Did the book address the topic of rapes by US soldiers? This was a big issue after liberation, and still is a major issue near US bases nowadays (in particular Okinawa).
112 Gripes About the French
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Re: 112 Gripes About the French
#32I find this an embarrassingly entertaining read! I particularly like this bit: “The French are not up-to-date. They’re not modern. They’re living in the past." “… The World Almanac for 1945 concludes that as far as social legislation is concerned, "France is in the vanguard" .. The French were certainly up-to-date in establishing old age pensions, compulsory insurance against illness, disability and death, maternity…
Nobody worked 40 hours weeks after the war in France, except maybe civil servants.
Re: 112 Gripes About the French
#33The answers to each gripe are simple, straightforward and convincing. I love how it's written.
It's prejudice vs logic and wisdom.
Re: 112 Gripes About the French
#34Interesting. I always had the impression, the US citizens and french citizen where buddies. Because of the independence war and the statue and everything.
Not sure if you are joking? > France is the country with the deepest, most sedimented reservoir of anti-American arguments. Its long genealogy has been well documented over the years, most recently by Philippe Roger, who argues that French anti- Americanism is older than the United States (Roger 2002). https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/meunierces...
France is well know as being the little Russia and certainly a deep reserve of anti American sentiment. Mostly due to media and education brainwashing.
Re: 112 Gripes About the French
#35I like the French translation, Our Friends the French
Re: 112 Gripes About the French
#36I find this an embarrassingly entertaining read! I particularly like this bit: “The French are not up-to-date. They’re not modern. They’re living in the past." “… The World Almanac for 1945 concludes that as far as social legislation is concerned, "France is in the vanguard" .. The French were certainly up-to-date in establishing old age pensions, compulsory insurance against illness, disability and death, maternity…
> Clearly the author views theses social policies positively. I wander if that was what the average American thought back in 45.
Probably most of those who voted for Roosevelt in 1944 and some others who voted for Dewey for other reasons. The results of Roosevelt's New Deal led to a comparatively wide support of social policies in the US for decades.
Re: 112 Gripes About the French
#37Interesting. I always had the impression, the US citizens and french citizen where buddies. Because of the independence war and the statue and everything.
Not sure if you are joking? > France is the country with the deepest, most sedimented reservoir of anti-American arguments. Its long genealogy has been well documented over the years, most recently by Philippe Roger, who argues that French anti- Americanism is older than the United States (Roger 2002). https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/meunierces...
Admittedly I'm not clicking on the link (2002 is peak antipathy both ways due to Iraq war build-up), but I've seen similar stuff that doesn't account for French people have a negative attitude towards everything compared to other countries. If you ask French people in a poll whether they approve of something they are much more likely to disapprove
Re: 112 Gripes About the French
#38Does anyone know whether this had any impact on relations?
My experience with seeing discussions online doesn't give me much confidence in the persuasive ability of "here are logical reasons why what you're feeling is wrong".
Re: 112 Gripes About the French
#39As a french, it reminds me very much of the FM 3-24 Counterinsurgency manual: a pragmatic and clear book that tries to make approachable what seems an impossible topic to handle.
That's really a side of the american culture I'd like we promote more.
Also a proof militaries are not devoid of humanism.
Re: 112 Gripes About the French
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not sure if you are joking? > France is the country with the deepest, most sedimented reservoir of anti-American arguments. Its long genealogy has been well documented over the years, most recently by Philippe Roger, who argues that French anti- Americanism is older than the United States (Roger 2002). https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/meunierces...
France is well know as being the little Russia and certainly a deep reserve of anti American sentiment. Mostly due to media and education brainwashing.
When the USSR broke up, I had a school teacher at the time who said Russia will cease to be an enemy and become like France, an ally that opposes us a lot and causes headaches just out of national pride.