For centuries, England (Britain) and France vied for being the top dog in Europe – most due to the unbelievable wealth they’d sucked out of their empires to create the “Third World”!! The billions of human beings there were the “wretched of the Earth” while they pranced around in their palatial mansions living in obscene luxury. But every action has a reaction – in sociology as much as in physics- call it karma or what you will!! And right now, France is being ripped apart in that reaction!!
Because as with Britain, those colonials not unreasonably wanted to experience the life style of their erstwhile masters. Ironically, unlike the Brits who’d kept the “natives” at arm’s length as far as identity was concerned – in their ‘mission civilisatrice’, the French adopted a policy of total and complete assimilation. They declared they’d transmute folks from whatever previous culture they originated – Algerian, Moroccan, Malians, etc – into Frenchmen. All would be one and one would be all!!
Well, as the colonies became independent but didn’t develop as promised – mainly because France merely disguised its old exploitative relations rather than jettisoning them, the natives started flocking to the “motherland” to experience “la belle vie – the good life!! They came in the millions, especially to the cities on the Mediterranean like Marseilles. Today it’s estimated that there are 5 million French Blacks and 7 million Arabs, who together total about 19 percent of mainland France’s 63 million people.
What they found out however was that the promise of being “ONE” was a big fat lie!! They were still the “dirty natives” and placed at the bottom of the barrel and ladder. After they were not just “Third World” but third class!! They became the criminal underclass in the cities and not surprisingly found themselves in the glare of police searchlights. One outrageous brutality after another drove the youths to imitate the American peers of the sixties as they burnt and looted stores in commercial centres.
In the last decade, however, the French government instituted a policy of “restraint” towards the rioters – thinking this would lessen their rage. Didn’t work!! The “turning a blind eye” backfired and every new racial incident exploded into widespread riots and marches. In the present uproar a 17-year-old youth of Arab descent was shot in a police encounter and to get an idea of the extent of the reaction – 2000 cars have been torched and President Macron had to postpone a trip to Germany.
So what’s the lesson for us?? While we aren’t a colonial power, colonial power Britain did leave us a country as badly divided as they’ve found themselves.
We gotta treat everybody equally – and the police must consistently keep law and order!!
…with GT’s civic duty
Your Eyewitness just saw that the turnout for Georgetown in the last LGE was a dismal 28% in the largest and most highly contested Local Authority Area (LAA). Within this 28%, the PPP was able to increase their seats on the city council from 7 to 11 – compared to the PNC’s 19. So, what does this mean?? To the PNC they’re crowing they ‘defeated’ the PPP – even though they had one hand tied behind their backs with their internecine leadership infighting. For the PPP, they’ve created “beachheads” from where they’ll expand.
But what the numbers also suggest is that GT residents – who’re conceded even by the PPP to be traditionally PNC voters – were very apathetic. Was it only the leadership squabbles? Was it the general ennui about LGEs?? Was it the candidates?? That the PPP’s aggressive campaign didn’t bring out more voters – not just FOR them but AGAINST them in defence of the PNC doesn’t bode well for the latter.
Interesting times ahead!!
…for the WI (again)
The headline was stark: “Two-time champions West Indies will miss the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup for the first time.” Frankly, your Eyewitness has been disappointed so many times before, he’s as apathetic as GT voters!!
