French Example for the American Electorate

So, the French have dumped their traditional parties and the sky seems to still be in place.  Somehow, the morning dawned, birds still sing, flowers bloom and not all that much has changed, except perhaps, some perceptions.

After all the jokes about French cowardice in World War II have they really proved so much more courageous than the American Electorate?  Don’t they know about the wonderful, even essential benefits of voting for lesser evils, of giving into fear rather than holding onto principals?

OK, these are great arguments but with as much (satire: really “as little”, subtlety does not always work well) substance as most political reporting in the US mass media and the reality is that lesser evil-ism and fear will be the primary tactics in the final round of the French presidential elections.  That was immediately evident as all but one political party united in opposition to Madame le Pen, and, the French media continues to studiously ignore postures on continuing foreign intervention and military adventurism when discussing the stark differences between the two remaining candidates.

But still, the French dumped their traditional parties, especially the Clintonesque socialists who like the American Democratic Party during the recent past has abandoned its base in favor of neoliberalism and foreign military adventures.  And Americans, well, we daren’t take reckless risks such as those.  Better the tried even if not true.

Not that the Clinton – Blair brand lost.  No one represents it better than the new media darling, Emmanuel (the savior) Macron.  Just that the French left disassociated itself from the hypocrisy the Socialist Party represents, rejecting the official candidate, Benoît Hamon for the upstart Jean-Luc Mélenchon (think a Sanders with the courage to reject rather than embrace the party that stole his nomination) and his relatively new political movement.

The French seem to have opted for multiparty democracy rather than dictatorial duopoly although, as in the United States, it is likely that the Deep State will now impose its will.  The chant of the Russians did it has already started and will quickly pick up steam despite the evidence of electoral interference from almost every member of the European Union as well as, ironically, from the United States Democratic Party media machine.

Still, even if it seems Quixotic, it’s great to see those old windmills come tumbling down.

Et nous?
_______

© Guillermo Calvo Mahé; Manizales, 2017; all rights reserved