Commentary: France's Yank Bashing Is Getting Sillier And Sillier

"It's not enough to succeed," said Talleyrand, the supremely cynical statesman of 18th century France. "Others must fail." Maybe that sentiment explains why a flourishing France revels in America-bashing these days. It goes far beyond the old complaints about fast food and Hollywood films. In late February, French newspapers splashed the spurious news that U.S. intelligence agencies were spying on French industries. That followed reports--originating in the Defense Ministry--that Microsoft Corp. could not be trusted because of links to the U.S. defense establishment.

In a nation long famous for clear thinking, it's hard to see the logic this time. The current wave of anti-Americanism arrives just as France is learning how to compete, American-style, in the global economy. The country is awash in venture capital. Billboards across the country display dot-com come-ons. And after years of sluggishness, the economy is roaring. So it's also hard to resist the simple conclusion that France needs more of what provokes its latter-day enrages into paroxysms of Yank-bashing--fierce, global competition, deregulation, and open markets.