Is Chirac to be believed?

No, just France.

I would argue that France has played the major role in the production of what we in the west term "civilization," for the last 1400 years.

But no really so much the last 100 years, though. And, not really in America. At least no more than any other culture has.

HWat contributions has the US made toward culture? Britney Spears and McDonalds hardly qualify.

Electricity
Flight
Space travel
The computer
Various musical styles
Various food styles
The entertainment industry
Nuclear weapons
the list goes on and on and on and on and on...

Electricity:
I agree, though not culture

Flight:
The French led the world in Aviation tech in the period before 1936. Also not culture

Space travel:
Not culture

The computer:
See Above

Various musical styles:
Yep: Country, Rap,and other non-music forms. France has continued to produce composers of Musique Classique,as well as various electronica artistes. And, let's not forget Plastique Bertand!

Various food styles:
McDonalds, Taco Bell, etc... Get real!

The entertainment industry:
For true art in cinema, one still must rely on the French

Nuclear weapons:
I'm going to go with the assumption you are being sarcastic. If you aren't, I have a surname for you to mull over: Curie.

the list goes on and on and on and on and on...
So it does, all of them poor examples.

grits

Introduced to "grits" in Basic Training. I wondered who would name a food after an intestinal disorder?

GRITS IS AN INTESTINAL DISORDEr? (sorry about the caps....)

anyway - as for music. You have to admit that blues is all-american and very cultural.

I agree with the comment on blues,a dn would add Jazz and "le Rock and roll."
Re grits: sounds like what one has the morning after a night of too many guinesses (guinni?) and hot wings!

hobitbob, think what you want, but the US has done more to advance the human race in the last 100 years than France has done in the history of mankind.

You can raise your nose at American culture and American cultural influence, but you would be wrong to do so.

The only good thing to come from France is Asterix and Obelix. Oh, and wine, and that neat race that an American has won the last 5 years.

The US has done more in the last 20 years to justify its being sent to bed without supper than any nation since 1938!

oh McGentrix, maybe you should take a refresher course in world history.

damn, are we forgetting Velveeta?

Really? Educate me. I don't see that my statement is false.

Prove to me that France has done more for mankind in through the history than the US has done in the past 100 years.

oh! Velveeta! And pizza.

McGentrix, one cannot "prove" anything to someone who's mind is already made up.

history of france

There ya go, educate yourself. That's just a starter.

France has centuries of history.

So what has France done to advance mankind? Seems like they have had some kings, lost some wars, and ate some cheese.

What else?