French Military v. wokies
While the US military is turning woke, France is offering a shocking counter-example
So I ran across a brief, but shocking statement today signed by twenty French generals, an hundred officers of rank, more than a thousand other members of the military—in retirement. This statement against the woke tendencies in France goes from the salutary to the warning of civil war. This is, of course, unthinkable in America, where the top brass seems to be very woke, but where the military simply doesn’t make statements about politics (at least didn’t until various statements in re the Trump re-election). On the other hand, in France the right & nationalism are stronger, so much so that in recent years, Macron has felt the need to speak & act much more harshly against Islamic terrorism, as well as to denounce American ideas like “critical race theory.” It’s also worth remembering that the French fifth republic, which is doing badly, has been for a while, was born when de Gaulle prevented a military coup d’etat, putting an end in the process to the impotent & arrogant fourth republic as well.
Here is my translation, done in a hurry, but faithful, with a link to the French at the end. The rhetoric & cadences are typically French, so enjoy:
The hour is grave, France is in peril, several deadly dangers threaten her. We who, even in retirement, remain soldiers of France, cannot, in the current circumstances, remain indifferent to the fate of our beautiful country.
Our tricolor flags are not simply a piece of cloth, they symbolize the tradition, across the ages, of those who, whatever be the color of their skin or their confession, served France & gave their lives for her. On these flags, we find in letters of gold the words “Honor & Country.” But our honor today lies in the denunciation of the disintegration which strikes at our fatherland.
-A disintegration which, through a certain anti-racism, displays itself for one sole purpose: To create on our soil a discontent, even a hatred among communities. Today, some speak of racialism, of indigenism, & of de-colonial theories, but through these terms it is racial war that these hateful & fanatic partisans want. They despise our country, her traditions, her culture, & want to see it dissolve by tearing apart her past & her history. Thus they attack, by means of statues, ancient military & civil glory, analyzing words that are several centuries old.
-A disintegration which, with Islamism & the hordes of the slums, brings the detachment of multiple parts of the nation to transform them into territories submitting to dogmas contrary to our constitution. But each Frenchman, whatever be his belief or unbelief, is at home everywhere in the Hexagon; there cannot & there must not exist any city, any neighborhood where the laws of the Republic do not apply.
-A disintegration, because hatred walks ahead of fraternity during manifestations where the power (the government) uses the forces of order as auxiliaries & scapegoats against Frenchmen in yellow vests expressing their despair [reference to the recent nearly-year long working class protests –t.n.]. This while undercover, hooded individuals loot businesses & threaten these same forces of order. However, these latter ones only applied the perhaps contradictory directives given by you, the governors.
The perils mount, the violence grows day by day. Who would have predicted ten years ago that a teacher would one day be decapitated at the exit of his school? But we, servants of the Nation, who have always been ready to place our skin in service of our commitment—as our military situation required, we cannot be, in face of such doings, passive spectators.
Also, those who lead our country must imperatively find the courage necessary for the eradication of these dangers. To that end, it often suffices to apply without weakness the laws which already exist. Do not forget that, like us, a large majority of our fellow citizens is exasperated by your hedging & your culpable silence.
As Cardinal Mercier, primate of Belgium, said: “When prudence is everywhere, courage is nowhere.” So then, ladies & gentlemen, enough prevarication, the hour is grave, the work is colossal; do not lose time & know that we are willing to support the politicians who take into consideration the safeguarding of the nation.
On the other hand, if nothing is done, laxity will continue to spread inexorably through the society, provoking finally an explosion and the intervention of our active comrades in a perilous mission to protect our civilizational values & to safeguard our compatriots on the national territory.
One sees, there is no more time for tergiversation, lest tomorrow civil war will put an end to this growing chaos, & the dead, for whom you will bear responsibility, will count in the thousands.
Here’s the link to the letter in Valeurs Actuelles for the Franco-philes.