France General Discussion

[Antonio the Sixth]

Not surprising, it seems politicians are interested in promoting "diversity" only if it can help them, but when one is interested in having true deciding functions, everybody will hamper him, most of the times with success. I don't think it's conscious racism, just stupidity and fear.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Sarkozy changes the Préfet of Isère after what happened in Grenoble. Yeah, Sarkozy's style is still on...

Oh, and he wants to 'lead a true war to criminality'.

I begin to really be more and more annoyed with the wrong use of the word 'war' nowadays...

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Oh, and, the new Préfet will be, of course, a guy of which the job was to be a...policeman.

2nd Préfet changed for a former policeman after some violence problems...

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Oh f**k, can't people be serious...

Roselyne Bachelot firmly stating on a media about a French player indicted for prostitution with minor:

'I wouldn't select him if he is indicted'

Ok so the Minister of Health and Sport is also coach of the French team...

[Antonio the Sixth]

Oh, and he wants to 'lead a true war to criminality'.

Ah, so what he has been doing for 8 years was a fake war on criminality ? Why am I not surpirsed ?

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Ah, ben voilà, ça montre la couleur...

http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2010/07/27/01002-20100727ARTFIG00581-la-droite-decomplexee-s-organise-a-l-assemblee.php#xtor=AL-5

35 deputies of UMP created a 'collectif' (a way to associate themselves together) to express a will to come back to 'real Sarkozysm', to 'real right', a 'right who doesn't' fear to be hard' especially about security and immigration, but also on some social issues.

But of course, they don't walk in the steps of FN they say, and they say they have to do it precisely to counter FN, saying that oppositely to them FN ways are demagogic and unrealistic. They are kinda right, that's unrealistic to imagine FN making laws while them within the UMP can, and yeah, they are also kinda right it could be a good way to counter FN...by showing people you are as harsh as FN but you...you can do it.

Actually, as I said earlier in this thread, Marine Le Pen even with all her good will doesn't really appear as harsh, more like a big populist mouth that does noise for noise, which as I thought could favor more extremist movements like Bloc Identitaire, apparently the right would excite itself further than this identified extremist parties.

Big trio of this collectif being Thierry Mariani, Christian Vanneste, and Lionel Luca, actually I'm far less reassured by this trio, especially the 2 latter than by Marine Le Pen and her new smiling populists in the Steve Briois style.

The article says Xavier Bertrand, general secretary of UMP is interested by this initiative.

Since the regionals I think and tell around me that it has lot of chances to be the last years of UMP in power, but since then I also think these 2 last years would be 2 f**king years of UMP trying to go harsh especially on security and immigration/identity matters, not the 1st time I post about the 'far right spirit' growing in the right either, that's one more thing to confirm the trend...

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

And so it goes...

Now Sarkozy proposes to take back nationality of naturalized people who offend police forces:

http://www.france24.com/fr/20100730-reactions-gauche-droite-discours-nicolas-sarkozy-grenoble-retirer-nationalite

Hopefully, as a Green says, as most of the time with Sarkozy it could only be big words, but on security matters maybe he would more serious in applying his reforms than on social matters.

Also, the article here mentions that, of course, the new collectif for an harder right within UMP that I mentioned in the post above, named 'Collectif de la droite populaire' (kinda translate to 'Group of popular right'), applauds that stuff, and according to the article it passed to about 50 members, while a few days ago it was 35, if so, it seems to quickly become trendy.

Here is an article in English related to that and which sums all what happened in France lately and which leads the harder right to 'come out from the woods', as we say in French:

http://www.france24.com/en/20100730-sarkozy-looks-strip-citizenship-threaten-security-forces-french-immigration

Yeah, in that you can notice that, because a Roma didn't respect a police control (or something like that, not sure we know what really happened), then a big plan against Roma is on its way, yeah the connection between one not respecting a police control and all the other Romas is very clear indeed. With a lot of expulsion planned of course, by sending them back in Romania, which we all know is so constructive and so useful, since as traveling persons they always come back.

