Democracy 101: Social Unrest and Civic Revolution (part 2)

Notre cher Président de la République

The French presidential campaign has recently taken a turn for the worst, possibly the worst possible turn.

The berried violence that once stayed beneath the soil of the French political scene is now front and center, with the shooting that occurred this past week in south-western cities of Montauban and Toulouse. It reminds me of the "incidents" that took place in 2005 throughout the suburbs of metropolitan France. The truth is that neither in 2005 nor now in 2012 could these "incidents" happen without a political climate that allows it.
Nicolas Sarkozy back in the 2007 election, made a huge gamble to take the presidency, a sort of "all in". This gamble consisted in stealing the rhetoric of the nationalist and fascist elements of French society normally backing the Front Nationale and convert them into his own "dear" political base. French society has been at a crossroads for many years now. It is in this awkward position and suffering from paranoia and post-traumatic stress. The truth is that Nicolas Sarkozy and many French compatriots made the decision to live in this "bubble" of "la vie en rose". In a bubble in which France hasn't changed since the 1920's and they occult the reality of the immigrant situation. Instead of taking a proactive stance to resolve the decadence of the already battered suburbs, they decided to paint it pink.

But after 5 years in the presidency the paint is starting to crack-up.
It's a known fact Nicolas Sarkozy, has turned the country of human rights into one of the most perfected police states in the world. Maybe the ultimate fact is that the birth of a police is always intertwined with the hatching of a very subtle, and ancient inherent racism. The French society is no more racist than it's European counter-parts, but unlike many of them it still fights to come to terms with it's WWII past.

The myth that was created during the liberation of France from Nazi occupation, that all French had "resisted" the German armies and the "anti-Jewish" stance, was false. But it was one of the founding myths of modern France and to shatter that myth, would be to shatter one of the pillars of the "Republican Identity".

But now as hundreds morn the deaths, many few wonder why? In our grief, we try to reassure ourselves that it was just a "radical" fringe, a terrorist organization with links to Al-Qaeda. This situation is very problematic, because once again we as "good" french citizens are taking our brushes and painting again this morbid reality in pink. But no matter how many times we re-paint, the cracks will still show, sooner or later. No matter in how many ways we try to pull ourselves from the reality of the political ambiance we live in, the boiling-point is rapidly approaching.

It's time to level things a bit:
When the reelection campaign of the incumbent president is based on cultural warfare openly declaring war on the "Halal Culture" of some French (in this case a big minority of French), than it is only normal that these "incidents" occur. Once again in this campaign Nicolas Sarkozy has made a huge gamble, a bid that might just win him a second term but at what costs? Nicolas Sarkozy and his presidency represent the worst politics have to offer and his rhetoric has fertilized the grounds on which such horrid killings could grow. Nicolas Sarkozy is the perfect political opportunist, stopping at nothing to gain political points ultimately to the demise of the core of French values (Liberty, Equality and Fraternity).

The president made a very good campaign speech today, saying that we should no to be too quick to amalgamate the Muslim culture with such actions... but what has the President of the Republic done during the major part of his political career? Amalgamate. He amalgamated the young disenchanted, the "no future" generation (except behind prison bars) to terrorists and on a crusade to destroy French values. He has amalgamated dockers on strike to enemies of the state, and campaigns that fight for social justice to radicals. He amalgamated to such an extent the gypsy populations of the hexagon to liars, cheaters and vandals, that he had them expelled, bus load by bus load.
And now the "tiny Napoleon" asks us to trust him, to clean-up the mess he was the first one to create and the main beneficiary!
The fact is that "notre cher" president has no notion of how, to resolve the mess he created, because he believes that a tour of the suburbs is a photo-op.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon

So yes "J'accuse", Mr. Sarkozy of being the source of contamination of this crisis.

But to counterbalance these horrid occurrences, there is a light of hope. And that light is Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Mr. Mélenchon's idea of a civic revolution for France is finally a breath of fresh air for all those who believe that a better France is possible, that France is greater than these politics of hatred and division, of xenophobia and volatility. On the foundations of the French revolution, at la Bastille, Mélenchon sketched the contours of a 6th Republic, a political system that would "recontextualize" France in the 21st Century. The fight is on! Between what France could be and what France is and as we have seen at the start of this week, the France we live in is gruesome. The time is upon us as to reinstate a civic empowerment in France. In many cases, throughout many election in France the saying goes, that we vote against somebody rather than for somebody. It's time to change that trend and vote for the candidate that truly embodies the multicultural, diverse and hopeful society that France could be.

Aux Armes Citoyens!

Sky