The State Is Learning From Fascism – Sarkozy is Using Du Maurras

We have always disagreed with those who say that Sarkozy is like a little Napoleon.
For history is not made by great men, but by the masses.

Thinking in terms of individuals means staying at the level of Matthieu Kassovitz, who sees Sarkozy as a new Bush, as an “incompetent” person who does not know what he is doing:

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“The Minister of the Interior, and possible future president, says things that not only reveal his lack of experience in politics and human relations (which are closely related), but which also reveal the purely demagogic and egocentric side of a little Napoleon in training.” (Matthieu Kassovitz’s blog)

This is not true.

Sarkozy is extremely competent. He carries with him the best, which is to say the worst, traditions of the bourgeiosie.

Those who still doubt this can look at his most recent statements. He makes clear references to the French fascist tradition.

For instance, he says : “Never before have I felt there was such a deep chasm between the virtual country as it is described in one article after another, and the real country (…) I wanted to base myself on the real country, which understood perfectly well that we were at the moment of truth.”

The concept of the “real country” is one that was developed by the royalist theoretician and anti-Semite Charles Maurras.

The “real country” is the French families, who carry with them a moral and material legacy which must be preserved.

The “real country” is the political world, which occasionally must be put back in its place.

Sarkozy takes up this concept which has been used by the bourgeoisie to justify its reactionary policies, to justify fascism, that puts aside all those aspects that are still “democratic.”

Fascism puts aside electoral questions, instead finding its justification in the streets, by the violence of the middle classes who are victims of the crisis, with their fascist culture and their militias.

Sarkozy is using the same approach. He is calling on the “profound France.”

“All throughout these three weeks, I have been able to stand my ground because I have felt the support of millions of people like you.”

“What is going on in our neighbourhoods is absolutely critical to the future of our country.”

“We have to make profound changes to our country, we have to break with a political, social and economic system that for thirty years has produced little but unemployment, debt, and paralysis. This is why I am calling for change.”

Sakozy is not the cause, but rather is the consequence of a class struggle so intense that it has forced the bourgeoisie to drop its “democratic” mask to protect its interests, and to demand that the middle classes take action against the people.

Those who still had illusions about the nature of the State should give them up now and join the struggle!

Another “politics” is not possible – the clash is one of class against class!

Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist Maoist), November 2005

Please note that the above text about the past week’s riots in Clichy-Sous-Bois come from the website of the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist Maoist) in France and translated by yours truly. I have a “fast and loose” translation philosophy, meaning that when there is a choice between readability and the original phraseology i tend to favour the former, provided that the meaning stays the same. The original document can be seen in French.

Please also note that i am translating this as i have not been able to find any radical accounts of the riots or the police racism that provoked them in English… i do not necessarily agree with the PCMLM’s point of view, nor do they necessarily agree with mine. Si quelqu’un a un meilleur texte à suggérer, svp envoyez-moi le!

For background to the riots, including a timeline, check out the Wikipedia entry.


Categories: fascism, france, maoism, translation