And so it goes...

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Wow wow wow, let's continue...

Now, we have mister Ciotti, cool name, but for less cool propositions, who is national secretary of UMP in charge of security questions, and also deputy of UMP (in...Alpes-Maritimes...), the guy who already proposed to suppress social allocations to family of which children were absent in school (and the bill passed by the way), now we have this mister Ciotti who proposes to give till 2 years of jail and up to 30,000 euros of fine to parents who would have children under justice measures and obligations who wouldn't respect those.

http://www.france24.com/fr/20100731-mineurs-delinquants-ciotti-ump-propose-jusqua-deux-ans-prison-parents

Yay, UMP clearly found its new trend.

Oh, and, Hortefeux also thinks about extending the revocation of the French nationality in other cases than only an attack of a policeman, like for other serious crimes...

[Antonio the Sixth]

See, I ceased to care about french news since the beginning of the summer, for two reasons. Of course, because they are laughable, boring and dull, but also and above all because I know that if I cared more I'd have a nervous breakdown. Currently I have too many reasons to be happy with my life to kill my happiness by thinking about how much of a sh*tthole this country is becoming.

[Hash]

The UMP seems to have something with proposing ridiculous junk during the summer, something reinforced now with the absolute need to find any kind of junk to cover up the government's crookedness.

As for the latest in Sarkozyst rhetoric, the wish to revoke citizenship is in flagrant violation of article 1 of the 1958 Constitution: "Elle assure l'égalité devant la loi de tous les citoyens sans distinction d'origine, de race ou de religion." Personally, as much as I'm right-leaning on immigration and in clear favour of tough action on immigration-issues, I'm the first to find this latest junk as a sham because it creates a dangerous double-standard and a slippery slope about criminality, immigration and the French nationality. Of course, it's also shameful that the government's justification for this is defending the 'values of the Republic'. If there is a phrase which I hate more than anything else, it's that four-word sham.

However, as much as this is designed to win back FN votes lost in March, I'm not sure this seals the deal - far from it. I know the UMP is often impulsive in its responses to electoral setbacks and erratically experiments with a bunch of ideas (fptp, top-two runoffs, 1998-style pr, blame-the-centrists, security-rhetoric, visit-a-factory, visit-random-farmers) in an attempt to prevent any further setback but it's actually rather clear looking at the March results that the FN voters this time around didn't vote on security-immigration stuff as much as in 2002. The 2010 FN electorate has become on one hand dangerously bourgeois, meaning that traditionally UMP-solid not-so-poor folks have abandoned the Sarkozyst machine in response to the government's scandals and the government's more erratic big-spending economic response. I mean, yeah, sure, those folks are kind of scared about immigration and stuff, but then again, all bourgeois are racist deep down. On the other hand, the more right-leaning 'light' working-class electorate (see; Moselle) has also abandoned the UMP in spectacular numbers and it will take more than traditional heavy-handed 'BROWN PEOPLE ARE CRIMINALSZ' rhetoric to bring them back. It would take, like, strong economic recovery, clean government, and a less pro-rich economic policy to win them back. Meanwhile, in rural Alsace, where the FN's vote has been traditionally well-off rural white people living in isolated niches who are scared of the big bad urban brown guy, the FN lost a good number of votes. Then again, given that Fredo the Wacko and Dodo the Emo seem to be the UMP's top psephologists, maybe I shouldn't be surprised that they're unable to construct an intellectually honest analysis of the FN's re-rise.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

