Another Viewpoint from Norway

A reader sent this video in a comment. It dares to suggest that multiculturalism is not the way to go in Norway.

There have been numerous anonymous comments, some of them include links to videos. I cannot possibly check everything. Nor can I verify what is true or not true in the comments themselves. The commenter is responsible for what he or she says. I have tried to warn against jumping to any conclusion. I realize that for many people this looks like a Muslim set-up, and it may be. But WE DON'T KNOW THAT yet. I remember the Kennedy assassination where everybody and his uncle had their own tailored-to-suit-themselves explanation. It is amazing what one lone killer can do. The whole world jumps headlong into theories and wishful thinking. There are still so many unanswered questions, and I pray that these questions are soon answered, but to use the 9/11 analogy, look at what happened there. Half the world (or more) does not believe it was a Muslim attack. They believe Bush or Mossad did it. Some believe it never happened, that it was a hoax, etc... The same insanity is befalling us again. Let's not assume we know anything. If you have definite links in English or French that provide new information or confirm some theory, by all means post them. If they are in some other language I cannot guarantee I will be able to translate.

The only good that can come of this would be that some people realize just how criminal and genocidal multiculturalism, in its current definition, is.

Caution before all else.

Under Sharia Control

According to this article on the home page of François Desouche, Islamic "extremists" have been placing signs indicating zones controlled by sharia law. These signs have been appearing in various cities of Great Britain, including London.

Note: I placed the word "extremists" in quotes because they are not extremists, they are simply Muslims, slowly but surely taking over Europe. No extremism here. Just the Koran:

The bright yellow messages, tacked onto bus stops and street lights, have already been sighted in certain neighborhoods of London. They order that in a "controlled zone" there is to be "no gambling", "no music or concerts", "no porn or prostitution", "no drugs, tobacco or alcohol".

Below, a red-headed Muslim affixes the warning.



You may know this line from Dante's Commedia which should be added to the yellow sticker. It could be the motto of Islamic Europe:

Abandon hope all ye who enter here

The Soap Opera Continues

I left a version of the following remarks in the comment section of Miss Diallo Speaks. I then decided to post it as a separate article.

A reader recommended this excellent video. To all those who understand French, I too recommend it. It's an hour long, but worth the effort. The moderator and four well-informed guests discuss the quagmire Cyrus Vance has gotten himself into, the reasons for the latest postponement of the trial (August 23), the political stakes for the District Attorney who will lose the next election in 2012 if he forces the taxpayers of New York to pay millions in damages to Nafi Diallo, as the result of a civil suit. They are surprised at Vance's poor handling of the phone call in African dialect which was mistranslated the first time. They also wonder what he could have said to Diallo during an 8-hour interview today, and they wonder as well why he didn't interview her at length in the beginning.

They explained clearly, for their French audience, the differences between the French and American legal systems with regard to criminal and civil cases. In America, as we know they are separate, and the civil suits are often nothing more than an attempt to get rich quick. So if Vance drops his charges, she will be in civil court instantly and stands to gain several million dollars. They brought up the O.J. Simpson case as an example.

One guest, an American lawyer who speaks excellent French, in answer to a question about ethnic groups sticking together, said that so far, contrary to expectations, the Jews of New York do not support DSK, but sympathize instead with Diallo. (Implicitly, this also means they would support the African and Afro-American organizations that support her as well. I would guess that some American Jews are a bit embarrassed by DSK and want to disassociate themselves from him. But they merely go from the frying pan into the fire when they do this. The only position that is tenable is the desire for the truth. I fear we will never get there.)

They discuss Tristane Banon, and the convergence of the two cases. We finally learn that Tristane did not go to a hospital following the alleged attack by DSK in 2002 (or 2003, not sure). Hence, when her lawyer says he has proof, it seems certain that he has NO physical evidence of injuries.

We see (at about 45 minutes into the video) the gathering of the United African Congress and the tearful speech Diallo gave. But I noticed that her speech was much less buoyant, much more difficult to understand than it had been in her interview with Robin Roberts. Probably because it was less well rehearsed (another point the guests make).

All of the guests contributed valuable information, including the female guest, who though a feminist, said that feminist groups had abandoned her completely in her support of Tristane Banon. She even said one such group had threatened her life! The flaw in her comments revolves around her friendship with Anne Sinclair, whom she praises for standing by her husband. So here is another woman who has connections to both Tristane and DSK. She defends both women in the case, even though one of them - Anne Sinclair - could (I said COULD) be guilty of complicity in her husband's misdemeanors (I won't say crime).

There is much in this video of value and I only wish I had time to translate it.

All in all, fascinating.

Note: An article that I will try to translate later claims that ALL photos of DSK relevant to the event in New York have been removed from the Internet. The article says that if you do a Google search for these photos, you will come up empty-handed. I have not had time to verify this. If it is true, I would imagine his lawyers are behind it.

Asking Forgiveness

A reader sent me the above photo with this comment:

Terrible to watch the Crown Prince Haakon, the future King of Oslostan - or Medina(?), sitting on the carpet to the left in the photo, while Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre is standing up, to the right, asking forgiveness in the "World Islamic Mission Mosque", after last Friday attacks on the government and on the AUF youth at Utøya.

Source

In another part of the comment my reader goes on to explain why Oslo may one day be called Medina.

