the French have learned the correct lesson from this imo: even the most appropriate, careful, reluctant, reduced etc efforts are going to get screamed about like you're the OGPU executing dissidents so fuck it just actually prosecute them like you would anyone else, ban them from running for office. - ThreadSky

opinionhaver.bsky.social • 8 days ago

the French have learned the correct lesson from this imo: even the most appropriate, careful, reluctant, reduced etc efforts are going to get screamed about like you're the OGPU executing dissidents so fuck it just actually prosecute them like you would anyone else, ban them from running for office.

Reposted from Timber Mage

that's why going after Le Pen (for crimes!) was so fucking good

these people break the law. prosecute em.

Comments

draculaic.bsky.social•8 days ago

The paradox of tolerance needs to be something that your political culture takes seriously.

jefffreyspies.bsky.social•8 days ago

I hope you are right, but it remains to be seen if they stand by it

bigbluebongo.bsky.social•8 days ago

I mean we tried; we just mucked it up.

halfbrickmccurdy.bsky.social•8 days ago

The French, having also recently prosecuted a former president and prime minister, didn't learn anything here, France is a "functioning democracy", America isn't. The only lessons here are for Americans.

jabooby.bsky.social•8 days ago

There's some kind of "It can't happen here" brain block that's prevented us from doing this.

timbermage.bsky.social•8 days ago

tbf like Le Pen, Trump *was* convicted of financial crimes (albeit much too late). But that judge had no way to ban him from running for office

Banning him would have required cooperation from the conservative Supreme Court (14th amendment) or Republicans in Congress (impeachment)

timbermage.bsky.social•8 days ago

There was/is definitely a lot of complacency but in the US's case it was also a great deal of partisans engineering this outcome

doro20.bsky.social•8 days ago

Oh yeah

shadowhedgie8.bsky.social•8 days ago

It did help that MLP committed a crime that used to be commonplace in France's political class, so prosecutors could easily point to precedent that proved they were prosecuting her like they would anyone else.

kiymon.bsky.social•8 days ago

What's more likely to lead to authoritarians seizing power?
Never punishing them for their crimes, or punishing them for their crimes?
Hmmm that's a tough one there. Gonna have to take a long hard thinkening about it.

no-obey-advance.bsky.social•8 days ago

See also South Korea.

thenoteheleft.bsky.social•8 days ago

Rule of law and all that.

beltwaykomrade.bsky.social•8 days ago

as seen here, fascists will still have their victimhood complexes when treated with the softest kid gloves

joedgarthompson.bsky.social•8 days ago

what helped france doing it is also the tripartition of our electorate. le pen's supporters are only a third of the electorate and it shows everywhere (election polls but also opposition to her condamnation). less fear to do what's right

tektology-enjoyer.bsky.social•8 days ago

If it's gonna be "You kick Miette?!", ya might as well actually kick Miette

sephirothwolf.bsky.social•8 days ago

Hope they shave her head.

opinionhaver.bsky.social•8 days ago

there is no return on a lighter touch because it is not rewarded whatsoever in terms of how right wing media and political actors will interpret it, they won't modulate their response at all, so just do the fucking thing like you would with anyone else.

contextproblem.bsky.social•8 days ago

Also paradoxically fascists are nicer to you when you hit them. They respect strength and have contempt for compromise and rule following.

emnicw.bsky.social•8 days ago

That’s true of most bullies

lplante.bsky.social•8 days ago

This is the situation my grandfather would refer to as, “Might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb.”

emnicw.bsky.social•8 days ago

In for a penny in for a pound

opinionhaver.bsky.social•8 days ago

will this take Le Pen and FN off the board? I don't know! The prediction that I am reasonably sure of is that it does not *increase* p(political instability) or p(far-right govt). they were gonna scream about being censored anyway! that's their thing!

dankeevy.bsky.social•8 days ago

Politically it may even be a short-term blow. But the message here is what's important, France is governed by the rule of law, regardless of whether you're a peasant or a king.

notthegodofhammers.bsky.social•8 days ago

Cutting the power of name recognition for the far right with rotating prison sentences for each new cohort (who are definitionally crooked).

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply