French Products fuggeddaboutit.

I seriously doubt that this latest of many Franco/American contretemps will have any impact on the consumer economy.

Acquiunk
By all reports travel to France by Americans is way down. French hotels are hurting and offering all sorts of inducements. And French produced goods is not selling anywhere near as well as it has in the past. That said the question is what effect will it have on your personal buying habits.

none

I have never been to France (looked down on it once or twice from an airplane) and would like to see many places in it.

I don't blame the individual people of a country for its government's policies that I don't agree with, or the opposite, assume that everyone there is for a policy I am for.

In this present situation, I happened not to be for our going into Iraq myself. I have heard of various behaviors in France, at different times in history, that I find repellent (antisemitism in certain areas); that won't keep me from visiting the country if I ever get a chance to.

No effect on my personal buying habits.

No effect on mine. I also buy directly from France (online). I supported France's position on Iraq and find the shunning of France to be kind of silly. IF you feel strongly about it, you can blame Chirac and get mad at him, but stop commerce and contact with the French? No way!! C'est fou.

Tourism is down world wide. Has more to do with terrorism than anti-french feelings. Airlines are scrambling and many have gone bankrupt world wide.
The french think the whole freedom fries and freedom toast is silly.
So do most of the world.

I don't see any reason to change my buying habits.

It's French. So, fuggeddaboutit.

I have changed my buying habits. I am actively seeking French products.

It's not a statement of support for the French so much as a statement for the rejection of small minds in America.

Since I am not a wine drinker nor do I go for exotic cheese there are no buying habits to change. As for Visiting France. I visited Paris about 25 years ago. The trip was scheduled for 10 days. After 7 days I had my fill and cut the trip short. Needless to say I would never go back for a second visit.

It's such a childish attempt to disagree with the French politicians in the way they didn't approve of the US call for war with Iraq. It began with our Congress when they changed French fries to Freedom fries. As if they didn't have more important work for the American citizens that put them there. In no way will it change my buying habits or travel to France. c.i.

I'm with Craven and the others.

I've always been quite jealous of France, the way they preserve their language, culture and heritage from crass American businesses. They have a unique and strong identity, and it gives them quite an advantage.

This Freedom Fries thing is utterly embarassing to America, and makes me want to learn even more about the wonderful things in France.

Very childish for sure!

I just figured out the Freedom Fries is not a joke. Despair is tempting.

Fantastic avatar, Skies. Off topic, I know. On the other hand, maybe not...some good skiing there, no?

Well, some people on a2k know me for a crazed italophile, although I play that up, I actually am rational. I watch the theater now ongoing between italy and germany, or, not between the countries exactly, between their present representatives to the world. Italy and Germany have vast reasons for burrs on their brains, France and Germany have thick and thin history, and then we have England, and and and, and I am just speaking of the last batch of years.

These people are dealing with each other moderately convivially (excluding present exacerbation) after millennia of immense provocations. We are not going to buy French fine soap because they disagree with an attack of ours?

Any quotes for that? Especially that this is related to to US-boycot?
(Ever thaught of that the EURO went up?)

Au -- My public radio comes in, sometimes faintly, from two cities: Austin and San Antonio. San Antonio has two public radio stations, one devoted to classical music. One of the evenings during the brouhaha about the French being against the war, KPAC had its usual four-hour call-in request show, usually booked an hour or so before it gets going. That evening most of the requests were for French music, including the Marseillaise. In a conservative town!

Doesn't that tell you that many Americans at least found the media + gov rooty-toot about the French pretty absurd? Do you really believe the French are in economic peril because some flag-totin' Amurricans aren't eating French toast?

(Today is Bastille Day, the 14th. The Austin public radio morning music program is, right now, playing nothing but French music.)