perfidy

I must not think bad thoughts, or the person who writes under that name, has a post up about a supposed smear campaign by the US government against the French. It's interesting, especially in the aftermath of the Private Lynch: Daring Rescue, Or Street Theatre? flap the BBC perpetrated. Not to mention L'Affaire Blaine. The news is practically mental poison half the time anyway, and pretty much anybody can cite a statistic, couch it in a pungent turn of phrase, and throw it out there as "fact," whaver that is. Who believes the news anymore, anyway? Except for American Idol news. We like that.

In a related note, a couple weeks ago, I was out West* visiting some friends. These friends happen to be European and Europhiles, who have spent a substantial amount of time in France. We were arguing as people do these days over just who is the bigger a-hole, France or the USA. Both friends agreed that I would love France and the French, because, after all, I'm just like them.

After I regained my breath, I thought about it, and you know what? (shudder)

they're right.

Arrogant? Check!
Self-Important? Check!
Evangelical about (their particular) republican ideals? Check!
Certain they're right in all things? Oh, check! Check! Check!
Keen fashion sense and refined palate? Why, check, thank you!

Bottom line is, we might hate them, and they us, but it's only because culturally, we're more alike than most other peoples are. Kind of like brothers. They're the stinky ones who play in the band and collect bugs, and we're the good-looking atheletes who also volunteer time at the local shelter and excel at math. Yup, brothers.

*West, in New-England speak, refers to any locale from Worcester, MA, to Los Angeles or Seattle. I was out West.