Episode 5 : And if (when) it's our turn?
Yeah, okay, well, that's all good, but how are we (european people) concerned?
Previous episodes have referred to several aspects of the rise of authoritarian regimes in the world in general and in the Western world in particular:
- its planned, organized, in the long term
- the number of players and the pooling of methods and resources
- how they cooperate and help each other
- collusion and convergence of interests between the very big fortunes, the big multinationals, some lobbies and the the most conservative and “religious” (bigots) politicians.
The smashing debut of the Trump/Musk team (to put it simply) showed how easy it is to catch everyone off-guard, even though the agenda was essentially not hidden. People are starting to react, but the breakage has largely begun in and outside the USA. Previously, we had witnessed the rise to power of Orban, Meloni and Milei (the guy who sends “riot cops” and tear gas at pensioners protesting price rises at record speed in Argentina). “Strangely enough", the latter two were in the limelight at Trump's inauguration party.
So, if you're still in awe of OrangeMan, that is:
- either you are in denial, but admit that this is an increasingly difficult position to hold.
- or that you agree 100% with his ideas say, well dictatorial and that you want an authoritarian regime like his to come to power in your country.
- or that you're "dumb" and, in the latter case, any regime would suit you.
I read confusing stuff all over social media, forums, video comments. Some believe that Trump will clean the house, that he and Musk will cut unnecessary and unwarranted spending and expose frauds. Others, despite the mounting evidence, are still casting doubt on Trump's implementation of Project 2025 or the existence of an international network designed to bring the far right to power. A third fringe continues to revere the two felonious men, one as the strong guy, the formidable negotiator and the other as the genius of the new technologies. Trump's application of Project 2025 or the existence ofan international network with the aim of promoting the coming to power of the far right. A third fringe continues to revere the two felons, one as a strong man, a formidable negotiator and the other as a genius of new technos.
But look at them: the finest pair of corny, vulgar, greedy, lying hicks we've seen in a long time. One of them, ridiculous with his blond toupee, orange skin and hen's arse mouth, has laid down like a good little doggy in front of Putin, no negotiations, nothing. In exchange, he is preparing to cut off the mining resources of the territories occupied by Russia. The genius has had his website (DOGE) defaced in less than a week, devalues his brand of car with "Sieg Heil", struts around with a chainsaw (donated by Milei, of all people...), wearing dark glasses, unable to say three sensible words in a row because he's so stoned, and walks around with his kid who leaves boogers on the President's desk. A fine pairing indeed, and one that is full of lies and approximations.DOGE) in less than a week, devalues his brand of cars with "Sieg Heil", gets pavaned, with a chainsaw (offered by Milei, so...), wearing black glasses, unable to align three words supposedly in a row so high he is pounded, and walks everywhere with his kid who leaves his nose on the president's desk. It is a good team, which, moreover, multiplies lies and approximations.
Trump:
- Zelinsky is a dictator. We thought he liked dictators, Kim, Vlad...
- Zelinsky is illegitimate. Missed, the Ukrainian constitution provides martial law and incidentally how you organize elections when a fifth of your population is exiled, many men are in uniform hundreds of miles from home sometimes, and Russians bomb your cities? Trump's morality ignores the most elementary right and he goes into IDGAF because anyway he does not intend to submit to it.
- Zelinsky is only popular about 4% of its population while, unlike Trump, the guy has a popularity rating above 50%.
Musk:
- US citizens have financed with their taxes the sending of $50 million of condoms to Gaza, not including pro-transgender educational programmes in various countries. When we show him it's not true, he basically says, "Well yes, we can be wrong, it happens."
- The guy kicks thousands of federal agents out via a simple e-mail and realizes that, oops, there's no one to take care of nuclear weapons anymore, so, as with Twitter, he was forced to recall people fired a bit too quickly. What a genius!
Seriously?
How can we still take these people seriously? I mean positively. What kind of citizen, especially in Europe and in France, can still believe that these methods would be welcome in our countries?
You'd like to see, Marine Le Pen or Bardella or Zemmour or Miss Niece, flanked by Bolloré or Bernard Arnaud complacently interviewed by Valeurs Actuelles or Ciryl Hanouna?
You'd like to have Dupont-Aignan in charge of Public Health? Should we sell the public service medias to a millionaire close to the RN (this was in the party's last legislative program)? That we cut up the civil service Milei/Musk-style (Bardella in an itw to Valeurs Actuelles)?
You'd like to wake up after a week to realize that you've been rung, that nothing of what you voted for RN is going to be done while everything you've denounced in the other parties will continue multiplied by 10: corruption, nepotism, favours for the richest, increase of inequalities, reduction of freedoms, impoverishment of the country, reduction of the rights of women, minorities etc.
