# Why does everyone hate the French? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 7, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814 "2006-06-07T22:22:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/101 "2006-06-09T06:06:13Z")
Oh, and **RickJay** , if I have the time, I’ll try to find what were the arguments in favour of the clauses of bill 101 dealing with commercial signage when it was promulgated. However, while there are many compelling reasons to ensure that commercial signage in Quebec is in French, I must say that none of the reasons to have it _only_ in French that I’ve thought about seem compelling to me. In other words, you’re probably right that this was a mistake on the part of the government. But even though it might have been seen as an attack on English in the rest of Canada, I don’t think it was the intention. ---
**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/102 "2006-06-09T07:26:07Z")
The British conservatives hated the French Revolution. Many rightwingers in the U The British ruling class hated the French Revolution. They and the American right still want to reverse it. The French tended to have a somewhat more independent line in Europe during the Cold War. In the sixties, they pulled their troops out of the joint NATO command, which was led by the US. Hence, everything is done to promote “soft” propaganda against the French. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/103 "2006-06-09T08:45:17Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Man I hate to come to their defense, 🙂 but didn’t they fight an action that allowed the British to evacuate Dunkirk? The British fought an action there too, many French were evacuated alongside the British. Its the Belgians who got a raw deal out of it all IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/104 "2006-06-09T13:42:06Z")
> [@Sevastopol](#): > > To wit France being the oldest modern democracy, Huh? How do you figure that? Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/105 "2006-06-09T18:44:17Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > The ironic part about this is that most Americans suddenly seem to wish to have an English-speaking society rather than a multicultural society (though, historically, that’s certainly the norm for Americans.) I’m not sure I agree with that. I don’t think that many Americans object to hearing another language: they object to being excluded within their own country. Case in point: I used to live in a city with a large Indian (as in India, not as in First Nation) population. I love Indian food, and have no objection to their culture whatsoever. The majority of them were American citizens, and many were respected members of the community, including doctors, attorneys, and business owners. I objected, however, when a shopping center was constructed near my home with _no English signage at all_. I would have been happy to patronize their businesses, but they clearly weren’t interested in non-Hindi-speaking customers. Were there signs in Hinda _and_ English, I think they would have been welcomed. Since they excluded non-Indians, they were resented. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/106 "2006-06-09T21:01:24Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this before, **jjimm** , but I really do enjoy your posts. You can correct people and impart information without the message feeling even slightly confrontational. I appreciate that. Are you being serious? On review I thought my post could have been interpreted as condescending. But I’ll take it at face value and say thanks. 🙂 > [@](#): > > No, I won’t form an opinion of France or the French people based on my week in Paris. I have a hard time not basing my opinion of the people of Paris on that week, though. A single day or a single event isn’t enough, but (realistic or not) a week seems to me to be enough time to form an opinion. I can understand that. I make judgements like that all the time, sometimes right, sometimes wrong. Sort of analogous to that, I’m meeting an old schoolfriend tomorrow who really pissed me off in the past. It’s the first time I’ll have seen him since he pissed me off - but talking to another schoolfriend on the phone today, we established that the incident that pissed me (and my other friend) off happened _exactly_ twenty years ago, and we laughed about it in that context. I’ll reserve judgement… > [@](#): > > That, however, is different. I’m pleased to hear that, as there are places in Paris that I’d like to see again, and if . I promise you, it’s changed a lot. > [@](#): > > I’ve lived in the U.S. my entire life–I was born in New York State–and I certainly wouldn’t want visitors to base their opinions of the American people on what they experience in New York City. Although, to be fair, I haven’t been to NYC in almost a decade, either. Maybe it’s improved. In my experience, it really has too. In fact, it’s my favorite city in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/107 "2006-06-09T22:34:02Z")
One point I think that hasn’t been addressed is that the French, of all the major European nations, weren’t a major part of any of the waves of immigration to the US, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: as far as I’m aware the only real French influence in the US was relatively early on in Louisiana, and that from displaced Canadians. Countries like Italy, Germany, Ireland and Poland recently established and maintained what might be termed a popular consular presence, and the English and {to a lesser extent, via Mexico and an early North American presence} Spanish influences have been pervasive from the outset. The French, on the other hand, have mostly been “foreign”, and thus an easy object of distrust and demonisation, particularly post-WWII when American interests and influence really began to expand into Europe and Asia, and often ran foul of French ambitions and aspirations to still be considered as a global player. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/108 "2006-06-09T23:17:54Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Are you being serious? Yes, I am. There isn’t a “no, I’m not being ironic or snarky” smiley, so I was a bit concerned you’d take it that way. I did mean it. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/109 "2006-06-09T23:59:17Z")
The French came to Wisconsin for fur trading. We have French explorers and settler names on some parks and streets. A few cities in Wisconsin were named after French or were supposed to be if the US mail hadn’t registered the town wrong. They did a lot of that. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/110 "2006-06-10T00:20:24Z")
