The Brits shouldn't get their nose out of joint over that one. Though there's plenty more to justify an out of joint nose.
It's true, of course. France is the oldest ally of the U.S.A. The French assisted the U.S. in the American Revolution, sold us Louisiana at a bargain price, and gave us the Statue of Liberty.
Meanwhile the Brits fought against us, conscripted our men into British military service, and burned Washington. However: all that notwithstanding--as a great Freeper once observe sagely: "If they'll just come back and burn it again, all will be forgiven."
“It’s true, of course. France is the oldest ally of the U.S.A.”
As I recall, Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States in 1777. We also have our longest, unbroken treaty with them. They supported us by granting porting and trading rights to American ships.
Does this mean Morocco is our oldest “ally”? I don’t know, but the history is fascinating. They “allied” with us to the extent their relative powerlessness compared to France allowed.
France is special not only because they provided key military support at the critical moment during the revolution, but because of our shared revolutionary ideology. The American Revolution is in many ways the product of the French Enlightenment. We are revolutionary brothers and it is no accident that both flags are blue, red, and white.
This is why the true American patriot venerates the only foreign Founding Father, General Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette; the only Frenchman to command American troops in battle and, arguably, the foreigner most worthy of that distinction.
Humanity has won its battle. Liberty now has a country.
- Marquis de Lafayette
Meanwhile the Brits fought against us, conscripted our men into British military service, and burned Washington. However: all that notwithstanding—as a great Freeper once observe sagely: “If they’ll just come back and burn it again, all will be forgiven.”
This deserves the FR version of retweeting.