--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everybody knows how complicated this…" description: "\"Everybody knows how complicated this country's relationship with France has been, in war and in peace. Certainly there have been times when the leaders..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/kimberley-strassel-68494_complicated_everybody-knows-how-complicated-this-cou_2867574.jpg" --- # Everybody knows how complicated this country's… ![“Everybody knows how complicated this country's relationship with France has been, in war and in peace. Certainly there have been times when the leaders of France could have done better by us. We should have done better by them on Sunday. Only you couldn't find us.” quote by Kimberley Strassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/kimberley-strassel-68494_complicated_everybody-knows-how-complicated-this-cou_2867574.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/kimberley-strassel-68494_complicated_everybody-knows-how-complicated-this-cou_2867574.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/kimberley-strassel-68494_complicated_everybody-knows-how-complicated-this-cou_2867574.jpg) > “Everybody knows how complicated this country's relationship with France has been, in war and in peace. Certainly there have been times when the leaders of France could have done better by us. We should have done better by them on Sunday. Only you couldn't find us.” [Kimberley Strassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-strassel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on the complex, often strained US-France ties, noting missed opportunities and mutual misunderstandings. **In simple terms:** US-France relations are complicated and sometimes neglectful. Key Takeaway Recognize and address diplomatic gaps. Themes diplomacy history misunderstanding Mood reflective critical Type political historical When to use this quote - policy negotiations - international summits - historical analysis Key Concepts geopolitics bilateral relations leadership Questions to Reflect On - How can mutual respect improve US-France cooperation? - What specific actions could rectify past oversights? A Different Perspective Oversimplifies nuanced diplomatic history. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/france/) [France Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/france-better-1134781/) [France War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/france-war-1116171/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Know how](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-how/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leaders France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders-france-3904711/) [Notable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notable/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Relationship France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-france-2572832/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Should have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should-have/) [Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sunday/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [We find ourselves in a difficult situation in Europe. There's a crisis, weak growth, unemployment... my duty is to ensure that by the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/we-find-ourselves-in-a-difficult-situation-in-europe-there-s-a-crisis/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [We have a complicated intelligence relationship with France. We have a complicated intelligence relationship with other - with other allies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ignatius/we-have-a-complicated-intelligence-relationship-with-france-we-have-a/) [David Ignatius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ignatius/) > [Our relationship with France is strong. They are our longest ally. They're our strongest ally. And they are a friend. And we work closely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/our-relationship-with-france-is-strong-they-are-our-longest-ally-they/) [Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/) > [“It was hard to live through the early 1940s in France and not have the war be the center from which the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/it-was-hard-to-live-through-the-early-1940s-in-france-and-not-have-2/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [If Japan had been near to either England or France, war would have broken out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/townsend-harris/if-japan-had-been-near-to-either-england-or-france-war-would-have/) [Townsend Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/townsend-harris/) > [“In France, the war created 600,000 widows and left nearly one million children fatherless. In England three men were killed in World War I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/in-france-the-war-created-600-000-widows-and-left-nearly-one-million/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“It was hard to live through the early 1940s in France and not have the war be the center from which the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/it-was-hard-to-live-through-the-early-1940s-in-france-and-not-have/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [Saul Bellow says, funny enough, what French think of your work is tremendously important. And it is. It's more than what the Italians, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/saul-bellow-says-funny-enough-what-french-think-of-your-work-is/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“New Rule: Conservatives have to stop rolling their eyes every time they hear the word "France." Like just calling something French is the ultimate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-conservatives-have-to-stop-rolling-their-eyes-every-time/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I stay in France. Better to be the queen of a village than a servant in a kingdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-beart/i-stay-in-france-better-to-be-the-queen-of-a-village-than-a-servant/) [Emmanuelle Beart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-beart/) > [For France, anything is better than Hillary Clinton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/for-france-anything-is-better-than-hillary-clinton/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [Were anyone wondering how Sen. Harry Reid intended to manage life in the minority, it took one day of the 114th Congress to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-strassel/were-anyone-wondering-how-sen-harry-reid-intended-to-manage-life-in/) [Kimberley Strassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-strassel/) > [And the United States of America should have been at the front of that line. And was not. ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-strassel/and-the-united-states-of-america-should-have-been-at-the-front-of/) [Kimberley Strassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-strassel/) > [This was a different form of French resistance in Paris on this day, all of these people coming together and sending out pictures like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-strassel/this-was-a-different-form-of-french-resistance-in-paris-on-this-day/) [Kimberley Strassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-strassel/) > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) ## More by Kimberley Strassel > [And the United States of America should have been at the front of that line. And was not. ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-strassel/and-the-united-states-of-america-should-have-been-at-the-front-of/) [Kimberley Strassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-strassel/) > [Were anyone wondering how Sen. Harry Reid intended to manage life in the minority, it took one day of the 114th Congress to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-strassel/were-anyone-wondering-how-sen-harry-reid-intended-to-manage-life-in/) [Kimberley Strassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-strassel/) > [This was a different form of French resistance in Paris on this day, all of these people coming together and sending out pictures like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-strassel/this-was-a-different-form-of-french-resistance-in-paris-on-this-day/) [Kimberley Strassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-strassel/) [Explore all 4 Kimberley Strassel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-strassel/) ## More Complicated quotes > [Of course I like you. It's because I like you I don't wanna be with you. It's a complicated emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin/of-course-i-like-you-it-s-because-i-like-you-i-don-t-wanna-be-with/) [Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlin/) > [“Why the hell did he have to be so complicated? One minute he was charming, the next he withdrew behind his internal walls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lia-davis/why-the-hell-did-he-have-to-be-so-complicated-one-minute-he-was/) [Lia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lia-davis/) > [Life is more complicated than we think, yet far simpler than anyone dares to imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/life-is-more-complicated-than-we-think-yet-far-simpler-than-anyone/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Programmers are always surrounded by complexity; we cannot avoid it… If our basic tool, the language in which we design and code our programs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/programmers-are-always-surrounded-by-complexity-we-cannot-avoid-it-if/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [“Just because it's complicated, just because you think you can't ever know everything about another person, it doesn't mean you can't try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/just-because-it-s-complicated-just-because-you-think-you-can-t-ever/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Your Starbucks order is directly proportional to how complicated your personality is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin/your-starbucks-order-is-directly-proportional-to-how-complicated-your/) [Kevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics-when-united-with-it-sometimes/) [Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/) > [I have learned so much from my dad. Perhaps the biggest thing I've learned from my dad is how to be prepared at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/i-have-learned-so-much-from-my-dad-perhaps-the-biggest-thing-i-ve/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ The parts of the \[Civil Right\] Movement we recognize so well now were not born from a single decision, but were a complicated and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/the-parts-of-the-civil-right-movement-we-recognize-so-well-now-were/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) > [Two people could build an outhouse in four hours. They're not complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-maxwell/two-people-could-build-an-outhouse-in-four-hours-they-re-not/) [Robert Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-maxwell/) [Browse all 3,190 Complicated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everybody knows how complicated this country's relationship with France has been, in war and in peace. Certainly there have been times when the leaders of France could have done better by us. We should have done better by them on Sunday. 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