Page Eight

SCARLET AND BLACK

Friday, October 2|. I?“

 

Arnow Relates Third Year Abroad Experiences

Paris Center of Political Activity;
Anti-Americanism Considered

By MIKE ARNOW

Rather than relate all the ex-

eriences of a year in France.

would like to write about two
mbjects pertaining to this year
which are probably of particu-
lar interest to Grinnellians:
political lite in Paris, and so«
(Jailed French “Anti-Ameri-
oanism”.

Political Activity

Paris. and especially the
student quarter. is n gnldmine
.8 political activity. one of
my ﬁrst eirperlences in stu-
dent political lite was an
evening session sponsored by
the Young Communist Party,
where several North Vietna-
mess “darts showed films
on recent economic develop-
ments in North viet Nam,
and then led n discussion, in-
discriminately calling every-
one “comrade." Several
weels later, French students
marching and chanting to
protest the war in Viet Nam
(“H.S. go horn ' eta).
played a fascinating game at
cat-nud-monse with the police,
through two miles or rush
hour trufﬂe.

But political activity in Par-
is, is not restricted to one point
or view. Fights between the
young communist students and
members of "l’Dccident" (a
right-wing student group dedi~
Gated to the defense of “West-
ern Civilization and Christian-
ity”) are known to occur. Once
I attended a dinnerdiscussinn
on Viet Nam, and was some-
what surprised to ﬁnd that the
chief speaker and all the Viet-
namese present were staunch
advocates or us. military in-
tervention in Viet Nam.

Nor is political activity in Far-
is restricted by age. Last win«
car, there was a meeting of the
French Leit (a rather loose
term which included —— at that
meeting — supporters oi the
French socialist and communist
parties) to protest the kidnap-
ping oi Mehdi Ben Berka,
Moroccan revolutionary who
had been abducted from the
middle of Paris, in broad day-
light, last November. l-ligh ot<
ficiais in the De Gaulie govern-
ment had been implicated in
the “affair", and the chief
speaker of the evening, M.
Francois Mitterand (who had

opposed De Gaulle in the
December election). used
the occasion to deliver a diaa
tribe against the government.

The most interesting as-
speet or this meeting win
that it incimhd a relatively
small proportion or students.
and a large number at
adults, especially those in the
the middle - age category.
These were the people who
identiﬁed tlielnsdlves win:
the traditional French Leitr
the heirs or Jaures: the leg-
acy or L‘eon him and the
popular treat or the 1930's.

Encounter

In addition to meetings of a
strictly partisan nature, there
are a host of meetings or a
more general character; “The
Famine in indi " with
U N r: s c 0 speaker or,
discussions on economic devel-
opment with people in aid
programs in the French
government. But perhaps the
most stimulating political en-
counter I had was a discussion
with an Algerian sociology stu-
dent during a GOO-mile car
He had been active in various
youth projects in Algeria, had
left when Ben Bella was OVSF
thrown, and was so critical of
the Boumedienne regime that
his presence in Algeria would
been considered subversive. He

 

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was very articulate. and his
experiences in youth work in
Algeria were enlightening as to
the social progress being made
in a developing country.

in the past few years, we
have heard a great deal about
French ”anti - Americanism".
Ever - conscious of our world
image, we take this perhaps too
seriously. Certainly, there is
some animosity toward Amelia
Cans, but it should be under-
stood and not exaggerated.
When such animosity does in
tact exist. it is not always sini-
ple to identify the cause. Some-
times an unpleasant personal
experience with an Amercan
may lead to animosity. At oth<
ei- times, it may develop as the
result of rumors or stories about
Americans. Sometimes un-
triendly feelings toward Ameri-
cans may just be part or a rival-
ry which the French have ielt
historically with the AngloSax-
ons.

Chauvinism?

But very onen, therg is an
element or national pride in-
volved. it is not surprising
that the French, who, a cen-
tury and a hall ago regarded
their country as the polltical
and cultural capital or the
world, should be envious of,
or uniriemlly toward, the
giant or the western hemis-
pherc. In fact, the chauvin-
ism which one sometimes
sees in the French attitude
toward their own culture and
civilization may, to a large
degree, he more consolatory
than real. its n French pro<
ressor or political science put
it humorously, “You Ameri-
cans are politically and eco-
nomically our s u p e r l n r.
Therefore, culturally, we are
your superior” (or, “we must
think that we are, to maintain
self-esteem").

But “anti - Americanism" is
not so rampant as many would
believe. In fact, a few distinc:
tions might help to clarify this
notion. First oi all, many
people tend to equate "anti -
Americanism" with the French
desire tor an independent
ioreign policy. Certainly, dir-
ierences or opinion in politics,
ii extreme enough, can lead to
animosity, and Vice verso.

That De Gaulle find: frequent
exception to American tnreigu
policy ls less indicative or ari—
imosity than it is or a desire
to think and act independently
of the United States, and at an
honest difference oi opinion

, lOWA
CLEANERS

120 5TH AVE.
GRlNNELL

about the present world point
Cal situation, That De Gaulle
and some Frenchmen see
themselves as the builders iii
a new Europe is not so symptir
matic of their wish to elevate
France to a position of strength
and prestige in the world
arena.

Second, a distinction should
be made between what the
French {eel (or what De
Gaulle feels, which may not
always be the same thing)
in the realm of international
politics, and how Frenchmen
feel personally toward Ameri-
cans. 1 spoke with a number
of French people who.
regardless or their political
ideas, were quite open-mind-
ed in their personal relatio-
with Americans.

A third distinction which must.
he made is that between “ante
Americanlsm” and the nature or
the French people. The French
are, in general, quite reserved
and still toward strangers, not
only foreigners, but other
Frenchmen as well. in fact,
Frenchmen would be the last:
people in the world to deny
their sometimes chilly nature.

American Sensitivity

We Americans are very sert‘
sitive to such reserve for we
strike up tricndships easily;
sometimes tend to think of the
rest at the world as either for
or against us; and think this
dichotomy Will manilest itself
even in personal relationships.
Thus, the attitude of a French
man who is frankly indifferent
toward us personally can be
disconcerting.

Several other clarifica-
tions should he made, For
example, one source or the
“anti - Americanism" id e.
is the American tourist
who speals little French Ind
has but superficial contact
with French people. And. it
distinction must be made be-
tween France and Parisr
Paris is the social, cultural
and political huh or Franco,
hut the forty million French-
men who live outside tin
Paris area can not he lg.
nored. What would we think
at the Frenchman who spent
n month In New York. and on
the basis of “conversations"
with his hotel keeper, the
clerk; in Macy’s, and ii stu-
dent in Greenwich village.
went home telling lib friend!
that the Americans are urti-
French!

With all this said, i would
like to retort (at myself) with
several items or personal err-
perience. in the course of tour~
teen months, i lived in two
French homes and met a num-
her or French young people. I
was not aware of any animos-
ity toward me because or my
nationality; i had a Close and
warm relationship with both
lamilies with whom i stayed;
and 1 consider my relatiorh
Ships with the French students
I knew to be very friendly and
rewarding.

 

MES FWWEh§

_ 1012 Broad_

Pli. Z36-3l97

 

