In recent times, there has been some anti-French sentiment and a few caustic remarks made regarding our neighbors across the pond. The small number of Franco-Americans, as opposed to other groups such as Japanese Americans or Hispanic Americans, makes it more socially and politically acceptable to hold and express negative stereotypes of the French. This is demonstrated by a 1995 episode of “The Simpson’s”, which calls the country’s residents “cheese eating surrender monkeys,” and the Onion’s sarcastic comment, “in case of emergency, the red and blue parts of the French flag detach for a quick surrender.”
However, it looks like a turning point is on the horizon. With France’s recent decision to finally end a four-decade rift and rejoin military forces with NATO, France is about to become one of our new best friends. This is a very good thing, both for Franco-American relations, and for the global community at large. Joining NATO allies France politically and ideologically with the United States and the rest of the European Union, and will ultimately ease minor tensions that have prevailed since France left NATO militarily.
To understand where our relationship with France is going, we need to look back at our troubled past, starting with Charles de Gaulle. Coming off a French defeat in Vietnam and Algeria in 1955 and 1962, de Gaulle decided to rebuild the pride and morale of the French by resigning from NATO in 1966, removing himself from what he saw as the shadow of the American president. De Gaulle also supported Québec’s independence, recognized Communist China and objected to Britain’s entry into the European community, all of which angered the US. Things have improved slightly under de Gaulle’s successors, but once again, a rough patch was met in contemporary times with President Jacques Chirac. In the wake of their UN Security Council refusal to get behind US proposals supporting military action and ultimately the invasion of Iraq, feelings of betrayal surfaced. A new wave of anti-French sentiment broke out, most memorably when the United States House of Representative Office buildings changed the name of French fries to freedom fries.
Others, such as conservative political commentator Bill O’ Reilly, called for boycotts of French products. Despite the United States’ wrath, France held firm, stating clearly its reason for opposing the war: that it doubted the existence of weapons of mass destruction, that it believed a war would destabilize the Middle East and fail to provide long-term solutions, and that this militaristic course of action would not be consistent with the war on terrorism. France also worried that U.S. military aggression could unite the opposing forces in the entire Middle East. Judging from the current state of affairs, it’s likely that France now feels vindicated by their early stance on the matter. France’s independent, confident and brutally honest nature is exactly what we need in an ally. France was made to be our counterpoint, and call us out on our shortcomings, errors and poor decisions.
Though we may not always see every issue eye to eye, it is through careful analysis and multiple viewpoints that one reaches an informed decision. Perhaps by examining issues from France’s point of view we can begin to improve our own society. For instance, the French government-funded health care model would be of great interest to many people. In addition to bringing France and the US into alignment, the country will also increasingly endear itself to the European global community. This deepening of political and ideological alliances will fall in line neatly with the strengthening economic bond, embodied by the European Union.
While there was conflict between George Bush and Jacques Chirac, things improved when Nicholas Sarkozy was elected president of France in 2007. It had been years since the U.S. had such a good friend in France. Things improved even further with the French’s manic enthusiasm for Obama, termed “Obamania.” Though French forces have been with our own for some time in Afghanistan, Sarkozy’s symbolic decision to rejoin NATO speaks well of our future with France.
Kendra Kirk’s column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at k.kirk@cavalierdaily.com.
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