That is, if French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon wins the coming election. I would still call that unlikely, but he is rising in the polls. In case you’re wondering, Our France would qualify as part of Our America because of its overseas departments French Guiana and the French Antilles. Although I am not sure that the present members of ALBA – principally Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Ecuador – will greet these parts of France Overseas with unmixed joy.
Quoting the article from Le Figaro linked to above:
The document [Mélenchon’s manifesto] proposes to leave the treaties of alliance that France belongs to now, like NATO on the military plane, or the WTO and the CETA on the economic level. Proposal 62 calls for the establishment of an alternative system and, for example, to join structures of “regional cooperation”, “in a process of ecological, social and human progress”. The program cites the ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America) launched by Hugo Chavez and his allies as early as 2004. The links between the late South American president and the candidate are of long standing, and the latter never misses an opportunity to tell the story of their meeting. But the reference to the Bolivarian model has not yet been updated with regard to the drift of the regime of Maduro and the resulting economic collapse.
There is more on this story from Libération: What is the Bolivarian Alliance that Mélenchon wants to join?
That story links to a video showing a TV studio discussion in which an interviewer brought up Mr Mélenchon’s proposed change of direction for France with his spokesperson, Clémentine Autain, who “was obviously unaware of this point of her candidate’s program” – and could hardly keep a straight face when told about it.
As ever, the translations are a joint project between my French O-Level and Messieurs Google et Bing. Corrections are welcome.
This candidate is the logical result of the “Social Justice” doctrines taught in the schools and universities.
And not just in France.
You can’t fix stupid.
My Old Man, decades ago, lamented the polarisation of politics in France, saying too many were either fervent Catholics or rabid Communists. However, the Commie element may explain why the Latin American ‘anti-imperialists’ drone on about the Falklands, yet ignore French Guiana. Even gormless Guyana, a socialist dump to rival anything Bolívar spawned (‘Tyrants will rise from my tomb’ is attributed to him), gets its Venezuelan frontier pecked at from time to time, despite being ‘on-side’ over the Falklands. Perhaps it is Anglophobia, or a vestigial resentment running from the Álamo to the Armada, of any glimmer of a tradition of freedom, which is common to France and much of Latin America.
Now, where are those plans to nuke the Channel Tunnel?
France. 2019 ‘Mon cul manque du papier!‘.
This guy is awesome! He wants to bring in a 32 hour working week. I don’t think I loaf quite enough as it is, I hope he gets in! With flexitime I can probably have 4-day weekends!
“This candidate is the logical result of the “Social Justice” doctrines taught in the schools and universities.”
Precisely. Expect more, much more.
But only possible with journalists, another product of those schools and universities.
—–
There is no problem with 32 hours week if the salary drops accordingly with eventual decreased production. Of course it is not what they are saying.
SOCIALISM FAILS AGAIN!
Exotic outposts seek financial sugar daddy, JUST to get through college!
“We’ll get it right the NEXT time!
Just a few more experiments in the lab.”
I’m pretty sure the writing’s on the wall for international interests to “buy” Cuba, but Venezuela seems to be on the “FINAL MARKDOWN” rack before it gets donated for final salvage rights.
Strictly IMHO of course.
Does Mélenchon’s proposal “to leave the treaties of alliance that France belongs to now” include the EU?
– If not, can he not be ridiculed as yet another establishment candidate aping a phony radicalism? 🙂
– If it does, a Le Pen v. Mélenchon run off would seem to present that organisation with unwelcome choices. 🙂
Perhaps the French resent the way the US presidential election got the world’s attention, and are determined that Donald v. Hillary will be outshone: “Notre amour propre demande que l’election presidential Francais serons le plus ridicule.”
Niall beat me to it: shouldn’t it read Robespierrian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Europe?
Niall, having read excerpts of Mélenchon’s speech I was already envying the French presidential election. If we must have politicians at the very least they should be entertaining to watch, even if beneath the bluster they are all pretty much the same! Elections in the UK are pretty boring.
It’s people like Melenchon who had me on Amazon awhile ago shopping for blue roses.
Wh00ps (April 14, 2017 at 10:46 am): “Elections in the UK are pretty boring.”
If you want to ‘live in interesting times’, Wh00ps, … 🙂
Referenda in the UK are not boring.
Has anyone ever greeted the French with unmixed joy?
Looks like the French may end up with a Trump vs Hillary type of choice in the final round. Oh, aren’t we lucky!
Well, France does have a lot of expertise in the area of oil – Total, Schlumberger – once those companies are nationalized, the technical staff can be sent off to help Venezuela re-start its oil business. Venezuela would pay with oil, just like they paid the Cubans for all the doctores. It is true Win-Win socialist solidarity.
“Has anyone ever greeted the French with unmixed joy?”
God wanted to make one perfect place, so he made France. Then he realized he had gone too far, so he made Frenchmen.
A bunch of German occupiers on 22nd June 1940?
“Our America because of its overseas departments French Guiana and the French Antilles.”
You left out St.Pierre and Miquelon, Guadeloupe, and Martinique
Plus Reunion I think. There may be more!
I love chocolate chip cookies, and could probably live happily on them alone if they were healthy, but they’re not, so I don’t.
The linked article on Mélenchon indicates that he wins in a pure popularity poll – everybody likes him, he’s a nice, sincere type, he’ll give everyone free stuff, he wants to save the transgendered whales – but the polls related to voting place him in a battle for third place.
He’s a chocolate chip cookie. People love him, but recognize that he’s not the best choice.
Of course, that’s how we got Obama. Too many people chose the cookie.
In France, as in Latin America, Les Anglo Saxons make ideal scapegoats.
Mr Ed is on to something important when he mentions the Armada and the Alamo.