Ask HN: Why was it hard to criticize Freedom Fries hysteria while it lasted?

This question is, of course, related to Russia's invasion and the various reactions in so called Western countries.

Recently, the main dairy company of Sweden cancelled Kefir (Russian Yoghurt), with a political explanation that the logo looks similar to the famous church near the Red Square. And there's been a lot of these things lately. When I've talked to friends and acquaintances about it, we can agree that it's a ridiculous thing that doesn't change anything. Yet, in PR, media, and other popularity-based professions, there seems to be a very different arrangement of perspectives and emotions.

In my opinion, this is an era where more people should be exposed to Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent" and similar perspectives, but all we get is some sort of synthetic flock mentality.

I was too young to notice all the details in people's behaviour in the post-2001 political climate (and I've never been to the US). Anyone with some interesting perspectives who remembers?

Was it hard? People certainly did make fun of it.

The United States were not the aggressors but the victims (putting it simplistically), much like Ukraine is. In the moment, Americans wanted allies to help them hunt down terrorists who committed, supported and/or funded 9/11. France was not the most willing ally and thus Americans, for better or for worse, became somewhat anti-French. The "Freedom Fries" craze was in-name-only though; it's not like McDs or Burger King literally renamed or stopped serving fries.

> "In a 2005 opinion poll by Gallup, participants were asked if they felt the renaming of French fries and toast was "a silly idea or a sincere expression of patriotism;" 66% answered it was silly, 33% answered it was patriotic, and 1% had no opinion."

The name was changed even though it was a crazy thing for many people. I assume that a new type of political correctness emerged in at least some places, that prevented people from saying "Hey, this sucks, it's ridiculous".

I remember there being a few news stories about them being called "Freedom Fries" but nobody outside of the TV called them anything other than French Fries.