Posted by William Neikirk at 10:35 a.m. CDT
When Nicolas Sarkozy won the French presidency on May 6, the White House was happy. He was seen as a breath of fresh air, a man who would be a friend of America, in sharp contrast to Jacques Chirac. 
"We certainly look forward to cooperation with the French," said press Tony Snow said after the election. Despite past differences with France, he said there were "certainly real opportunities to work together on a broad range of issues."
I just received a new book, entitled "Testimony," written by Sarkozy. I quickly turned to the section where he talks about the U.S. I received a surprise. While saying the patently obvious thing that it is in France's best interest to have good relations with America, he added some sharp criticism that might cause some French haters to think about those Freedom Fries again.
"Everything should lead France and the United States understand each other and help each other," he says in the book. "But that's not the way it is. Our relations is cool, if not to say cold. I'm the first to say to recognize that the Americans are partly responsible for this. They tend to think they are on the side of good and thus that everyone else is on the side of evil. They lack curiosity about and appetite for a world that, for many of them, stops at their own borders. They are certain that they are always the best. All this can certainly be irritating."
But then then Sarkozy goes on to say that it would be a "double mistake" to oppose the U.S. systematically because of disagreements. Americans are "friends and allies," he said.
He said French disagreements over Iraq were legitimate, but "they would have had more impact had they not been coupled with the threat of using our veto. France is strong enough to refrain from passionate, allergic, or excessive reactions. I believe we need to get along with the United States." But, he said, he was not "overly fascinated by the American model."
Yes, he's a friend all right, but now we know what he really thinks of us: Self-righteous, egotistical, imperialistic, and even irritating. It's a good thing we don't consider these to be French characteristics.
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Comments
And we certainly don't see those traits displayed on these comments board. No, siree. Not here.
Posted by: JB | May 15, 2007 11:40 AM
I don't think Sarkozy's view of Americans is in the minority abroad.
Posted by: Jeff C. | May 15, 2007 12:08 PM
DO YOU THINK THAT Nicolas Sarkozy AND ALL OF HIS FRENCH FOLKS HAVE REALLY BAD MEMORIES? PERHAPS, AFTER ONLY 60 YEARS, THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT THEY MIGHT STILL BE ASKING GERMAN PERMISSION TO CROSS THE STREET, IF NOT FOR THE ANNOYING AMERICANS.
NOT TO POUND THE OBVIOUS TO DEATH, BUT IT MUST BE SUPREMELY IRRITATING TO BE CONSTANTLY IN THE DEBT OF THE AMERICANS DECADE AFTER DECADE; WHETHER IT IS IN THE FORM OF FOREIGN AID OR MILITARY SECURITY.
FRANKLY, I FIND THEIR NASAL LANGUAGE IRRITATING.
Posted by: DEANE LEDSWORTH | May 15, 2007 1:00 PM
If he read The Swamp (Le Marais), he'd realize that Americans irritate Americans!
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | May 15, 2007 1:21 PM
He is correct. While I am "proud to be an American", it is easy to see why so many are irritated with our country and our government in particular. I am not fond of some of the french - I think they are just jealous of some aspects of our culture while loathsome of others. But if people are either "with us or against us", is it that hard to see why so many are against us?!
Posted by: The Decider | May 15, 2007 2:25 PM
OK, that does it... I'm never going to buy French's Mustard again!
Posted by: Leo T | May 15, 2007 5:31 PM
Meilleurs félicitations pour gagner le position de Président. Nous sommes les étudiants de français à l'Université de Calcutta, à L'Ouest Bengal en Inde.
Donnez un rendez-vous à l'université de calcutta, s'il vous plaît et nous contacte au départment de français. Nous nous appelons Saurav et Swapnendu.
Aurevoir,
Veuillez agréer mes meilleurs sentiments distinguées.
Merci.
Posted by: SAURAV CHAKRABORTY | May 28, 2007 4:06 AM
No one should pay attention to what Sarkozy says. He is not France's concience. Just like GW Bush is not America's soul.
Let the fools waiste their time speaking words of stupidity about each other and let's not walk in their footsteps.
As a French, I am happy to have many many American friends and we don't care about clichés. The point is that we're just closer than it appears and that may be the reason why we zre sometimes so irritated against each other. I personnaly believe that had I a friend who was exactly like me, it would be a real pain in the neck for me and I wouldn't stand his behavior for it would propably be to similar to mine. The French can be very arrogant. So do the Americans. They can be to self-confident. So do the Americans. They believe they lift their civilisationnal lamp over the world. So do the Americans. They believe they have the best values on Earth. So do the Americans...
Posted by: Sam from France | July 26, 2007 3:15 PM
i owe everything to America
I was born to a powerful French dad and i'll never forget how you saved us from ww2 Nazi Germany
I wrote a poem at 12 at the end of ww2
America land of my dreams
When i was knee high
Could i ever cry for our countries gone under
Because we had to surrender
Shredded by German's plunder
Yet i rejoiced and thanked God when the sun was shinning
I did a lot of day dreaming
watching the clouds as they went by
The only jewells i saw , were
the daisies by the road
Their perfect littlle rows of white petals center gold
I dreamt of far away lands where people were free
Free to laugh , free to speak
Free of fear and striffe
America , land of my dreams
You were floating in my inner space , like a desert's mirage
I clung to it with determination
Until the day it came into action
Young GI's fresh faced
Full of youth, smiled at us
From their metal girth:
Tanks, cannons, guns and the likes; they looked so vulnerable and young
They held my hand " small"
In theirs " strong" in their palms
well fed and reassuring
They could be so loving
To a little girl who defied dying
Land of my dreams , you will
come true, in my heart
You grew and grew , till one day, i will see New York bay
Land of my dreams , you will be mine
remember we helped you at York town; Lafayette, de Grasse, Rochambeau
we love you okay?
Posted by: Anne Flori | November 27, 2008 5:24 AM