Re: Addressing Francophobia

On May 5, 7:59=A0pm, Ilya the Bat <ibshambat2...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> In many parts of America, there is a very strong anti-French sentiment
> that is for the most part based on error and misconception. This essay
> seeks to correct those mistakes.
>
> The French thought formed the basis of American democracy. American
> Revolution and its founding principles was the expression of French
> 18th century thought known as =93French Enlightenment,=94 and the French
> saw America as the embodiment of their ideals, whereas the English saw
> America as a province of ungrateful traitors. The French provided
> crucial assistance to American Revolution, and without their help -
> both informing the Independence and assisting the Revolution - America
> would not have existed as what it is and likely would not have existed
> at all. So before Americans speak about =93saving French=92s ass,=94 it
> behoves them to look back to what, and who, made it possible for
> America to exist as a country - and what, and who, sustained America
> through its darkest times.
>

I was just reading some chapters out of

People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present
by Howard Zinn
http://www.amazon.com/Peoples-History-United-States-Present/dp/0060838655

in which he described how one of the wars Fance was in caused then to
pull out of America and how the colonists, who were opposed to British
colonization, demonized the French and were glad they were out since
now they only had British hegmony left to destroy.

Of course some think racism against Indians and Blacks & maybe women
began to take american form there so that the revolutionaries could
somehow gain more power against the British, but I am not clear on
this interesting thesis I didn't notice the other 20 times I read the
book. Strange consequence of balancing enough interests to cause a
revolution or somethng.

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