Flashback. The United States, 1917, has finally entered the war against Germany, siding with France and Great Britain after three years of refusing to help halt the Kaiser’s conquering armies. Americans show their support for the war in part by becoming ever more intolerant of all things German. German-Americans are harassed and one is even lynched in Missouri. Anti-German sentiment is enshrined in name changes like “liberty dogs” for dachshunds, “liberty measles” for the German measles and “liberty cabbage” for sauerkraut.
Flash forward to today. Across the nation, stores are boycotting French-made products such as Evian bottled water, Bordeaux wines and even Champagne. Signs announce that “French-made products aren’t sold here.”
Even more strangely, the House Administration Committee has followed the lead of several restaurants around the country and has renamed the french fries andfrench toast served in the House cafeteria “freedom” fries and “freedom” toast.
The American beef (an Old French word, by the way) with France is two-fold. First, many Americans feel that the French are arrogant and haughty and look down on Americans in general. They’re partially correct–many French do. Americans also feel that the French are weak-willed cowards who stand for nothing. In this case they’re wrong. The French are no more or less strong-willed or brave than any other people. Second, the French disagree with the United States on how to handle Iraq and have some power to make their opposition felt.
Many Americans who have traveled in France will tell you that the French are against all things American and are arrogant and rude to American citizens. Many others will tell you that the rude are an overzealous minority and most French are kind individuals who don’t care about nationality. It doesn’t really matter which group is correct because everyone will agree that the zealots are wrong in their treatment of Americans. Americans are just as wrong in overzealously promoting prejudice by boycotting French products and renaming French fries “freedom fries.”
In addition to rudeness, the French are widely believed to be spineless as a people, as evidenced by the French capitulation during World War II. The French people aren’t spineless. After their government surrendered, thousands of French continued to fight the German occupiers. Escape lines like the Comet Line helped over 3,000 American and British airmen return to England. These French men and women risked their lives and the lives of their families to protect the lives of Americans, and it was no small risk either-as many as one escape worker died for every aviator rescued. That can hardly be called “spineless.”
During World War I, the United States refused for three years to aid our historical ally France in a war, not against terrorism, but against conquering armies. A generation after that, the United States refused to become involved in yet another war until we were directly attacked while the French once again fought for their very existence against a dictator that makes Saddam Hussein look like a mere schoolyard bully. In neither case did boycotts of American goods occur. Yet when the French walk a different road on Iraq, suddenly they’re bad guys deserving of boycotts and childish derision.
The spark that set off this wave of anti-French sentiment was France’s opposition to immediate prosecution of a war in Iraq. The French wanted another 30 days before taking action, something the United States found unnecessary and possibly dangerous. Right or wrong, it doesn’t justify the popular reaction against France.
Yes, the French have taken a different path on Iraq. Yes, they are often difficult and disagreeable in dealing with America. Freedom means the ability to have one’s own opinion and choose one’s own path, which is exactly what France has done.
Nathan Alday is a senior aerospace engineering major.