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Thursday, April 17, 2003

Antiamericanism and francophobia

First why can I write anti-americanism in English but I have to use a Greek suffix for Francophobia ?
So European anti-americanism. I remember reading about this in about 1977. The example was two Austrians who were shocked that a statunitense (US citizen and why can't I write that in English) asked them to sing Walzing Mathilde (an Australian song). Oddly this episode has stuck in my mind. Long ago I decided that these Austrians' problem is that they had no sense of humor. In any case since then, when I think of the topic of European antiamericanism I find myself singing "Walsung Mathilde Walsung Mathilde Walsung ...". This is getting serious because what with the war in Iraq and all I'm getting on my nerves.

I am extremely sensitive to antiamericanism (I am statunitense just in case anyone who doesn't personally know me reads this).

On the other hand, I haven't personally detected any anti-americanism recently (last time was one or two people in a crowd of over one million). Then again I don't live in Europe, I live in Italy.

Now about Francophobia. Leaving a seminar in which Rick van der Ploeg presented models in which a progressive income tax and generous unemployment benefits can promote high employment, a colleague of mine, who is married to an American and who might not like criticisms of seminars which he saved for after the talk to be quoted for attribution, noted that the Rick van der Ploeg had not explained why what works in Rick van der Ploeg 's native Netherlands does not work in France or Germany ( a contrast mentioned in the talk)
Robert Well Germany has high unemployment partly because of reunification
Anon What about France ?
Robert They are (shudder) French.
Anon You Americans are so Francophobic. My wife won't ever agree to go to France on vacation. Come on, they helped you win independence.
Robert Yeah so instead of groaning under the tyranny of Tony Blair we get George Bush. Big Thanks.

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