h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It was my understanding that the effort to seperate the Canuck (French-Canadian) province of Quebec from the rest of the country failed a popular vote, and that was to be the end of that. Sorry to hear it is still going on.

As for why the British hate the French, I can give the root: the royals. France inflicted the royal line on Britain, when William the Norman invaded and conquered. From Edward II the ineffectual pansy to George III the gibbering mad, all of them came from French stock.

As for why Americans hate them... I don't think we do, but the French sure do hate us. I can understand why, though. They pride themselves on wine... California makes some that are better, especially the whites. They pride themselves on cheeses... once again you have to nod at California, and Wisconsin also deserves credit there. Paris was once the center of culture, but now it is Los Angeles. Paris was once the center of fashion, but Milan and New York have toppled them. They have a long and proud history, but now find that they aren't the best at anything anymore... and then, to add humilation to insult, a bunch of English speaking people had to bail them out of two world wars. Oh yeah, they hate us all, now.

For the benefit of those of you who weren't paying attention and were preparing to flame me, everything but that first line was satire.

Seems we're not welcome to answer the thread's subject question. What a pity.

I thought by now that the royals were claiming more German descent (Victoria and Albert) or even Dutch (William and Mary, the Glorious revolution and all that) than French.

Regarding European royalty, there seems to have been so much international inbreeding going on that it's hard to tell where any of them *really* came from, though if any country was going to get blamed by the English for supplying us with royalty, I would agree with Phil that Germany would be the likeliest current target, but for tha fact that many true UK xenophobes are also strongly royalist.

I'm not desperately well informed about the blood-lines, but I think William I was mainly Scandinavian by descent anyway, (I thought that's where his claim to the English throne came from), and he pretty quickly became king of England and (bits of) France, rather than the other way around.

The royalty point does rather raise the question of what nationality actually *is* in a migrating world - is it just a matter of where you were born, where your parents (or grandparents, etc.) were born, what language(s) or dialect(s) you speak, where your political allegiances lie, or even which nation you have the best chance of representing at international sport? Is your nationality just a matter of your opinion, what it says on your passport, or what other people think?

Anyway, getting back to the question, I reckon most of the asnwer is simply that England and France are neighbours. Generally speaking, it's far more likely that people are going to get annoyed by (or envious of) stuff their neighbours do than things someone does a few blocks away.

Regarding why *some* strongly nationalistic French people may dislike the UK (and US), I think CS (GB) is right - their relative decline as a world power with the advent of the Anglo-Saxon industrial revolution and particularly the growth of English as a world language must be frustrating. Going further back, fact that both Britain and Spain ended up colonising large areas of the Americas, whereas the French, who were there in some numbers from quite early on, did not can hardly be pleasant either. More recent events such as the Royal Navy sinking a port-full of French warships at the start of WW2 still cause understandable bitterness to some people.

I am still in doubt as to whether history can really be a basis for a hatred of a whole race. Well, second WW I will accept because we will have (some of us) been instilled by our parents who may have had first hand experience. but way back. ??

Usually prejudices and xenophobia are held by people who are not really well informed, or (quite commonly ) haven't ever had anything to do with whoever it is they proclaim to detest. I can*t imagine the "riffraff" getting worked up over WilliamandMary or Calais or whatever issues bothered the Tudors/Stuarts/Plantaganets.

So where does this come from? I have just been reading the chapter on this subject in D Golemans "Emotional Intelligence* and he puts it down to upbringing and values instilled by one's parents. This I can't believe 100% because that would make me anti-98% of the people I have to do with.

Another interesting aside: I also read recently that someone in America has discovered that when the brain deteriorates with old age, it takes with it firstly the "tolerance" part. Which explains why old people are so intolerant and bitchy. I had always wondered about this, because I would have thought hanging around on this planet for 80 years would give you more understanding of how people tick, not less.

"Why face the human question, the need to hate?"

Line from a great song. There's something very human about hatred, no matter what it's directed at. We all have our hates, some we're more willing to admit to than others. Can't deny that.
There's prolly some deep psychological thing that explains this. Bluergh. Like we need every emotion and thought in us examined and cross-referenced by men in white suits. Like, we need blinking Reasons attatched to everything...

Watch it when you go jumping in to explain these things. You might go over-complicating it, and then go missing out on the basic reasons behind hatehatehate.

