Recently in a poll conducted by the Internation Herald Tribune a startling fact has surfaced, France hates itself. In a European poll 44% of French people had a negative view of themselves. This in comparison to the 38% of Americans who think badly about them.

France has become an international punchline when Germany thinks the most highly of them of all European nations polled ;and that's simply because they were the easiest country for Germany to occupy. Remember, Frances contribution to sports is the bicycle race. Bicycles!, you know, so they could practice running away.

In my first album I had a routine making fun of the French, and in my new upcoming album I do it again. Ironically, rich and poor, liberal and conservative audiences always laugh. It does prove a point though. The reason the U.S. became the greatest nation on earth was because in the formulation of our country we dreamed of CREATING the greatest nation on earth!...No apologies.

France at one time was the leaders in science, literature and art and now only have their past to refer to as significant. No nation can ever expect to thrive when it own citizens despise itself. What a wonderful lesson for those willing to learn, there has to be optimism and maybe a tinge of pride ( arrogance?) in order to continue to evolve in a world filled with competition.

As much as France is an easy target for comics to get a guaranteed laugh, their internal social problems our obviously linked to the concept that if you stand for nothing and crumble at the slightest hint of dissent, couched in the framework of pluralism without standing firm on a national identity, you have in effect sold your countries soul.

I love America but I don't worship it. We too have many social, political problems that NO ONE has the answers to. There are no experts on foreign affairs or the economy. Only proffessional "best guessers" who choose an opinion and then stay the course.

America is still the greatest country on earth partly because we always try to grow and change in the areas we believe we are falling short.No matter what happens to our beloved country, whether we endure for generations or eventually are eliminated (or at the least rendered insignificant) we gave it our best and will always take comfort in knowing at least we're not France.