French Lessons (Our Oldest Enemy)

The American Conservative ^ | January 17, 2004 | Robert O. Paxton

[First_Salute]

The French and Indians were in the process of constructing a human-free ecosphere all across North America, but they were rudely interrupted by the capitalist Christian extremists (also, diseased) from areas not of the French Enlightenment.

Something like that.

[Jackson Brown]

French aid to the American War of Independence is the Francophile’s exhibit number one.

I hear this all the time. However, what they DON'T remember to include in their account is that the French people executed all those who supported the American Revolution shortly after they aided in the Revolution.

[Brig_Gen_George_P_Harrison_CSA]

So Lafayette had his head chopped off in 1784?!

[SpyGuy]

So why single out France? France obviously gets the goat of many Americans. German Chancellor Schroeder surpassed Chirac in the spring of 2003, rejecting any military operation in Iraq even with UN approval. But neither he nor the Russians aroused much popular anger here.

Why single out France? Two words: WWI & WWII. We rescued France twice this past century at a cost of many thousands of American lives (not to mention American dollars). If we include the Cold War, then you could easily argue that we saved their French butts thrice.

It is absurd to compare the backstabbing actions of an "ally" we recently fought FOR, against the actions of two former enemies we recently fought AGAINST.

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "So Lafayette had his head chopped off in 1784?!"

No but there were others who did. Lafayette was one of the lucky ones.

[squidly]

We rescued France twice this past century at a cost of many thousands of American lives

Don't want to take up for the French, but a fair rebuttal is that we waited too long in both wars before we stepped in. Not that we were strong enough to stand up to the Germans in 1940. We'd have been swimming across the Channel with the Brits.

But in today's way of thinking, it's baffling to envision cataclysmic wars like that happening in Europe while the U.S. sits on the sidelines for a period of years.

[SandRat]

In response to the cheese eating, whine drinking Beret Attitudes let me just say ---

[Brig_Gen_George_P_Harrison_CSA]

Being curious about the effects of the American Revolution on France, I'd be most obliged if you would cite me a few examples. It would make for an interesting comparison with the fate of Thomas Paine.

[Cicero]

Why is American Conservative pumping this guff?

Sure, deGaulle was good for France, if you are extremely shortsighted. He did everything he could to puff up their sense of power and importance. He got them a seat on the Security Council. He got the allies to pretend that the "free French" had saved their own country.

No doubt it made the French feel good. But it also gave them false delusions of grandeur which have come back to sting them on the *ss. It also encouraged the French to get in way over their heads looking for colonialist profits in the Arab world and Africa, causing the deaths of millions because of French greed.

[Lion in Winter]

Well, his head was intact, but the Austrians( Marie Antoinette's Royal relatives) had him imprisoned because they felt he was a threat to the rrench throne.

The revolutionaries( of the "THE TERROR") felt he was a royal so they would have done him in.

The French are only for the French usually unless there is something to gain by backing another guy/country.

The MOST unique thing about Lafayette was that he was NOT like MOST French people. HE WAS A MOST UNIQUE MAN OF HIS ERA!!!

You know there hangs on a wall at Mount Vernon a key from the Bastille sent by Lafayette to Washington. General Lafayette was FOR FREEDOM just as was our own General Washington!!

[SpyGuy]

Don't want to take up for the French, but a fair rebuttal is that we waited too long in both wars before we stepped in.

I don't accept that as a fair rebuttal. Especially considering that one of the current criticisms against the US by France is that we are "too quick to rush to war."

[Paul_Denton]

Regardless of the event sof the 1700s ity is clear that france is an enemy. The frogs not only supported Saddam and other terrorists chirac has been pushing for a EU-PRC axis specifically to counter the US and help China against Taiwan and Japan.

[Mark in the Old South]

Oh lord you would ask. I can not remember any names, none were as well know as Lafayette. I recommend reading "Citizen", can't remember the author. It was about the French Revolution and is still available in bookstores. Or it was 2 years ago when I bought it. It was first published in the 1980's. I highly recommend it. He talks about some of the people who helped in the American Revolution and their fate in the French reign of terror.

[CaptRon]

But often we have not helped them (as in Algeria or at Suez),

I'm at a real loss as to why the US should have helped France with their colonial adventures.

[demlosers]

And Lafayette is buried in American soil.

[Stringfellow Hawke]

Someone please post that picture of a monkey in a beret eating cheese. I think we need a physical representation of who the french really are.

Again, I mean no offense to those few French who are conservative, just the spineless, liberal verity.

[SaltyJoe]

The best thing about France is all of her Christian missionary work that still exists today. If I should ever desire France to be successful again, it would be to see more of the like of Saints like "The Little Flower". When societies and nations can produce Christians like that, then there follows a multitude of poets and engineers that re-shape the world into the beautiful garden it's meant to be. When societies and nations ignore and become hostile to Christ, then they'll those irreverent will be regarded for only their self-serving pride. We Americans have learned a lot from ourselves for the same faults as the French. We too, should desire a return to Christ.

[ALPAPilot]

He laid the cornerstone to the Bunker Hill Memorial as well.

[ALPAPilot]

What's funny is that The Dems have been friendly with the French since Jefferson was Secratary of State. The Federalist, Whig, Republicans have never trusted them. Ron Cherow's "Alexander Hamilton" is a great analysis.