Mon cher Porco Rosso,
I tried to answer to the original thread and not to divagate about which is what.
Eastern Europe's situation is well known. Miserable salaries and etc, but it was just an answer to a question. I underlined that they might be more open to americans that's all. Americans being cools to them(eastern europeans) not to french people.
I appreciate France, it is a great nation, great culture, great history and IT HAD ITS TIME IN THE WORLD and maybe someday will have again. European Comunity could become the next superpower, that's very posible, no doubts about.
Don't blame America for being the world only superpower. During history many countries were superpowers. Let me mention just a few: Mesopotania, Siria, Egipt, Greece, Roman Empire, Parthian Empire, Eastern Hordes(too many to mention: huns, avars), Spain, France, England, Germany, Russia and now USA.
Looking through the history (which you should know well) every single country abused its status as power by concquering, enslaving, robing other countries. That includes your beautiful country also. You guys were not such saints when you had the yoke in your hands.
And now is America's time and that might make some countries/people envious...........Tough luck.
Think about.... Only 15 years ago what would have happened if USSR..........I don't want to think about and neither you. Do you believe their "democracy" would have been better?
What about 60 years ago?........How France would have been now if your celebrated national hero would be Petain and not Charles de Gaulle, and what about your beautiful language to have been German? Why did Americans got involved in your Indochina?.....I don't want to answer to that one either.
Americans are just good to be used and abused?
But you did help us during our Revolution. I will give you that.
So bottom line we might have screwed some things from time to time. Nobody is perfect, and what are friends for?......to help....right..........because we always came to your help when you were in need. Right now we have a general feeling all that help in need has been only one way. I don't want to talk about back stabbing and staff.
We may be ignorant, stupids, arrogants. We can not point on the map where Washington DC is, but we don't need to know that because we know somebody is paid to know that. And that's enough. But we are generous also and with all due respect I have a feeling that your country used that quality of ours many times.
We might not have the best system( it could be improved), but it's been working for the last 2 hundred years and we like it. In the same period of time you guys changed 5 republics so far.
Adieu mon ami et vive la France.