Re: Ask a frenchman
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Shouldn't you be more grateful to Americans that you're not speaking German?
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I was expecting that one [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
A typical frenchman would respond "Well shouldn't you be more grateful to the french that you're not an english colony anymore?", but I'll try a more diplomatic approach to the question.
Actually, the french people are very grateful for the US help during WWII and most of us acknowledge that the US saved our butt. However, it was a very hard time for us, and a huge blow to the nation's ego. After WWII, we tried hard to save face and rebuild a nation that could stand on its own. You see, France has a very long and violent political and military history. We are a proud nation. And we were so badly defeated during WWII that we tried very hard to stay independant and regain some of that pride. There lies, I think, most of the tension between our countries for the past 50 years. Gratefulness and pride don't mix very well.
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