On May 6, 3:59=A0am, 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.
You forget that Britain was the "pearl of freethought", provinding
David Hume and Thomas Paine and other great thinkers that laid the
foundation for Liberty in Europe such as Boswell and Burke. England is
where Rousseau found sanctuary, and the country praised for it freedom
by Voltaire. This is where Hobbes wrote Leviathan, and the home of
Locke and John Stuart Mill. You forget that ALL the founding fathers
were British. If it were not for the tolerance and free thinking that
was permitted by British culture, there would never have been a
declaration of independance in the first place. How many French
colonies fought for independance? The British had already had their
bloody revolution a century before, and whilst England might have been
accused of peeking too early, the French were certainly behind the
times.
> The French provided
> crucial assistance to American Revolution, and without their help -
> both informing the Independence and assisting the Revolution
Yes but this was "help" from the Louis, the tyrrant of Europe that
denied all freedoms to its own people, and was about to face the
greatest revolution of all time. He was motivated by an urge to deny
England power in the Americas for fear of British Liberty coming over
the British channel. Louis' plan backfired and the help he provide the
burgeoning USA helped to encourage dissent on his own doorstep leading
to the French 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.
History is not always as presented in the American High School
curriculum.
There are good reasons why the US is anti-French: the French are
pursuing an anti-Iraq conflict policy.
>
> There are many who call the French cowards and sneer at their supposed
> military weakness. Lest we forget, France had Napoleon over a century
> before Germany had Hitler, and Napoleon conquered a comparable section
> of Europe as did Hitler without committing anywhere close to Hitler=92s
> level of crimes against mankind.
Napoleon was the unintended consequence of the French Revolution. He
sat back the path of Liberty 200 years. The British empire held out
against this maniacal magalomaniac nutcase for many years, until
finally defeating him. He not only set back liberty in France but, in
order that the British could maintain the war-effort, the growth of
liberty had to wait for the outcome of Waterloo before it could start
up again.
For a culture that does not place
> priority on militarism and instead values such things as art and
> cultivation and human rights, that is quite an accomplishment; and to
> mistake civilization or love of peace for cowardice or weakness is an
> error that has lead to demise of many barbaric thugs. Quite simply,
> this is a culture that does not place priority on these matters and
> should be seen for accomplishments in matters on which it does place
> priority. And yes, it also has military accomplishment; which one
> would not expect normally from such a country, and which is to its
> credit.
>
> There are others who talk about America =93saving the French=91s ass=94
in=
> the two world wars. In fact, American involvement in both wars had
> very little to do with the French. In the First World War, Americans
> came into the war when the Germans sunk an American ****p. That is a
> valid reason for entering a war, but it had nothing to do with saving
> anyone. In the Second World War, France was conquered in 1940;
> Americans landed in Europe in 1944. This happened after the Soviets
> had already defeated the Germans and were driving them back. And the
> most likely cause for coming in at that date and not before that date,
> is not wanting to see Stalin go to Berlin, then Paris, then London,
> then Omaha. That, is likewise a valid reason for waging a war; but
> once again it had nothing to do with the French.
>
> The Americans and the French (indeed Western Europe) became hostile
> cultures after the Second World War because Americans and Europeans
> learned different lessons from the Second World War. The Europeans
> (led by the French thinkers) decided that war as well as nationalist
> militarism is wrong, and that things should be done in a peaceful,
> diplomatic, civil and cultured way. The Americans decided that they
> were the greatest and could not only spit on everyone else=92s
> accomplishments, but also control the world through coercive military
> and economic means. This made the former friends into rivals; but
> something happened of even greater significance:
>
> The ideals behind American Revolution went back to Europe; and Europe
> adopted America=92s best traits, while America adopted many of
Europe=92s
> ugliest ones.
>
> Which means that, at this time, the sup****t for America=92s founding
> principles means sup****t for people and places who embody them the
> most. And that is now scattered all over the world, with higher
> concentration in many parts of Europe than in the Republican parts of
> the United States. The human rights, democratic, ideal, is neither the
> brainchild of America nor solely belongs to America, and is more
> advanced in many parts of the world and among many people than it is
> among America=91s self-proclaimed =93patriots.=94 And while we may not
see=
> the Statue of Liberty coming back to Paris, the thought behind it is
> now very much an aspect of Europe and growing there, whereas America
> falls shorter and shorter of its revolutionary ideals with every
> election stolen, every person imprisoned and tortured without due
> process, everyone convicted through profiling and without evidence,
> everyone demonized for thinking differently, every new set of abuses
> in the name of community or tradition or religion or sanity, and
> tightening of the noose through these methods around American people=92s
> necks.
>
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