> [@Harmonious Discord](#): > > The French came to Wisconsin for fur trading. We also have many French place names in Arkansas, including a Paris. They used to own us, you know. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/111 "2006-06-10T18:18:03Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > One point I think that hasn’t been addressed is that the French, of all the major European nations, weren’t a major part of any of the waves of immigration to the US, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: as far as I’m aware the only real French influence in the US was relatively early on in Louisiana, and that from displaced Canadians. The previous two posters have mentioned the Louisiana purchase. Don’t forget what a huge chunk of the U.S. Napoleon purchased for France. Many of the mountain men in Montana were French (or French-Canadian). Overall, though, you have a point. French immigration has never reached the scale of what the U.S. has had from England, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Scotland, China, Italy, Poland, and more recently countries like Mexico, Vietnam, and Japan. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/112 "2006-06-10T21:49:35Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > The previous two posters have mentioned the Louisiana purchase. Don’t forget what a huge chunk of the U.S. Napoleon purchased for France. Actually, I don’t believe WS was in the LAP. I hate to bolster that swamp idea Mark Twain began, but Arkansas Post was moved about by the French and eventually failed because it continually flooded. Of course, it had to be near the river to be a trading post. 🙂 My point being, I don’t think there was a great rush of French settlers like there was in New England. Just some really unsocial guys looking for furs, and of course the Spaniards looking for gold. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/113 "2006-06-10T23:56:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Actually, I don’t believe WS was in the LAP. I apologize. Wisconsin is of course abbreviated WI. Things for my state, AR often wind up in Alaska, AK. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/114 "2006-06-11T00:13:19Z")
Also, in regard to the French, if we consider “everbody” from the OP, the French don’t exactly have a stellar record in regard to to their colonial exploits. The “Hanoi Hilton” with its tiger cages was built by the French for use on the Vietnamese. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/115 "2006-06-11T02:34:18Z")
> [@severus](#): > > Oh, and **RickJay** , if I have the time, I’ll try to find what were the arguments in favour of the clauses of bill 101 dealing with commercial signage when it was promulgated. Well, the arguments are no different from the arguments for any other of Quebec’s past or present language laws; the theory that, unless French is legally protected as the language of choice to some degree, it’ll be overwhelmed by English. This is certainly not a belief that is entirely without merit; other minority languages have vanished in various times and places. It seems a bit spurious in Quebec, where French has never been seriously in danger of winking out of existence. I think part of the animosity around this sort of thing can be attributed to two points; 1. English Canadians generally do not appreciate how French Canadians were treated in the past, and 2. Everything the government of Quebec is doing is rooted in the past. It’s plainly the truth that for a hundred years the Francophone was treated as a second class citizen in his own country. It’s also plainly true, however, that it hasn’t been that way for forty years and it’s silly to pass laws as if it still is. But on both sides you have some folks who don’t want to learn the truth. > [@](#): > > The only sensible thing to do is not to touch anything. This is why every attempt to do large modifications to Canada’s constitution since 1982, to accommodate English-speakers, French-speakers and aboriginals has failed. But of course, this has the effect of making a lot of people unhappy about the status quo. It’s not obvious what should be done about Canada. But you answered your own question. **Nothing has to be done.** The country works phenomenally well. It would be the height of stupidity to do anything more than the usual evolutionary, day-to-day stuff. However, while there are many compelling reasons to ensure that commercial signage in Quebec is in French, I must say that none of the reasons to have it _only_ in French that I’ve thought about seem compelling to me. In other words, you’re probably right that this was a mistake on the part of the government. But even though it might have been seen as an attack on English in the rest of Canada, I don’t think it was the intention. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![seenidog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@seenidog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seenidog)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/116 "2006-06-11T04:09:31Z")
The french are just so full of themselves and so damn unlovable. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/117 "2006-06-11T05:49:19Z")
The French also conduct systematic industrial espionage on the United States. Airbus is founded on stolen secrets from Boeing. That and the fact that they don’t care what kinds of crooks they deal with. One reason they were opposed to the Iraq war was they were up to their eyeballs in dealls with Saddam. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/118 "2006-06-11T10:59:32Z")
> [@Happy Wanderer](#): > > The French also conduct systematic industrial espionage on the United States. This is not an exclusively French habit; it’s big business for everyone. [/quote] > [@](#): > > That and the fact that they don’t care what kinds of crooks they deal with. One reason they were opposed to the Iraq war was they were up to their eyeballs in dealls with Saddam. A) this is a very tenuous claim, and B) [_Cough_](http://cnparm.home.texas.net/911/Backg/Rumsfeld-Saddam.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/119 "2006-06-11T13:12:53Z")
> [@Happy Wanderer](#): > > The French also conduct systematic industrial espionage on the United States. And the reserve is largely true, though apparently you don’t hear about it. Industrial spying in allied countries became one of the main businesses of western intelligence services after the fall of the Soviet Union. Actually, the USA is the country french high tech companies are the most concerned about regarding industrial spying. And apart industrial “technical” spying , there is also spying when important companies are in concurrence to sign important contracts. I thought I would mention it since you mentionned Airbus/Boeing and one of the last such cases that made the paper (these issues rarely do, that’s “gentlemen spying”, after all) precisely involved the USA spying on Airbus on behalf of Boeing. > [@](#): > > . One reason they were opposed to the Iraq war was they were up to their eyeballs in dealls with Saddam. This motive doesn’t make sense. Keep in mind that everybody knew well in advance that the USA would attack Irak no matter what and that everybody too knew who would win, and ask yourself what french companies that had interests in Irak or could potentially have interests in Irak were lobbying for at this time. Yes, you found the right answer : in favor of a french involvment so that they could keep their contracts/ sign new juicy ones after the war. The french position re the war in Irak was politically, not economically, motivated. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814/120 "2006-06-11T14:09:52Z")
Americans blame France for the mime, strange clowns, strangers kissing, and snails at dinner. We also want you to take Jerry Louis. Please! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-the-french/359814.md?page=7)