main page
"To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
|
click here for a bigger sunset
One small voice in the proud tradition of FreeBlogging*
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
posted by gbarto at 2:30 AM:
Here come your French news headlines:Le Monde: Shiites in Kerbala, Jay Garner in Iraq. About Muslim pilgrimages ongoing as well as protests demanding a Shiite leader's release from captivity even as the US administration sets up. Le Monde says the Shiites' actions show they're willing to strain the political system even as the US sets up. It does not ask how this squares with the assertions of American oppression, etc., but it seems to me that those trying to argue that they're standing up to us are having a hard time of it since our attitude has largely been to cheerlead the discovery of independent voices, even if we don't go along with them.
Le Figaro: The Awakening of the Shiites. About the same.
Libération: Spigots open on Shiite fervor.
Ouest-France: The French don't reject politics - April 21st: barometer of malaise. It was, of course, a year ago that Jean-Marie LePen made his surprise showing in the French presidential elections. The French are feeling a little better about government now, but not much. Also, a nice editorial, which argues that France has replaced political thought with political feeling, with anti-American protests being an emotional reaction against power by people who are discomfited with reality, not a serious response to the issues at hand. Suggests the editorial, the anti-American protests are like the French electoral cycle of last year where Chirac went from villain to hero when he went from representing power to being Le Pen's antithesis - there is no active thought, only lashing out from crisis to crisis.
* * *
French Elections, 1st round
Second round special page
Second Round Results Map
The TurkeyBlog main page contains only the 20 most recent entries.
To go further back, check the archive in the right hand bar.
