April 10, 2007

The Sophisticated French

By Jon N. Hall

Jean-Marie Henin, a supporter of Socialist candidate for the French presidency Ségolène Royal, recently said of her, “This is our new French revolution. We already had one in 1789 that swept across the entire world”.

And here I thought “the shot heard round the world” was fired in Lexington in 1775.

Why do the French still celebrate Bastille Day? It’s not as though the French Revolution ushered in anything lasting, or that there weren’t other French revolutions to follow.

When the U.S. installed its first government, France was a monarchy, which was followed by 5 republics, 2 empires, 3 restorations of the monarchy (including a Bourbon and an Orleanist), the Reign of Terror, various periods of anarchy, the Nazi-collaborationist puppet state of Vichy, and now the EU, which the French feel that with their wealth of experience they are entitled to lead. A mere 10 years after the storming of the Bastille and 7 years after the founding of the First Republic, the French were back to dictatorship with Napoleon I. (If only the French Revolution had “swept across” France.)

Compare France’s history to that of America: We’ve had one continuous government under the same constitution since 1789. We even held elections during the Civil War. Yet some in the American elite think we should look to “sophisticated” France as a model of good government.

Of all the major nations of Europe, France may be the least worthy of emulation. France has been in decline since Waterloo, and has not been a great nation since 1871, when they lost the Franco-Prussian War and had to cede the Alsace-Lorraine over to the Germans. The frogs have not been well led since Charles Martel repelled Abd al-Rahman’s invading Muslim horde at the Battle of Tours (Poitiers) in 732 AD.

But now France has had to deal with a massive new Muslim invasion. How? By throwing open her doors and putting them all on welfare. These newcomers, however, have no intention of being assimilated. Instead, they intend to supplant France with a caliphate. Charles Martel would be sick with grief and shame.

France’s main problem has always been her lousy leadership, Chirac being only the latest example. That’s why the French need to change course and elect Nicolas Sarkozy, a sober get-tough guy.

When this writer thinks of the quintessentially French things he loves, Jacques Demy’s 1964 movie The Umbrellas of Cherbourg comes to mind. It’s so very French, so full of pastel hues and scenes of young lovers strolling down Cherbourg streets as they sing to each other. Indeed, every line in this charming unique film is sung. Michel Legrand’s marvelous musical score is heartbreaking, and all the more so because in the coming caliphate such things will be strictly illegal. And the elegant bare arms and legs of Genevieve (Catherine Deneuve), not to mention her luxuriant blonde coif, will all need to be covered with a burqa. When France is gone, Umbrellas is how I’ll remember her.

The U.S. rescued France repeatedly in the 20th century—and she has never forgiven us for it. Enough American treasure and blood has been spilt on behalf of the French. If the sophisticated French must yet again be saved by America, then France will have proven herself incapable of self-rule and should be annexed. After a period of probation she would become our 51st state.

But if the French want to save themselves, then they need to be more like Americans. They need to reform their welfare system, cut tax rates, spend more on defense, and start being a decent partner. Only then will they have any chance of coping with their coming demographic showdown.

In the meantime, the French need to do the really sophisticated thing—elect Sarkozy.