The Arrogance of the French: Why They Can't Stand Us...And Why the Feeling is Mutual

Adam's Apple

Senior Member
Apr 25, 2004
4,092
452
48
Can't wait to read this one. :)

French Logic 101
By Daniel Berczik
August 2, 2005

There is a scene in "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" where Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau goes up to a hotel front desk to register. He notices a dog behind the desk and asks the clerk, "Does your dug bite?" "Non," answers the clerk. Clouseau bends down to pet the dog and of course, the dog bites the hapless inspector. "I thought you said your dug did not bite!" Clouseau cries.
The clerk stares with proper French bored disdain and answers, "Zat ees not my dug."

There are many moments like that in The Arrogance of the French: Why They Can't Stand Us — and Why the Feeling Is Mutual by Richard Z. Chesnoff. Chesnoff, who has spent much of the last twenty years living in France and has forty years of French memories to back up his anecdotes and the crash history lessons he sprinkles around the book.

I had anticipated a litany of grievances, citations and intrigue and was prepared to put the book down periodically in order to adjust my blood pressure. Instead, I found myself laughing, wearily shaking my head and marveling at how a people so filled with craven self-loathing and clueless comedy could have survived a thousand years. Instead of leaving the book determined to hate the French even more than I did on the day before, I finished feeling more sorry for than disdainful at what Mr. Chesnoff describes as a pathetic archetype of a nation on the down side of cultural evolution.

René Descartes' famous dictum, cogito, ergo sum — "I think, therefore I am" — appears to have been coalesced in the French mind not as a basis for reasoning, but as an excuse for manipulation and buck-passing. For something to be "true" and protected from question, it must be conceived not merely clearly and distinctly, but very clearly and distinctly. The result, as Mr Chesnoff says, is "a closed system and the core of what we know as French arrogance.

This fairly explains the French attitude towards the rest of the world. We find here an insight that also explains the French attitude towards the French. All is chauvinism. Mr. Chesnoff quotes a local expression that translates to "the worst foreigners come from Paris." But what is not explained in this formulation is the greatest of French passions, far beyond wine and cheese, philosophy and La Vie En Rose: Anti-Americanism.

for full article:
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/people/french_book.php3
 
..........

You know, I don't think that the french people really hate US people.

Maybe this author lived in France, but he 's not French so he doesn't really know what they feel.

For me, it's more like in a family : sometimes you say you can't bear your brother, but you still love it anyway.

French people don't hate Americans. They simply don't like W Bush for a large part. Of course, there is always people who will say that UAS suck, and that all US people are morrons, but it's like evrywhere.

Look at UK : France and UK were the biggest ennemies during 900 years. Now, even if there is tensions, it's more politic than sociological. A lot of French like UK and British people.
Same thing for French/US.

i think that when the US government will change it would be better and then you'll see we d'ont hate you.

We have respect for the USA, for its inhabitants.

It'"s not with such books and thoughts that the things will be better.
When you see all the things about the French in some US publications/boards, it's understandable that French hav a quite bad feeling : always saying it's a coward nation, always revisiting history to say the french suck, etc.....
It's human : when people is bashing you, your culture, your history...you can easily be angr against him.

There is also a feeling of neo-colonialism from the USA. But it's not a french specification, it's an european feeling.

wait and see, things will change and become better.
And be sure of it : French don't hate United States.
 
Pretty good response, Padisha. Like I indicated in my post, I'm going to purchase a copy of this book. Might be an interesting book for you to read. I would be interested in hearing your response to what Mr. Berczik has to say.

I agree that things might get better as soon as there is a change in the FRENCH government. Nicholas Sarkoszy(sp?) sounds like he might be a good alternative to Chirac for the French people. What do the French people think about him? As far as the U.S. goes, I have no idea at this time who might succeed George W.
 
padisha emperor said:
.
i think that when the US government will change it would be better and then you'll see we d'ont hate you.

We have respect for the USA, for its inhabitants.

It'"s not with such books and thoughts that the things will be better.
When you see all the things about the French in some US publications/boards, it's understandable that French hav a quite bad feeling : always saying it's a coward nation, always revisiting history to say the french suck, etc.....
It's human : when people is bashing you, your culture, your history...you can easily be angr against him.

There is also a feeling of neo-colonialism from the USA. But it's not a french specification, it's an european feeling.

wait and see, things will change and become better.
And be sure of it : French don't hate United States.

No. They're just willing to buttress the political positions of Islamic tyrants for the illusory goal of "multipolarity" in the world.
 
rtwngAvngr said:
No. They're just willing to buttress the political positions of Islamic tyrants for the illusory goal of "multipolarity" in the world.

From what I've seen, it's the French politicians that give them a bad name. French people aren't so bad, just the government.
 
Hobbit said:
From what I've seen, it's the French politicians that give them a bad name. French people aren't so bad, just the government.

I figure it's about like here. half our libs feel this way. I would imagine it might be like 60 - 40 there, considering the generally higher level of handout programs and governmental donothings.
 
Adam's Apple said:
Pretty good response, Padisha. Like I indicated in my post, I'm going to purchase a copy of this book. Might be an interesting book for you to read. I would be interested in hearing your response to what Mr. Berczik has to say.

I agree that things might get better as soon as there is a change in the FRENCH government. Nicholas Sarkoszy(sp?) sounds like he might be a good alternative to Chirac for the French people. What do the French people think about him? As far as the U.S. goes, I have no idea at this time who might succeed George W.

What the French think about Nicolas Sarkozy ?

Simple : if there would have an election for the presidence today, Nicolas Sarkozy would be certainly elected.

He has a good popularity, and nobody against him - the left is too much separated, in the Parti Socialiste, there is maybe 4 or 5 men fighting to be the candidate...
 
Then I wish the French elections were being held today, Padisha. With Sarkozy as president of France, I am sure relations between France and the U.S. would improve greatly. I would drink to that! :wine:
 
Adam's Apple said:
Then I wish the French elections were being held today, Padisha. With Sarkozy as president of France, I am sure relations between France and the U.S. would improve greatly. I would drink to that! :wine:


well, with a democrat president, I think the realtions would be better too ;)
(or at least less conservator)
 

Forum List

Back
Top