I'm not sure that history is a *basis*, more that it can be fuel for an existing fire. To an extent, I suppose it depends how people define themselves.
If, as I suspect is the case for those people who give violent vent to their xenophobia in Real Life, the greatest thing someone has to be proud of is simply the country they happened to be born in, then any fact or fable, however old, can be used to make them feel superior.
That said, even if people these days don't refer directly to history, some prejudices resulting from events long past can rather infect the national psyche or language, and still have some effect long after the original cause has been forgotten.

In the case of serious xenophobia or nationalism, I'm sure upbringing does have something to do with it, both through simply following prejudices, and by the important feedback effect that those prejudices can so stunt the learning process that they take can take a long time (or forever) to be abandoned, much like extreme intolerant varieties of religion.

There will always be a few people around who profit by stirring things up as well. When it comes to cheap Union-Jack-waving racial slurs by Europhobic tabloid newspapers owned by an ex-Australian who's now an American, and whose companies manage to manouvre their way out of paying most UK taxes, it would almost be humourous if it weren't so pathetic.

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Heather, that's not a humungusly long posting

Trillian's Child. You made some comment about William and Mary. People do still get VERY worked up about some of the things that they did and get worked up about being able to associate with them after a fashion. Part of the problem with NI is that a particular group of people still want to celebrate when William of Orange crossed the sea in 1690 and defeated James by the river boyne.

Hah! yes. You caught me out there. What are we going to tell Tuna Sandwich? I think the best thing is to recommend reading Bill Bryson for a start.

Yes, notes from a small island by bryson should be required reading.
I think we should tell her also that everything is smaller, so don't stand in doorways at the top of stairs/escalators etc and that the first floor isn't ground level

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I think, in a nutshell, the big problem that the British (especially the English have) is history. That and the French "national pride". Which we see as a misplaced superiority/snobbishness problem. Let's face it, if the Germans behaved the same way as the French (40% French music on radio - or whatever the real percentage is, the language/culture protection thing etc.) we would start talking about a revival of the IIIrd Reich. The English (for they are the ones with the real problem with this) would like (imo) to show some national pride - but then get stamped on (especially by the Scottish) because of our Colonial history.

It's all a load of rubbish anyway. Some of my best friends are French and some of my worst enemies (well, I don't think it's that strong really) are from my home town. So it just goes to show. Somehow.

Actually Bryson's Notes from a Big Country would possiblyalso be a good idea, since she wan'ts to know how the British view Americans too.

And the one on Europe, because once you travel to the UK from the USA, you may as well take in the rest as well!

English hating French: when I asked about this originally, my intent was light-hearted. Most of the postings have been v. interesting, but one or two are worryingly 'heavy'. I like light.

Advice for Americans visiting UK: though I don't suffer from these, don't talk too loudly, don't expect people to be too neighborly, and don't tell everyone how things compare with back home unless they really want to know.

In London, avoid looking into anyone's eyes on public transport. Either read a book, look at the floor, read the adverts in the tube carriage, or gaze into infinity.

One other point well worth remembering is that (one-way systems aside), traffic drives on the *left-hand* side of the road. Make a point of looking *both* ways before crossing the street. There are also many cyclists around in London, sometimes passing traffic on either side. Be sure to look out for them, especially if making your way through stationary vehicles.

London Taxis (ie traditional black cabs) are generally well-kept, and the drivers have passed rigourous tests to ensure they should know where they're going.
The same cannot always be said for minicabs (ie cars used as taxis by less-regulated drivers), even though many minicab companies are decently run.

If you have a fondness for beer of the mainstream US variety, which is usually called 'lager' over here, I'd suggest avoiding any with 'Made in the UK' on the label, if possible.
Beck's (German) or *imported* Grolsch (Holland) are recommended.

If trying traditional UK beer, generally called 'bitter' or 'real ale', if you don't like one kind, keep trying. There are many kinds, and a great variety in flavour. Some bars (pubs) don't keep their draft beer terribly well, so find someone who cares about beer, and ask their opinion of where to drink, and where not to drink.

Go to the first branch of Boots you see. Whatever you need, you'll find there anyway. I won't tell you any more, let it be a surprise.

i cant think of any beers imported from france here in the states.am i missing anything to hate