France, the U.S., Myth and Reality.

It is one of the contentions of this Blog that France and the U.S. have a lot more in common than is usually believed. While there are notorious differences between the two countries, the similarities can be striking and they may very well be the reason why the two nations tend to disagree so much and even clash on the international stage. Both nations believe that their values are not only unique but also universal and that they should be spread. This can be partly explained by their view on their founding revolutions which have become national mythical events. However, such an idealistic vision of the past can easily lead to a denial of reality in the present. But sometimes reality strikes back at you.
This is what has happened with Katrina, and Iraq in the U.S. or with the riots in France. I find it particularly ironic that politicians and pundits in both countries have reveled so much in mocking each other’s perceived flaws and hypocrisies while failing to see their own just when the people go through some painful soul-searching anxiety.
It is also ironic to see that both governments’ failures can be traced back to a wrong assessment of reality.