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CNN Saturday Morning News

What is it Like for American's Living in France

Aired March 15, 2003 - 07:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Ah, Paris. Millions of American tourists go there each year, I believe about 2 million, actually, to soak in its culture, monuments, and museums. But in this country, French-bashing is on the rise ever since France became such a vocal opponent of the U.S. stance on Iraq.
So we wondered, what is it like for an American living in France?

Joining me from Paris to talk about that is James Lowenstein, the former deputy assistant secretary of state for European affairs.

Mr. Lowenstein, thanks very much for being with us.

You spend a lot of time in France. You're in Paris right now. What is it like there? I mean, what is your interaction with the French? How are they responding to you as an American?

JAMES LOWENSTEIN, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, let me say that I spend half my time in France and half my time in the United States. So I see it from both sides.

As far as the French reaction to French-bashing in the United States, it hasn't been really acute yet. There has been much more coverage in the French press of the British bashing of the French than the American bashing of the French. That has begun to change in the last few days.

And now the French understand that they really have a serious crisis in the relationship with Americans.

Incidentally, let me say, there's a big difference I see between the anti-Americanism in France that's more or less been here traditionally, and the French-bashing in the United States. The anti- Americanism in France is really an opposition to the politics and policies of the administration. It really isn't anti-Americans qua Americans.

Whereas my impression is that the French-bashing in the United States is a sort of indiscriminate bitter reaction against French policy, French politics, the French, and all things French.

So I see a difference between those two...

COOPER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- I mean...

LOWENSTEIN: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE) behaviors, if you will. COOPER: ... obviously there are some people who disagree with you, saying that, you know, that there is sort of anti-Americanism among some French people that goes back well before this.

But I'm curious to know, in what you're hearing from French people, how much of this is opposition to President Bush and how much is opposition to the actual policy? I mean, if Bill Clinton, who, I believe, was quite popular in France, had this policy, would French reaction be the same, do you think?

LOWENSTEIN: Well, it depends on who you're talking to. I mean, generally, this is opposition to the administration's policy, the whole business of going to war against Iraq. And, of course, people tend to personalize that in the same way that the French-bashers tend to personalize it with respect to President Chirac.

However, I have to say that I certainly have not had any unpleasant experiences at all in the last month that I've been here. On the contrary, people go out of their way to say, This really has nothing to do with admiration, respect, and love for Americans, it is simply a question of disagreeing with the politics of your country.

COOPER: Well, let me ask. You just mentioned a moment ago that a lot of people are now just sort of -- in France are just sort of coming around to the realization of how serious, you know, the anger is in the United States among some people toward the French stance.

There was an article in "The Wall Street Journal" just a couple days ago which basically said that both French leader -- government leaders and everyday people there don't really think that this is going to have any long-term impact on U.S.-Franco relations.

And, you know, there's a Web site, Andrew Sullivan, a writer here in the United States, on his Web site was saying, you know, not only should this have an impact, but it should also, perhaps the French should be cut out of any future relations with Iraq in -- or any trade relations in a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.

Do the French realize how serious Americans feel about this?

LOWENSTEIN: Yes, I think they're just beginning to worry that despite the statements of President Chirac and Foreign Minister Villepin, that this stand that they're taking at the United Nations will not affect their relationship with the United States.

I think they're beginning to realize now that there is a danger, a danger that there will be a consumer backlash in the United States, a danger that industrial cooperation will suffer, a danger that they will be cut out of the postwar Iraqi reconstruction, and even a danger that, if Americans want to go that far, that American investors will begin to pull out of the French stock market.

COOPER: But just very briefly, no doubt that -- there's no chance in the last minute that France is going to switch sides, as some thinkers had sort of said, predicted earlier on, that they might change their opinion when they saw that this was a done deal, that war was inevitable?

LOWENSTEIN: Well, I think that's very difficult to predict. I think there's always a chance that countries change their policies at the last minute, depending on the circumstances. I wouldn't want to hazard a guess.

