| A question from the Webmaster : Is this site anti-American
or anti-French ? From
time to time, I get messages from American (or French) visitors
complaining that the site is grossly anti-American (or systematically
anti-French). It is, in a way, reassuring to be criticized for
two opposite reasons ! The truth is that it is neither anti-American,
nor anti-French. I know and admire the two countries and the
two civilizations ; the only purpose of this site is to make
Americans better understand France and the French by illustrating
differences with the US and trying to give the reasons for them.
I do not think that when the French do something differently,
it is either BETTER or WORSE. It is just DIFFERENT. Recently,
someone wrote to me : "what do you acheive when you insult
the americans you are writing to in an effort to get them to
see the glories of france" (read more
negative messages). Well, frankly, I do not know how to answer
this question, which looks very strange to me. Since I do not
view the two people as superior vs. inferior, or right vs. wrong,
the question of anti - Americanism or anti - Frenchism of this
site is, for me, meaningless. It may happen that, because I am
French and I do not master the English language well enough,
the way I express things conveys a message different from what
I mean : in this case I do apologize for it. But if it is not
the reason for your being upset about the site, before you write
that it is "anti-American" (or anti-French), ask yourself
: what is it, really, to be anti-American (or anti-French)? Is
it being actively against me or is it just being different ?
Why ? etc... Read more about anti-Americanism
and remember my suggestion : "first
understand, then judge" ! |
About stereotypes... One could say : "this site is
filled with stereotypes" , "this is over-simplifying
and France is not like that, not all the French people react
the way you describe it", etc... Absolutely true. France
is a big country, the French people has multiple aspects and
what I may describe as typically French does not apply to everybody
in France and could be encountered also in Kansas or elsewhere.
But still, certain reactions and values are really typically
French. This site is designed to provide (hopefully) useful advice
to Americans who sometimes do not understand situations and people
in this very different context. Sometimes a good stereotype
can help ! See 112
questions about France by GI's in 1945.
About religion... Is this site anti-religious ? or Am
I anti-religion ? or are the French anti-religion ? The answers
to these three questions are (respectively) : No, No and No.
On my page about religion,
I try to give only facts. Why do I sometimes get such violent
emails ?
Philippe Rochefort
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