"You Scratch My Back, I'll Ride On Yours"

The above is the title of chapter 10. As the title foreshadows, the chapter covers the fact that somethings don't know the golden rule "Do to others as you would have them do to you". They simply accept the, as Richard Dawkins would call it, altruism of others, and do not return the kind gesture when the other needs them. Although Dawkins used birds to explain this, you could also use it to explain the actions of the new United States and France.

During the colonies revolution, the French supported them with naval help, soldiers, and supplies. However, after the British were defeated, and the United States established with their own Constitution, things kind of just were put on the back burner concerning their relationship with France. When France began their own (bloody) revolution, they needed help. They got themselves into a mess with Britain, and started a war. However, the United States was very fragile, and needed Britain as a friend, and they were also having a nice time trading with them. So, when the French asked the United States to help them fight the British (as they had helped them do a while ago) the president, George Washington, decided to just stay neutral, and not fight the British for the French.

This could be seen as similar to the bird situation in chapter 10. However, the United States did help the French concerning supplies, like wise they helped the British in the same way, yet this was more of a 'sellfish' act, because they needed the trade, and profit.

I wonder how Dawkins would explain this whole North American - French - British ordeal. He would probably say they were all selfish, and were focusing on their own needs when helping the others. He would probably write a really long and (cough,cough) "interesting" chapter and name it "You Fight My War, I'll Make A Profit From Yours".

The Website below is an article of the Neutrality Proclamation that George Washington presented.

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/neutra93.asp