Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucla-cs.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!hao!hplabs!sdcrdcf!trwrb!cepu!ucla-cs!trav From: trav@ucla-cs.UUCP Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: DeGaulle and the French Message-ID: <4028@ucla-cs.ARPA> Date: Thu, 21-Feb-85 20:55:13 EST Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.4028 Posted: Thu Feb 21 20:55:13 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 28-Feb-85 12:32:24 EST References: <3907@ucla-cs.ARPA> <338@abnji.UUCP> Reply-To: trav@ucla-cs.UUCP (Pascal Traverse) Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department Lines: 38 Summary: About France and the United States. (As I am quitting these countries (USA & Netland), I will post a global point of view, and let you flame it, if you need it, without me.) Let us define what is a leading power, as this notion is important to understand the relationship between France and the USA. A leading power, according me, is one of the most powerful nation, on a cultural, economic, and military point of view. The status of being a leading power implies from a less powerful country two things: - fear and hope, - attraction and rejection. For example: - fear of being invaded, of not having a free choice, to have its culture degraded, fear of economic concurrency from the leading power - hope of being freed, and helped (like with the Marshall plan after WWII) by the leading power - attraction by the power and its manifestation, including self-confidence, feeling that history is going in your direction,..., - rejection of a model coming from outside Now, consider that for centuries, France (and England and a few others sometimes) was a leading power. Consider also that in 2 centuries, the USA from being leaded by France are now leading the world (including France). I think this feeling of having being passed exacerbates the fear/hope and attraction/rejection between the leaded France and the American leader. If it seems that the rejection (fear is mainly visible as a rejection) is the most widely recognized, don't forget the hope-attraction aspect. It is particularly lively in France, even if it is not the kind of things one shows to an American. -- Pascal Traverse UCLA Computer Science Department 3732 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, CA 90024 // (213) 825-4885 ARPA: trav@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA UUCP: ...!{cepu,ihnp4,trwspp,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!trav