France is in trouble, and its recent surge of anti-Americanism is only a symptom of a far greater problem. If anti-Americanism is the cough and fever, the cancer that is eating the country from the inside is its untenable socialist economy that props up its population of 5 million unemployed, unassimilated, uneducated Arab Muslim immigrants. Read this CNSNews article for a taste, and particularly note:
With up to 90 percent of the population supporting President Jacques Chirac in his opposition to the war in Iraq, the French government has found itself for the first time sharing common ground with the country's largely disenfranchised Muslim youth, who often live in housing projects where drugs, violence and unemployment are rampant...."What is extraordinary," said Jean-Louis Borloo, the minister for cities, "is that the whole immigrant community completely supports France's position. There has never been such national solidarity."
The problem is that France has been guided to this anti-American position by its leaders for precisely this reason: mere solidarity. Anti-Americanism is designed to appease these violent, angry immigrants -- anti-Americanism is the aspirin France is taking for its cancer, and although it may provide relief for a moment, it will not cure the disease.
This analysis is right & wrong :
Right, there is an anti-americanism feeling in France, but is this feeling only shared by France ?
What is absolutely wrong is to state that "anti-americanism is designed to appease these violent, angry immigrants"
Anti-americanism developped during the Iraq war because of the Bush administration lies and because of the arrogant remarks (such as "chirac is a prostitute" "france is our enemy" "old europe").
Another point : when you mention "5 million unemployed, unassimilated, uneducated Arab Muslim immigrants" there are a few things to be corrected. There are 6 million muslims in France and they are not, hopefully, all unemployed and unassimilated (your sentence has a taste of racism, but I am sure it was a mistake).
Last point : Not all muslims are Arabs, nor are all north african immigrants. A lot of them are "Berbers" from Kabylia. But you are right, education is a main issue, not in France only.
I think you're mistaken if you think that France's anti-Americanism began as recently as the invasion of Iraq.
Agreed Michael. Having been there back in 84 I found alot of anti-American sentiment in the various regions of France I toured. Bush's policy withstanding France has had this love/hate relationship with us for ages and until now they have had little reason to try to change it. America is trying to affect change for the better on a massive scale. The French, Germans and Russians didn't want that, because they had made deals with the devil we were going to oust and they knew if went in, it would mean all of that going to hell. So better to continue letting the killer Saddam stay in power lest they loose their precious business deals. Nevermind the fact Saddam was disobeying the U.N., stealing millions from it, lying to them and making them all look like fools, better the whole ship of fools goes down rather than they loose money or oil. Little did they know several nations didn't want to go down with the ship, namely the U.S. but others joined up with the U.S. to put meaning back into the feeble organization called the U.N.. An organization that is nothing more than petty and bickering non democracies for the most part, totalitarian dictatorships for the lesser part. Overall a collective not fit to rule anymore considering how many offenses against humanity they have failed to stop.
No, France hates the U.S. because it is better than them at everything. Better soldiers, better food, better entertainment. That is why American culture is so loved, why English is becoming the universal language and why they keep trying to stifile it in international arenas. For a country that insists its our ally why does it mistrust so much, we have never hurt France, put it in danger or anything like that and all this bluster about Hyperpower? That is rediculous, America is a nation with concerned people and leaders just like France and not some hairtrigger handgun. Its because they cannot deal with the jealousy and it will eventually be their undoing.