@MissAnthrope – Serious allegations demand serious scientific studies. I have no problem with claims that parts of the French society are xenophobic. In fact almost every nation on Earth has parts of its society being xenophobic. Despite Obama being President parts of American society are still racist. So are the English, the Germans, the Dutch, the Swedish and so forth. I believe this part is getting smaller and smaller but it will probably never go away completely. I would never say something like this: The Americans are some of the most racist people.
You wrote
“Europe right now is a hotbed of anti-Muslim sentiment.”
“Some countries, like France, aren’t so secretive about being anti-Muslim.”
“The French want them out, as do the Dutch.”
“The French are some of the most xenophobic people.”
My advice is no one should ever write sentences in this way, because people are getting on very dangerous turf. It’s not only insulting to many people, I also think it’s clearly very wrong. It’s cliché. It’s generalizations. Why not use sentences like this based on your experience:
“In parts of European society there seem to be more hotbeds of anti-Muslim sentiment.”
“In some countries, like France, there are people who aren’t so secretive about being anti-Muslim.”
“Some people in France want them out, as do some in the Netherlands.”
“A few Frenchmen seem to belong to the most xenophobic people I’ve ever met.”
I think there’s nothing wrong (in moderation) when people are proud of their country and cultural achievements. The problem begins when some people really feel superior and really feel that others are inferior. This ugly phenomenon exists in France and it does exist in the US. I think some Frenchmen have a problem with what they perceive as Americentrism, although many of them never visited the US. The French media like to pick speeches of American politicians as proof for Americentrism because they are full of claims like we (the Americans) have the best farmers in the world etc. The best armed forces. The best of this and that. New technology gets invented in the US. Including the world wide web. There are few areas where Americans are not the best according to those proud Americans. Some French take issue with calling a two-nation baseball sports event world series. Are those proud Americans the majority? I don’t think so. Educated Americans know what’s going on in the world. They put things in perspective. As do educated Frenchmen.
I’m aware that some American travelers are being treated very rudely in France. It’s a disgrace and absolutely unacceptable. There are people in France who are really pissed about English being the global language instead of French. My observation: they are a dying species. For the educated younger generation the issue is a no-brainer. They use English in an international context. Many work for multinational companies. When an American visits France, they use English. No big deal.
I predict that if the US officially replaces the antiquated measurement system with the metric system there will be an outcry. Some Americans will resist this. When foreigners visit those people will still use gallons and inches. But I also predict this. For the next generation the issue is a no-brainer. They will use metric at least in an international context. Many will work for multinational companies. When an Frenchman visits the, they will use metric. No big deal.