COOPER: All right. We're going to have to leave it there. James Lowenstein, appreciate you joining us from Paris. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired March 15, 2003 - 07:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Ah, Paris. Millions of American tourists go there each year, I believe about 2 million, actually, to soak in its culture, monuments, and museums. But in this country, French-bashing is on the rise ever since France became such a vocal opponent of the U.S. stance on Iraq.
So we wondered, what is it like for an American living in France?

Joining me from Paris to talk about that is James Lowenstein, the former deputy assistant secretary of state for European affairs.

Mr. Lowenstein, thanks very much for being with us.

You spend a lot of time in France. You're in Paris right now. What is it like there? I mean, what is your interaction with the French? How are they responding to you as an American?

JAMES LOWENSTEIN, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, let me say that I spend half my time in France and half my time in the United States. So I see it from both sides.

As far as the French reaction to French-bashing in the United States, it hasn't been really acute yet. There has been much more coverage in the French press of the British bashing of the French than the American bashing of the French. That has begun to change in the last few days.

And now the French understand that they really have a serious crisis in the relationship with Americans.

Incidentally, let me say, there's a big difference I see between the anti-Americanism in France that's more or less been here traditionally, and the French-bashing in the United States. The anti- Americanism in France is really an opposition to the politics and policies of the administration. It really isn't anti-Americans qua Americans.

Whereas my impression is that the French-bashing in the United States is a sort of indiscriminate bitter reaction against French policy, French politics, the French, and all things French.

So I see a difference between those two...

COOPER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- I mean...

LOWENSTEIN: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE) behaviors, if you will. COOPER: ... obviously there are some people who disagree with you, saying that, you know, that there is sort of anti-Americanism among some French people that goes back well before this.

But I'm curious to know, in what you're hearing from French people, how much of this is opposition to President Bush and how much is opposition to the actual policy? I mean, if Bill Clinton, who, I believe, was quite popular in France, had this policy, would French reaction be the same, do you think?

LOWENSTEIN: Well, it depends on who you're talking to. I mean, generally, this is opposition to the administration's policy, the whole business of going to war against Iraq. And, of course, people tend to personalize that in the same way that the French-bashers tend to personalize it with respect to President Chirac.

However, I have to say that I certainly have not had any unpleasant experiences at all in the last month that I've been here. On the contrary, people go out of their way to say, This really has nothing to do with admiration, respect, and love for Americans, it is simply a question of disagreeing with the politics of your country.

COOPER: Well, let me ask. You just mentioned a moment ago that a lot of people are now just sort of -- in France are just sort of coming around to the realization of how serious, you know, the anger is in the United States among some people toward the French stance.

There was an article in "The Wall Street Journal" just a couple days ago which basically said that both French leader -- government leaders and everyday people there don't really think that this is going to have any long-term impact on U.S.-Franco relations.

And, you know, there's a Web site, Andrew Sullivan, a writer here in the United States, on his Web site was saying, you know, not only should this have an impact, but it should also, perhaps the French should be cut out of any future relations with Iraq in -- or any trade relations in a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.

Do the French realize how serious Americans feel about this?

LOWENSTEIN: Yes, I think they're just beginning to worry that despite the statements of President Chirac and Foreign Minister Villepin, that this stand that they're taking at the United Nations will not affect their relationship with the United States.

I think they're beginning to realize now that there is a danger, a danger that there will be a consumer backlash in the United States, a danger that industrial cooperation will suffer, a danger that they will be cut out of the postwar Iraqi reconstruction, and even a danger that, if Americans want to go that far, that American investors will begin to pull out of the French stock market.

COOPER: But just very briefly, no doubt that -- there's no chance in the last minute that France is going to switch sides, as some thinkers had sort of said, predicted earlier on, that they might change their opinion when they saw that this was a done deal, that war was inevitable?

LOWENSTEIN: Well, I think that's very difficult to predict. I think there's always a chance that countries change their policies at the last minute, depending on the circumstances. I wouldn't want to hazard a guess.

COOPER: All right. We're going to have to leave it there. James Lowenstein, appreciate you joining us from Paris. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com