This morning I woke up to a talk radio show interviewing a local business man. He's the owner of a place called "French Cleaners" who, as you might have guessed, changed the name of his establishment to the now trendy, yet bafoonishly predictable "Freedom Cleaners".

Nobody has had more fun with the whole exchanging the word "French" with "Freedom" (i.e Freedom Fries/Freedom Toast) craze that's sweeping the nation then yours truly. But when I have to wake up in the morning to listen to some dickwad talk about re-christening his store to "Freedom Cleaners" I've decided enough is enough. I think I should talk a little about this whole mess in order to settle things up a bit. Of course most likely I'll start World war III, but I'll do my best not too.

Anyways, before I started writing, I read an entry my "Freedom Canadian" pal Hapithoughts asked a question that seemed to be related to the topic I wished to discuss.

Anyways, Hapi writes....

I'm going to claim ignorance on this one. But I need to ask, do the majority of Americans feel that the reason they are disliked is because they are "greater" or "more powerful" than a lot of other nations? Do you feel that the hatred directed towards you is really misplaced jealousy? If you don't think it's misplaced jelousy that your nation is "successful", then what do you feel it is?

As an American that was born in France, I feel uniquely qualified to address this. (Disclaimer: I reserve the right to deny my French heritage if the social climate in this country gets to the point where people are dragging staff out of French Restaurants and beating them in the streets.)

First, I want to say that I don't care what country you live in, people are not that different. We like to think we are...but we're really not.

Ducks are really different from polar bears. The French an Americans are not that much different, and if you could tell a Canadian from an American, buddy you're a better man than I. I'm not saying we don't have our differences. But soon enough it becomes that whatever differences we have between us, becomes the staple for who we are.

Case in point, I could introduce you to some seemingly level-headed Americans that would swear up and down on a bible that fell from the sky that the French people walk around shoving cheese in their mouths, quoting Jerry Lewis all day, everyday.

When they meet my parents they're staggered that they're not living up to their expectations.

My father has gotten the Jerry Lewis question a number of times, and always answers the same. "I've never seen a Jerry Lewis film in my life, you idiot cocksucker!"

I love my dad.

Witnessing this on a number of occasions draws me to the conclusion that there just might be other people, in other countries with these same types of sterotypical misjudgments.

I'm sure Scotty MacScotland might raise a brow if I told him I've never seen a John Wayne flick.

My personal feelings on this whole "Hatred of America" thing is rather simple. The media loves it.

Not only does the media love it, we love it! We love being on teams, and rooting for our side, and shouting out why you suck, and we don't, and everything else you learned on the playground in 4th grade.

Why does "everybody" hate the US? They don't. I honestly think the average Joe in Canada/Europe don't think about America often enough to form an opinion, just like most Americans don't think about France enough to have an opinion.

It's all the idiot, hyped up on coffee, conspiracy theorist, loudmouths that get all the press.

Let's face it, nobody marches for a "We don't think about America too much. They're OK we guess" cause. I think they're the majority voice that's not getting heard.

And then the fucking war comes and people will have you believe we're a bunch of fucking orcs over here.

Well we are, but orcs need love too.

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