However, as much as this is designed to win back FN votes lost in March, I'm not sure this seals the deal - far from it. I know the UMP is often impulsive in its responses to electoral setbacks and erratically experiments with a bunch of ideas (fptp, top-two runoffs, 1998-style pr, blame-the-centrists, security-rhetoric, visit-a-factory, visit-random-farmers) in an attempt to prevent any further setback but it's actually rather clear looking at the March results that the FN voters this time around didn't vote on security-immigration stuff as much as in 2002. The 2010 FN electorate has become on one hand dangerously bourgeois, meaning that traditionally UMP-solid not-so-poor folks have abandoned the Sarkozyst machine in response to the government's scandals and the government's more erratic big-spending economic response. I mean, yeah, sure, those folks are kind of scared about immigration and stuff, but then again, all bourgeois are racist deep down. On the other hand, the more right-leaning 'light' working-class electorate (see; Moselle) has also abandoned the UMP in spectacular numbers and it will take more than traditional heavy-handed 'BROWN PEOPLE ARE CRIMINALSZ' rhetoric to bring them back. It would take, like, strong economic recovery, clean government, and a less pro-rich economic policy to win them back. Meanwhile, in rural Alsace, where the FN's vote has been traditionally well-off rural white people living in isolated niches who are scared of the big bad urban brown guy, the FN lost a good number of votes. Then again, given that Fredo the Wacko and Dodo the Emo seem to be the UMP's top psephologists, maybe I shouldn't be surprised that they're unable to construct an intellectually honest analysis of the FN's re-rise.

Since it is Marine who will have the big hand on FN, nothing can be sure I'd say, especially if UMP concretely becomes harsh.

Well, there certainly is an electoralist part in it (though I doubt very much that guys like Dodo et Fredo have to be given credit for it), but I would think that all that stuffs are more genuine than electoralist, they wanna show muscles, and apparently they wanna show they have 'strong muscles', maybe not in the brain though...

Now, I would think that if they go too far it will be counter-productive for them, yes, no matter if there is a re-rise of FN or not, people would just not vote for these guys whose the only thing they know is doing cow-boys, especially since I'd think France doesn't like much cow-boys. But, well, you never know, the logic of defiance between 'them' (the ''not-really-French'), and us (the good old French) is clearly on, and this in both camps. I'm listening to underground rap nowadays, and clearly the mindset of psychological secession is here, 2 communities are being built and each one rejects the other one, more and more.

Then, personally as I kept saying I would think the 2 coming years would be very hot potentially, but I hope it wouldn't go too far, and that it wouldn't be a big argument to make UMP pass again by being harsher. But meanwhile, when you see the over passive and over weak reactions from PS about all of this, well this is also productive of doubts in me about the ability of PS to fight UMP on this ground.

Just hope people will make up their mind.

But joy, Christine Boutin protests all of this! (and well, she says more or less the same I just say here about this contributing to make tensions higher).

[Hash]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i4s881CMgfJFBjnV8-_Qc-qsLZBg

Spare us, please.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i4s881CMgfJFBjnV8-_Qc-qsLZBg

Spare us, please.

lol, since I knew he was laid with Audrey Pulvar, I thought he couldn't be that bad. And well, once, I saw him talking in a kind of distanced way toward politics, then with less to lose in what he said (envisaging stopping), and less trying to make poorly impressive 'word effects', and I almost found him interesting. When then I came to think about him in 'Fête de la Rose', I couldn't believe my feeling, but still.

Oh, anyhow, nothing can be really worse than the present set that could compete, but not sure it's good to make things messy, that currently dumb (in the literal sense of the word) left wouldn't need more petty fights...

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Benjamin Lancar widely reelected at the head of Youngs UMP.

Surrealism in action.

[Hash]

Benjamin Lancar widely reelected at the head of Youngs UMP.

Surrealism in action.

Maybe he can please us with a new lipdub, this time featuring Fillon and Sarkozy?

(is it wrong to call him 'the cripple'?)

[Associate Justice PiT]

     What exactly is the story behind the fraud issues involving Lancar? I read about it on Wikipedia, but I didn't know what the deal was with that.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

     What exactly is the story behind the fraud issues involving Lancar? I read about it on Wikipedia, but I didn't know what the deal was with that.

