Le Pen...

[Robert Harley]

<rant>

Mr. Thomas Whore, Esq. wrote:
>The Million Frog March?
>France hasnt seen this much enthusiasn since the nazis moved into town and
>the population cracnked up productivity.

Wrong.  France sees large crowds marching, even relative to the 400000
in Paris yesterday, every few years:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 26 August 1944:
  Between 1 and 2 million on the Champs-Élysees, the day after Paris was
  freed.

* 28 May 1958
  Between 200 K and 300 K from Nation to République, against De Gaulle.

* 13 February 1962
  Hundreds of thousands from Nation to République, against the OAS (some
  guys who wanted Algeria to remain a colony).

* 13 May 1968:
  Close to 1 millon from Nation to Republique.

* 30 May 1968:
  About 800 K on the Champs-Elysées supporting De Gaulle.

* 4 March 1972:
  Many (conflicting reports) in support of a maoist worker killed by
  Renault security men.

* 7 Octobre 1980:
  About 200 K from Nation to République after an attack on a synagogue.

* 24 June 1984:
  About 850 K in Paris against an educational reform.

* 4 December 1986:
  About 200 K against a university reform.

* 14 May 1990:
  About 200 K from République to Bastille after a Jewish cemetery was
  violated.

* 16 January 1994:
  About 260 K against a reform of school funding.

* 12 July 1998:
  More than a million on the Champs-Elysées to celebrate France's
  victory in the World Cup.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Let me tie this in with the "Ugly Europeans" article...

>They may not be terrorists and murderers, but their separatist agenda
>is familiar: a belief that Christians and Muslims cannot commingle;
>that the infidel invaders must be expelled to ensure their countries'
>self-preservation; and a backward-looking celebration of an empire
>long, long gone.

Actually no one, even the ugly far-right groups, looks back to the
empires, apart from a couple of ancient Britons.  World War II was
sixty-odd years ago.  Sixty-odd years ago Britain and France had large
empires.  Why do you (and others) feel the need to dredge up remarks
about collaboration under the Vichy régime or similar at every
possible opportunity when people mention France?  Don't you realise
that such refrains are just as old and tired as those of some
neanderthals pining for the empire?


Also:
>Ugly Europeans are adamantly opposed to multicultural, multiethnic
>societies [...]  They're fiercely opposed to the European Union, which
>they see as leveling the distinctions among the Continent's distinct
>nations. And most assail America for its globalizing culture and its
>multiethnic society.

Yes, they assail America for its globalizing culture.  They, and
others, are opposed to, or unconfortable with, the widespread
anglicization of culture, and tend to pick out the US as a
fountainhead of anglo culture.

However nobody assails America for its multicultural, multiethnic
society.  Europe has far more cultural diversity than the US.  Talk
about getting a sense of proportion.  In the US you can drive a
thousand kilometres and you find the same culture, the same language,
the same media spouting the same news, the same songs on the radio,
the same shops selling the same goods with the same brands...  Even
between East and West coasts, the sameness is depressing.  Heck in all
of North America, you have to go the Quebec to find something a little
different, or Mexico for a real change of scenery.  Whereas Europe has
at least a dozen very different native cultures, plus many "imported"
ones.

Europe is highly multiethnic, whether the "ugly" groups like it or
not.  In my opinion ethnic groups are better integrated here than in
the US.  We don't have ghettos or slums with 50% hispanics or
whatever.  They just dont exist.  Blacks in Europe have never had
anything like the trouble they have had in the US.  Integration
problems here are far less trouble than over there, but they get a
much more vociferous treatment from politicians, ugly or otherwise.

Likewise, security and insecurity are a big issue, but to get a sense
of proportion... there are something like 25000 homicides in the US
each year, versus a few hundred in France or the UK.  People worry a
lot and shout loudly at issues that are relatively minor compared to
elsewhere.

To pick a topical news item, Tony Blair has apparently decided to stop
child benefits to parents of out-of-control youths and stop housing
benefits to anti-social tenants.  That has caused controversy in the UK.
In the US, it probably wouldn't raise an eyebrow.  In the France, no
politician in his right mind would dream of such a scheme, apart from
the extreme right-wing "ugly" ones, since among those most affected
would be ethnic minorities.

</rant>

Rob.
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