You'd like to see idiots propose that Jean-Marie's birthday become a national celebration?
You'd like to see planes starting to crash because too many airports employees would have been fired?
You'd like to fire the people who deal with our nuclear missiles, our forests and national parks.
You'd like to have an incompetent antivax at the head of the Ministry of Health when things like measles resurface (Texas) and the agency that monitors the spread of epidemics has been removed when we'll get hit by next global flu pandemic?
You'd like to see the government trying to limit or even eradicate the rights of LGBT people, foreigners or supposedly such, disabled people, women, non-Christians/non-whites? And when it's over, turn to you?
If your answer is yes, vote for them.
Of course, they wouldn't be as frontally moronic as their counterparts on the other side of the Atlantic, but we'd end up with the same result, without the Laurel and Hardy of the White House (apologies to Laurel and Hardy). Don't forget that Steve Bannon, the man who has just made a “Roman salute”, the man who is trying to get his hands back on the MAGA movement, has long been a shadowy advisor to all the far-right parties in Europe, the RN in particular. Steve Bannon, the one who has just made a "Roman Salut", the one who tries to put his hands on the MAGA movement, has long been an adviser to the shadow of all that Europe has far right parties, the RN in the first place.
I'm well aware that the offers from the other French political parties are weak, inconsistent, often imbecilic, and for the most part just as self-serving. I realize that Retailleau, Ciotti and Darmanin are just as irrespirable, that Bayrou, the “centrists” and the LR are flirting more and more openly with these nauseating ideas. That Mélenchon is a burnt-out, revanchist old fart who would do everyone a favor by retiring from politics. That the rest of the left has no backbone, I know all that. But is this a reason to vote far-right and say to yourself:
"Well... we didn't try..."
Of course we did! It was called Vichy! It has remained an indelible shame on our recent history. And even if we put that aside, the mess in the US right now, this kind of chaos triggered from the top, this society in which everyone wonders what will fall on his face, should cut you off from the urge to try, right?
You may object that the RN has distanced itself from the German AFD, that Bardella condemned Bannon's gesture (after going to the big Maga rave where it took place anyway) and that therefore the RN would have nothing to do with it. But just listen to their spokesman, who pays lip service to the fact that Zelinsky isn't a dictator, but refuses to say anything about Putin and the “negotiations” between Donald and Vlad. Remember, too, that Trump, who “had never heard of Project 2025” before the election, methodically implemented their program as soon as he took office. Look at the current push by his supporters to give him a 3rd term in office and more. Let's not forget that all dictators have first shown their credentials before being elected. These guys don't arrive with drool on their lips, a knife between their teeth, or a torch in their hand and a KKK hood over their heads. Don't underestimate them, they're much more devious than that. For the time being, the RN has turned on the lukewarm water tap until the next elections.
So what can we do?
Firstly, we mustn't give up, despite all the signs announcing their imminent arrival in power, remembering that until they're elected, they're nothing more than another ordinary citizen, and that it's up to us to ensure that they don't rise to the highest office.
Then, don't cut off communication with the people who support them, who vote for them. First of all, because some of them are your family, your friends, and that should always come first. And secondly, you can't convince people to at least abstain by stopping talking to them.
Remember that these parties don't appeal to reason, logic or facts, but to feelings, simplifications and the cult of the leader. It's very much like a sect, with a guru (Trump, Jean-Marie, Marine, Jordan) whose word is golden no matter what he says. It's unfortunate, but many of those who have rallied to the MAGA have waited until they've been slapped in the face (job loss, deportation of a loved one, loss of benefits) to realize that Trump was a mystification that was bad for them.
No confusion 😉 There are the hardcore fascists, the incurable conservative bigots and those who were looking for a solution, pushed the door open and thought they'd found it. It's this last category that needs to be addressed, without mistaking them for the others, without calling them Nazis or other nasty names, because that's the best way to lose them. And they can make or break a RN majority.
Continue to speak out without fear or unnecessary aggression, because fear and silence are a form of consent. Be aware of the danger, but don't fear them, otherwise they've already won. Get informed and support all those who try to organize original, intelligent, generous and effective counter-fires.
I know it's a bit grandiloquent and, in reality, it doesn't sound like much, but to stay silent would be suicidal. And nobody thinks it's going to be a piece of cake.
Even if it would have had been more relevant in the previous post (but I have only discovered them since then), lend an eye on Project 2025 Tracker (in English) which shows the progress of the implementation of the project agency by agency, measure by measure, as well as on the Project 2025 Assistant (Also in English but can be translated automatically (small drop-down menu on the right))
