## 35 Goodbye my France ?

It's been a few weeks since I wrote here. Just one post on the French blog again, but I have been very busy with the French National Assembly elections. President Macron has gone mad like Nero but I will talk about it in the next LiveFromFrance. I had no break between the European elections, the audit of my laboratory and the next elections. I'm tired, but I'm still motivated by the danger of another dictatorship in France. We were not far from it with Macron. But it's more dangerous with the possible arrival of the far-right party for a government. Everything has gone crazy in France, with the media going completely mad and telling lies about the anti-Semitism of the left, ignoring the racism and real anti-Semitism of the right. It's an internal war between French Jews now, more than the protests in Israel. There has never been so much fake news as during this campaign. It looks like a US election now!

Violence and racism have never been so present in my country. Far-right militias are free to express their hatred. The police are ready to implement a repressive policy for their 'partner', the far-right RN party. They are talking about expelling bi-nationals from certain activities. Yes, like the Jews in some dark periods of history. Muslims will not be able to express their religion in the same way as other religions. It always starts like that, and then it's another minority. Don't forget that Nazism started with the mentally handicapped, then the Roma and the Jews. Today, racists are shouting at Arabs and blacks. There are even campaign posters for white supremacy. It's a total nightmare, because the media are shouting at the left, and President Macron is doing the same, more than fighting the extreme right. He was used to winking at the ideas and figures of the far right.

When I see "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité" (Freedom, Equality, Fraternity) on the town halls, I'm sad because fraternity is the past, freedom could also be the past and equality has been severely attacked by Macron for 7 years. I remember what was on the town halls in France in 1940-44 "Travail, Famille, Patrie" (Work, Family, Country), not far from what Macron thought and sometimes said, and exactly what the right and far right leaders are saying now. There is now no difference between them. Arabs and black journalists are getting black mail at home. I'm more afraid of what might happen to my wife (who looks like an Asian because she's half-breed) in a few days. I've heard racist remarks from my colleagues at work. Most of my family and even my wife's family are now 'free' racists. I'm white and I could feel safe, but I know I couldn't stand it for long without revolting, perhaps at the risk of my life. Today, my struggle is only political.

So maybe it's one of the last times I'll be fighting against it through an election. I don't know how my country can develop when I see Hungary, Poland, Israel or Argentina. Normally we elect a new president in 3 years. But it could be in two months if things get so crazy. I'm not going to stay calm and wait for better days. I don't know what life will be like in 1, 2 or 3 years. History has shown us how this poison slowly and powerfully destroys a democracy. France's fifth constitution was made for General De Gaulle, who took power in a kind of coup. So there are issues in this constitution and in the laws that were made after the terrorist attack that could be used by a would-be dictator. I don't even know if the police will be respectful to tourists during the Olympics... because they don't know how to distinguish a tourist from a migrant or a Frenchman of North African origin. This country is sick with fear. Even the Nazi hunter Setge Klarsfeld has called for a vote for the far right because he's afraid.
.. of Muslims. Crazy. History will record all the people who have called for a vote for racists.

I'm taking a break here, but you wouldn't have noticed because I've already written a few posts. After the 7th of July I'll see how to deal with all this mess.

2Dɛ

=> mailto:icemanfr@sdf.org Comments by mail
or by a reply on your blog