On xenophobia (?Those Anglo-Saxons from India?, Apr 3), the French, despite Sarkozy?s popularity for his grimaces at Paris? banlieues, are more welcoming than the Danes and Dutch. The Germans are uber-gentlemen, and penitently so, having once infected the continent with irrational attitudes of the kind their northwestern neighbours are now purveying. For M&As, however, the UK and Ireland are relatively safe bets.
?M Nayyar
Attitude problem
As with globalisation, in diplomacy, too, the French suffer from attitude problems. They can be ambivalent, paternalistic or plain uptight. This point can be seen nowhere better than France?s conduct in its former colonies in Africa, many of them often in the news for the wrong reasons. French meddling in its former colonies, like in Comoros recently, stands out starkly.
?Ranjan Seth, Mumbai
