The Battle for Discourse
Introduction to The Battle for Discourse
On an American tank photographed on Iraqi soil, one can discern a motto: Today Baghdad, Tomorrow Paris. In the days of the Iraq war and Jacques Chirac’s objection to the US aggression, this feeling was common among the Yanks: they perceived France as their greatest enemy. “The worst they could do was to rename French Fries as Freedom Sticks,” laughed the wits. However, a few years later this slogan became true: after Baghdad was taken, Paris was also captured by the American forces. In order to install an American stooge in Baghdad, the Americans had to fight for a few weeks. The American stooge in the Palais de l'Élysée was installed without a single shot.
Though he looks like the Pink Panther, Sarkozy is a sinister figure in French history. France has been the only state in the world that managed to get rid of Yankee occupation; not any longer! President Sarkozy decided to undo the great achievement of Charles de Gaulle, who succeeded in removing American Occupation Army and placing the French armed forces under national control. Sarkozy returned the French army into the NATO fold. He sent French troops to Afghanistan to pour their blood on the Atlantic Submission altar. In a pompous speech, he promised “not to surrender Afghanistan” [presumably, to Afghanis]. “There is a war going on here, a war against terrorism, against fanaticism, that we cannot and will not lose”. He actually repeated the words of Jacques Doriot who had sent French volunteers to fight for the Third Reich against Soviet Russia.
Welcome to Occupied France? “Oh what nonsense! Life is not bad; cafés are open, theatres are full, the French are free to express themselves,” you’d say. But under German occupation, cafés were also full, and Les Halles bountiful. Recently, there was an exhibition of André Zucca’s photos “The Parisians under the Occupation", which reminded us that life went on as usual even then. Maimonides wisely wrote that life will go as usual even after messiah’s coming: the sun will rise and set, girls will fall in love and boys will fight.
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On an American tank photographed on Iraqi soil, one can discern a motto: Today Baghdad, Tomorrow Paris. In the days of the Iraq war and Jacques Chirac’s objection to the US aggression, this feeling was common among the Yanks: they perceived France as their greatest enemy. “The worst they could do was to rename French Fries as Freedom Sticks,” laughed the wits. However, a few years later this slogan became true: after Baghdad was taken, Paris was also captured by the American forces. In order to install an American stooge in Baghdad, the Americans had to fight for a few weeks. The American stooge in the Palais de l'Élysée was installed without a single shot.
Though he looks like the Pink Panther, Sarkozy is a sinister figure in French history. France has been the only state in the world that managed to get rid of Yankee occupation; not any longer! President Sarkozy decided to undo the great achievement of Charles de Gaulle, who succeeded in removing American Occupation Army and placing the French armed forces under national control. Sarkozy returned the French army into the NATO fold. He sent French troops to Afghanistan to pour their blood on the Atlantic Submission altar. In a pompous speech, he promised “not to surrender Afghanistan” [presumably, to Afghanis]. “There is a war going on here, a war against terrorism, against fanaticism, that we cannot and will not lose”. He actually repeated the words of Jacques Doriot who had sent French volunteers to fight for the Third Reich against Soviet Russia.
Welcome to Occupied France? “Oh what nonsense! Life is not bad; cafés are open, theatres are full, the French are free to express themselves,” you’d say. But under German occupation, cafés were also full, and Les Halles bountiful. Recently, there was an exhibition of André Zucca’s photos “The Parisians under the Occupation", which reminded us that life went on as usual even then. Maimonides wisely wrote that life will go as usual even after messiah’s coming: the sun will rise and set, girls will fall in love and boys will fight.
--MORE--