[aristeides]

The Terror was an invention of Republican France. Lafayette was an officer of the king of France. It was the French monarchy that played a key role in establishing our independence.

[livius]

Maintaining the monarchy might have been a good idea.

Alas, I now think "the perfidious French" describes them best. And the problem with modern French politicians is that they are very short-sighted. That's why they're not getting any juicy oil contracts, and didn't know about the Gadaffi agreement until after it happened.

In terms of the French French (that is, the real people), I have always liked them - outside of Paris, which is its own world, like any big city. When I have travelled there, and they have always been very helpful and nice.

[witnesstothefall]

And you entirely missed my point. Be it the Monarchy, the Republic or the Empire itself, France as a glorious model of human progress and equitable governance has no validity in any epoch. Particularly so, from the American pov.