Toby, I loathe Le Pen and everything she stands for too. But the article says - quite rightly - that her conviction will inflame tensions. NOT about not prosecuting. The perception of people being muzzled is a grievance that she’ll tap into. Ignore that and…well look what happened across the pond
Two things to say to that. 1, it's the way the times has chosen to frame it. It will certainly annoy her supporters and of course she will try to channel that. Times implies it's a bad move.
So, second point - had donald shitler been jailed or prevented from running, he wouldn't be president now.
Everyone really needs to stop saying- omg this will start trouble- it might, but whats worse? Letting a criminal fraudster become president? Oh wait…… 😬
What about the €9million Russian loan with which they bought her support of the invasion of Crimea?
Putin buys up the anti EU and anti NATO politicians then gives them massive bot-farm boosts to get them elected. Farage even got his own TV show on Russia Today!
Clearly starting to sweat it that the police and judiciary here might take a good hard look at the accounts of the private company pretending to be a far right political party run by their Boy for '29, Farage
So *news* nowadays for The Times is that the corrupt crooks and their donors are complaining that getting caught for fraud is still a crime in France. Good.
I'm thinking about those tensions that were raised when French working people demonstrates the rise in pension age. I'm sure the press warned about that too - or did they just condemn protestors.
Tensions are already raised. France has a populist far right same as UK, US and others.
Hopefully any tension will be short lived as more people wake up to the divisive nature of criminal fascists like Le Pen, Trump and the quisling media elements that enable them.
But Le Pen and the others have been a force in french politics for decades. People aren't suddenly going to "wake up", particularly if the alternative politicians are seen as corrupt, uncaring or ineffectual.
Maybe, but that sounds like wishful thinking. Especially as Le Pen is not going away and still serves in Parliament. Trump was convicted and lost an election, but here he is again. Until French politicians address the perceived democratic (and social) deficit, the right will still flourish.
But how does one address perceptions that are wrong? How does one address delusions? How does one address fantasists? How does one address people who want more than they can have? How does one address people who cannot distinguish between the unsatisfactory and the unforgivably revolting?
And when you see that "some people" includes Daniel Hannan, you know for sure that the article is written in bad faith to promote the views of the very worst people.
Would be interesting to see, if the 5 year ban were lifted on appeal, how many people would actually vote for a convicted criminal. I suspect quite a lot. Far right folk are normally law and order hawks. But they are also often colossal hypocrites, when one of their own gets caught.
I mean to quote Wilhoit "Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect." That is always what they mean by 'law and order '
One of the worst things that arose from the invention of the Internet is that every moron, everywhere, feels entitled to comment publicly on everything, everywhere. I think this has been a significant driver of the antivax movement and general bigotry.
It isn't a problem that morons have the right to express their views publicly. The problem is that other morons swallow and amplify them. If you agree that everyone, including morons, has the right to vote, it's hard to argue that they should only be permitted to do so in a vacuum of ignorance.
But instead of going to prison, Le Pen gets to stay at home with an ankle bracelet. Free to entertain, drink, etc etc All the things prisoners can't do. So cruel 🙃
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So, second point - had donald shitler been jailed or prevented from running, he wouldn't be president now.
Putin buys up the anti EU and anti NATO politicians then gives them massive bot-farm boosts to get them elected. Farage even got his own TV show on Russia Today!
Because most of those likely to burn things in protest are young people.
And most young people here f*cking despise racists, fraudsters and fascists.
Hopefully any tension will be short lived as more people wake up to the divisive nature of criminal fascists like Le Pen, Trump and the quisling media elements that enable them.
As soon as he was convicted his reputation and his party's polling numbers plummeted, never recovered
Le Pen is to FN what Farage is to Reform and Trump is to Republicans. It's how populism works
Remove the head, the snake dies🤞
"Must be jailed or it will inflame tensions."
https://bsky.app/profile/ajs1977.bsky.social/post/3llpemiwv4k2d
One of the worst things that arose from the invention of the Internet is that every moron, everywhere, feels entitled to comment publicly on everything, everywhere. I think this has been a significant driver of the antivax movement and general bigotry.