The French are known for being whiney. That is because the French culture encourages the intellectual approach; and the people who encourage the intellectual approach will create a bunch of back-seat drivers who know best how to criticize. Whereas Americans encourage the entrepreneurial approach, which creates a bunch of front-seat drivers.
The first know best how to criticize, and the second know best how to do. Of course there is very much a need for both. Critical thinking allows people to make better decisions; and if the critic and the doer work with each other – rather than against one another – better decisions are made and implemented.
Without the attention of the critic, the doer does all sorts of stupid things. This gives the critic all the more to criticize. Eventually the relationship becomes very rankorous, and calls are made on both sides to either terminate the relationship or see the other party as an enemy.
How about putting the back-seat driver into the passenger seat? How about listening to their criticisms and then discerning which ones to throw away and which ones to adopt and use in favor of making better decisions?
America and France can very well have a constructive relationship. The critic needs to make criticisms constructive rather than abusive, and the doer needs to listen to valid criticism. That way better decisions will be made across the board, and both America and France will benefit.