DARE TO ASK: The French dislike us? For real?

By PHILLIP MILANO, The Times-Union

Question

Why do the French dislike Americans?

Patricia C., 56, Texas

Replies

Perhaps from a different (older) perspective, we Europeans see something in the U.S. which we don't like. One of the main reasons I dislike the U.S. is its refusal to join the Kyoto agreement. Plus, since the Cold War, America has strived to be the ultimate capitalist state, and in Europe we're a bit more socialist about these things.

Rosie, 16, United Kingdom

Could it be George W. Bush?

Gary, 48, Houston

The French dislike us because ... Iraq is in chaos now. It's not only the French, there's a lot of people in the world that hate the U.S. and Americans.

Sarita, 14, Apex, N.C.

Many Americans are great, but that's too often a surprise, because the vocal lot tend to be obnoxious and self-centered. Their superlative intonations are irritating attempts to make their rather banal comments more convincing or interesting. The natural attitude that Americans bring with them when traveling makes the average foreigner want to hide.

Oliver, 37, Australia

Expert says

We went to France once. You have to walk through the Louvre, Notre Dame still uses an organist and Versailles has no animatronics. Like we're going there over Busch Gardens next time.

Some people actually study this excuse for a major, history-changing Western European republic with the world's sixth-largest economy.

Jeremy Shapiro, director of research at The Brookings Institution's Center on the United States and Europe, says Franco-American discord goes way beyond the whole "we hate that you invaded Iraq" thing.

France, wouldn't you know it, has pride. Then we came along.

"France senses itself as a universal nation, with a creed worthy of spreading . . . But the last century has not been kind, and then we liberated them in World War II, which could never be forgiven," he said, only half-joking. "For a proud nation, it's the worst thing you could do."

France resurrected itself to just one rung below a superpower, and because of its extraordinary accomplishments, there's a "prickliness" about its place in the world.

"We view ourselves as the leader and that other countries should follow, but France says democracy is a participatory sport - that they have the capacity and right to help decide which positions the Free World should take," Shapiro said.

So while the French do have a love-hate relationship with U.S. tourists - who Shapiro notes can be "spectacularly clueless and don't speak the language" - in large part, American policy, not people, is what rankles the French most.

Then again, the French, perhaps being French, have a love-hate relationship with themselves, as well: A recent Harris/Novatris poll found 44 percent of French people think poorly of themselves, vs. only 38 percent of U.S. respondents who had a bad view of them.

Phillip Milano, author of I Can't Believe You Asked That! (Perigee), moderates cross-cultural dialogue at Y? The National Forum on People's Differences. Visit www.yforum.com to submit questions and answers. Send general column comments to phillip. milano@jacksonville.com. You can also hear his podcasts or watch his TV spots.