Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Military French soldier surrenders

I think the problems we see today are a result of ego more than anything else, but also idealogy I suppose. I've trotted around France on occassion and been subject to the love-hate feelings of the French. They hate having to admit that America pulled their butts out of the fire in WW2. They hate having to admit they're own irrelevance today. They hate having to need our business, our trade, and our influence, while no one seems to need them.

The last time I was there on an Army Reserve tour to Germany (1995), two of our soldiers in our unit were badly beaten up simply because they were Americans and walked into the wrong little pub in a small French town. On that same trip, on a tour of Paris, a friend of mine and my self were yelled at and debased because he took a picture of the Paris Flea market from the sidewalk and told "You Americans don't own everything". No amount of apologies would satisfy the guy and his side-kick. I finally laid into him with the comment that they had liked us a lot when Hitler had them under his thumb. That did not make them happy, believe me, but it did shut them up. It is even more sad when you realize it was they're own fault.

The very thing about America (and by extention, Americans) that they can't stand, our uniqueness and willingness to go it alone, is the very thing that makes us great. The belief in the individual's rights and the freedom to take action on the things we believe enable us, but also make us hated and referred to as arrogant and bullies.

There are some great French people, but they need to get a grip on they're government, and come back to the real world.

As to your comment on America not entering the war until we were attacked, well, as a history buff I would think you would know better than to say that. The times were different then. There was a great sense of isolationalism, but at the same time we supported the efforts by massive amounts of aid. Europe didn't bother to try and stop the threat until it had nearly overwhelmed them. They should have stopped Hitler (and Italy) when they could instead of appeasing him time after time. Many Americans felt, perhaps rightly, that it was something that was none of our business. We didn't want to be the world's police force then any more than we do now. We'd much rather spend all of that money on something else. But if we don't, who will? And if no one does, what would happen then? We have many examples in history of what would happen, and the French haven't helped solve any problem in the world for over 75 years.

I for one am tired of their whining. If they can come up with a better idea, then they should. If not, then they need to get out of the way.

A great American, Abraham Lincoln, once commented when asked about a sermon he had heard. He said (and I'm paraphrasing to the best of my memory) that the preacher spoke well and with vigor, but had failed to ask the listeners to accomplish something great. That is my issue with the French today. They fail to either do or ask the world to do anything that will accomplish something great. Until then they will continue to be the brunt of sad jokes like: "For sale, French rifle. Never fired, only dropped once", and "How many men does it take to defend Paris? No one knows. It's never been done".

To add one thing to the idea that France helped the Continental Army out, besides what has already been said about their motives it is worth noting that they wouldn't help until they were pretty sure we were going to win. Their help was important, but in the end we would have won, and the French knew it. There were a large number of comparisons between the British war in America and the US war in Viet Nam. It was very unpopular back in England....which pleased France to no end.