Bah (< French equivalent of 'Meh'), it's certainly about the lipdub he, well Youngs UMP which he leads, did. Besides the brilliance of the stuff, those brilliant brains didn't think about the rights they could have to pay for the song, and on a lesser extent the lipdub had scenes in a train, and then the SNCF (national railroad company) asked rights too...

Benjamin Lancar widely reelected at the head of Youngs UMP.

Surrealism in action.

Maybe he can please us with a new lipdub, this time featuring Fillon and Sarkozy?

(is it wrong to call him 'the cripple'?)

Well, I wonder how the UMP can be worse than what they do now, but, yeah, it might remain some potential for it.

Cripple?

Well, he actually displays the psychology of an annoying 12 years old when he speaks or debate, that's sometimes amazing, you should see.

But, well, would see it more as a kind of generational thing, he represents something I mean. And well, the guy has just been largely reelected.

[Hash]

I wouldn't take a party's youth wing to speak for a generation. Those involved in party youth thingees (i.e., me, for the LPC) are often awful hacks since they seem to be the vast majority of young people interested in politics nowadays. Look at the jeunes PS, they're crazy hacks. The jeunes pops likewise.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

I wouldn't take a party's youth wing to speak for a generation. Those involved in party youth thingees (i.e., me, for the LPC) are often awful hacks since they seem to be the vast majority of young people interested in politics nowadays. Look at the jeunes PS, they're crazy hacks. The jeunes pops likewise.

Indeed, I spoke more of Lancar's mindset, attitude, he represents something that exists in the society I think. Dealing with politics like a 12 years old, being fascinated by appearance and by the fact to make noise and to be seen more than by the content. He's just a caricature of it.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, in general all the "militant" things (campaigning, attending meetings, making dumb songs) has never interested me, and interests me less and less as time goes. I suppose it's just because I'm lazy, but hackery is also disturbing.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Look at the jeunes PS, they're crazy hacks. The jeunes pops likewise.

Oh, just, about the comparison between both, it's funny to note that while the former would be 'over-politicalized', the latter would be 'over-unpoliticalized'. Like over-militants vs. over supporters, in that sense Jeunes Pop are much representative from the society than MJS, but the latter is joining them...

Oh, and, just, on an other topic, the one of 'Sarkozy fails at everything and people pay the price of it'. Seems they dictated the fact that a new History school program had to quickly enter in function for the class of 2nde (1st year of high-school), we all know how Sarkozy is interested in what youngs have to learn, and, well, one more time he threw an idea and didn't care of reality, and so companies in charge to create books for school hadn't the time to follow, and thus pupils won't have books for the beginning of the school year.

Here's Sarkozy, for you, the guy who can't help but fails. He really should have stayed as business lawyer or something...

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhKqM6rROTg&feature=player_embedded

[big bad fab]

Indeed !

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Hey Hey, the King of Vendée did abdicate.

[Hash]

Hey Hey, the King of Vendée did abdicate.

Surprising indeed, just saw that.

There's been a big internal conflict between the Marquis and his ex-right hand man, Bruno Retailleau (who is Senator and VP of the CG) after the Marquis threw a hissy fit in spring 2009 when Retailleau was supposed to join the cabinet. Retailleau never forgave him, and the Marquis ended up looking like an idiot when one sees that he practically joined the UMP a few months later.

Apparently, Retailleau was on the verge of staging a coup against the Marquis, so the Marquis decided to abdicate. It's kind of similar to the Rudd-Gillard coup in July, actually, where the incumbent lacked the numbers to stay on and finally gave up. Also, his brother resigned this morning as well.

The MPF, of course, is clearly on its way out. Its control of the department is eroding and should be reduced much in 2011. The Marquis' attempt to find a winning strategy for the party since 2005 have failed epically, all of them, and the party's base is growingly uneasy with his autocratic rule. Of course, the right's stranglehold on the CG is not at all at risk: it's 27-4 for the right...