The author says he did not intend his quip to be taken seriously. “The tone of these articles is very, very light,” he told me. “I cannot imagine seriously disparaging France or the French - let alone the bravery of French soldiers - and I regret some readers interpreted it in that way.”

Like cliches, stereotypes are familiar and overused - reason enough to delete them from any draft article - but stereotypes are cliches with a kick because they have the ability to offend, insult and alienate. They’re an invitation to agree with limiting, questionable, generalisations and fixed ideas - writers shouldn’t be surprised when readers decline.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/apr/28/pressandpublishing

It is very easy to lie to the American people: Most of them are unable to understand any language apart from English, and they have no source of information apart US and UK’s ones. Given the 1000 years old rivalry (and friendship too…) between UK and France, it is difficult to say that their official point of view is completely fair. The Americans should remember that their former Kingdom lies just 20 miles away from France, took about 25% of its language into theirs, and an important part of its genetic pool.

Anyway, this bashing might have a deeper motive: Maybe some kind of fear to realize that after having been nearly destroyed twice in the XX-th century, France is still living, with its industry, its language, its culture, and still do not plan to be a satellite country of USA.

Despite that, Americans are welcome in France, and we generally consider us as friends of USA and UK - whatever the way their Government intoxicate them.

If you want to have a more accurate idea of what France really is, just ask to the millions of British people going to France what they saw.

We used to have a couple of PDFs on the old site, and FAQ, I’ll see if I can locate it as a starting point.

Great idea, André! Would be happy TO POST such Francophile handbook on my own blog page and if you permit, would appreciate signing the handbook when it’s out.

Now, the pamphlet would be in prose; brief, clear, poignant. I’d say one A4 page in Times New Roman 12 should do. That would make it brief enough to be read quickly and without getting bored. The text must be both gripping and concise, making use of the elements of classical rhethorics in order to shock the reader and make him understand our plight.

The text would be signed in name of both Frenchmen and expats.

I could give it a go, but I need material. We need to decide what “matter” we intend to cram into the pamphlet and what we intend to leave out.

The bashers couldn’t care less, but, as a movement, it would make us be known. Of course, the manifesto would include references to Miquelon.org and Superfrenchie.com as our organizing centres, and so that people may visit the sites and be informed. What say you?

“Those were the good old days of Freedom Fries and Liberty Kissing.”

Yeah, four years of hell for French Expatriates… Ask anyone at Miquelon.org or SuperFrenchie.com “

http://dealbreaker.com/2008/04/china_now_carrying_the_torch_f.php