is the only thing that's left when you know you'll never

be as good as the envied no matter how hard you try. The only thing that's left for hateful, spiteful people, that is. And let's not forget that it's not only the uneducated freepers - they think they are rightfully thinking so; after all it was your politicians who invented freedom fries. For us in Europe the freedom fries were the last proof that "the Americans are just absolutely nuts".

Let me add that I know DUers are NOT nuts :hi:

----------------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Zenlitened]

36. Sounds like a good descroption, too, of the downtrodden red voters...

... who hate us Dems for being "elites."

[hfojvt]

29. my strong dislike comes from Hajo Holborn

author of "A History of Modern Germany" 1964
"The conflict over Cologne in 1688 became part of the war the French king started in the same year, initiating another 25 year era of almost uninterrupted war in Europe." p. 92
"Louvois sent orders that in their retreat the French forces were to devastate and burn the Palatinate to the ground so that it could not serve as the base for an offensive by the enemy. From a strictly military point of view, this was an unnecessary step. As long as Mainz was in French hands, the Germans could not well cross the Rhine. The destruction of fortifications, the removal of stores, even the burning of places that resisted the imposition of contributions was considered permissible under the contemporary customs of war. But the systematic destruction by the FRENCH army of towns, villages, fields, and vineyards was outrageous ... Mannheim, however, was left an uninhabitable heap of ruins." p. 94

[TyeDye75]

30. Well for me...it all started in 1066

seriously...Ive never had a problem with the French...and I think although British and French people still aren't best buddies overall.... theres more respect in the relationship than theres ever been.

but what would I know....Im just a bleeding heart, pro Europe, Liberal Democrat.

[RebelOne]

31. I was in France a couple of times.

And from what I experienced, the French aren't all that crazy about Americans either. I found that the only time they were civil to me was when they saw money or credit cards.

[MrModerate]

33. Just looking down the thread I can see most responses . . .

Are frivolous, so maybe I'm way off base here . . . but:

I think 'Murricans object to the French because they share a cultural trait with us: a belief in their nation's exceptionalism

For centuries the French have considered themselves more cultivated, more artistic, more "civilized" than anyone else -- special, unique, indispensible.

But now the term "lingua franca" means (mon dieu!) ENGLISH!

And it's Americans who consider themselves more powerful, smarter, more important, in a word, indispensible.

But the French are still here.

I think the two countries rub each other's fur the wrong way because we both have more than our share of arrogance and we recognize ourselves in each other.

[Coventina]

37. When did French citizens spit on allied troops?

That's a story I've never heard before.

:shrug:

[datasuspect]

38. during wwII

kicked, humiliated, etc as they were walked around through towns on the way to POW camps . . .

[Coventina]

39. Well, there were collaborators in EVERY country

And I've seen documentation of how the French treated their collaborators after the liberation.

Hell, there were collaborators in Britain, did she hate the English as well?

:shrug:

[datasuspect]

40. don't turn this on me

i'm not blaming the french or my grandmother. she was who she was. and she is DEAD.

[Coventina]

41. Geez, you were the one who brought it up. n/t

[datasuspect]

42. yes i did, but i wasn't making it personal

i was discussing the ideas, not people's personalities (per se, except to contexualize my thoughts).

anyway, it's sunday, the weather is gorgeous and i hope you have a nice day . . .

sorry if you deduced any kind of offense from anything i wrote, it was not intended.

[Coventina]

43. no, I was not offended. You brought up an occurrence that I had never

heard of. The way you contexualized it was as a reason for your Grandmother's hatred.

I was just curious. That is all.

[InvisibleTouch]

44. An idiot former acquaintance of mine...

...Rush-worshipping dittohead that he was, claimed with absolute authority that France did not have indoor plumbing. It was one of his many expressions of totally unreasonable and baseless hatred of the French. This was in the 90's. I told him, funny that, they had indoor plumbing when I was there in the 70's....

This from a guy who had never even been beyond the borders of his birth-state until he rode to Indiana with me when he was in his 20's. And though I made it very clear from the beginning that I had no interest in a romantic entanglement, he tried to pursue one anyway. Once an idiot, always an idiot. And thus the designation former acquaintance.