Here are excerpts from a speech delivered in 2005 from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem by Sheikh Issam Amira:

“Listeners! The Moslems in Denmark make up three percent [of the population], yet constitute a threat to the future of the Danish kingdom. It’s no surprise that in Bitrab (the ancient name of Medina, a city in Arabia to which Mohammed immigrated) they were fewer than three percent of the general population, but succeeded changing the regime in Bitrab.

“It’s no surprise that our brothers in Denmark have succeeded in bringing Islam to every home in that country. Allah will grant us victory in their land to establish the [Islamic] revolution in Denmark.”

After Denmark, the Sheikh said, the party will carry the revolution to Oslo and change its name to Medina. “They will fight against their Scandinavian neighbors in order to bring the country into the territory of the revolution,” he said. “In the next stage, they will fight a holy jihad to spread Islam to the rest of Europe, until it spreads to the original city of Medina where the two cities will unite under the Islamic flag.”

Sheikh Riyad Salah, head of the Islamic movement in Israel has also been active teaching the tenets of “Islamic revolution.”

“We are at the gates of the Islamic revolution,” he proclaims in his sermons to Arab citizens of Israel. “The global forces of evil will be eliminated from the world and the Islamic nation will remain in place in order to bring about the world Islamic revolution, with its capital, Jerusalem.”

Source

My reader closes his comment with:

Why Norway and Denmark? Because of the relatively weak populations, and the open societies. Easy to conquer.

This is an indication of the degree to which the Muslims could profit from the massacre and use it for their own ends. This is precisely what so many of us are afraid of. And it is why Breivik either is a psychopathic killer with no concern for humanity or a great double-crosser, who does realize that his act will play into Muslim hands. If it turns out that he is really an anti-Islamic ideologue, then, I'm sorry, I don't know what to say, and I'll let others do the analyzing.

Miss Diallo Speaks

Click here for the interview with Nafissatou Diallo, that many of you have probably seen. Embedding has been disallowed.

And this one is a follow-up, with Robin Roberts interviewing Christopher Dickey of Newsweek and legal analyst Dan Abrams.

As Christopher Dickey points out, when she talks about the alleged assault, she is convincing. I found her almost likable. However, she may be a skilled actress, playing for high stakes. Even though we all have our own opinions of her, the case is far from over, and our opinions are subject to change (again).

Norway - The Great Misinformation

First, I want to thank all of you who sent comments to the previous post. I have begun checking the links, although events move at such a rapid pace, it is almost impossible to keep up. A topic like this is so difficult to deal with. First, the deluge of attempts to psychoanalyze the killer becomes mind-numbing, and in the end, we still don't know anything. But more than that, the wildly inappropriate presentations by the media of a "Christian fundamentalist" and a "right-winger" can really set off feelings of despair in any well-intentioned and justifiably concerned European or American patriot. The French Catholic blogs have focused on why Anders Breivik cannot be a Christian. I hope to do at least one post on this aspect of the event, but I feel certain that any thoughtful reader understands that what Breivik did is not only anti-Christian, but closer in fact to what we call "Satanic" murders.

Here is some reading, which you probably need like a hole in the head, not to mention the fact that you may already have read this material. Still, you may find something of interest here:

The Blogmocracy has an article about the indoctrination against Israel that was taking place on the island of Utoya. The author makes it clear that even though he condemns the indoctrination, he also condemns the killings.

Here is another from Israel Hayom on Israel's offer of aid to Norway after attacks.

Gary Bauer denies Breivik is or could possibly be a Christian. From VFR.

American writer and gay activist Bruce Bawer who lives in Norway explains the ways in which the Norwegian government has been doing all it can to please the Muslims. I highly recommend this article.

H/T: VFR

Gates of Vienna has posted the statements of Geert Wilders, Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, and Fjordman.

Wilders', Sabaditsch-Wolff, and Fjordman feel deeply implicated in this latest massacre because the killer referred to their writings in his so-called manifesto. Their first thought, quite naturally, is to point out the impossible connection between what they wrote and what the killer actually did. None of the anti-Islamist writers condones mass killing of innocent people. And even if the youth on that island were engaged in actions that we find reprehensible, this does not mean, cannot mean, that we condone such murderous acts. The question remains, though, as to whether or not these writings had an effect on the killer's psyche to such an extent that he actually performed a horrifying deed, and whether or not more such deeds lie ahead, predictably, inevitably, if not from Brievik, then from others like him.

My feeling right now is that he was a natural-born killer in need of an ideology. He found an ideology and it justified (to him) the shedding of innocent blood. Killers such as Brievik enjoy killing, they get a "high", they feel fulfilled, and they are ready to spend 21 years in prison, since Norway, like France, has a maximum sentence of 21 or 22 years. (However, Norway, like France, can detain them longer without a new trial if they pose a threat to society.) Some will disagree with the notion of a "natural-born killer". Are killers born or made? I don't have the answer to that.

This becomes something of a joke. The Norwegian police could not even get to the island for 90 minutes because the helicopter police were on vacation. And the Norwegian justice system will not be able to execute this man because of society's liberal views on capital crimes.

When I studied the French Revolution in school we were told that the writings of Voltaire, Diderot and Rousseau had set the stage for the revolt. The so-called Enlightenment, basically an anti-Christian movement, and its "philosophes" had so fired up the populace that they stormed the Bastille, took to the streets, constituted themselves a legislative body, murdered those that defied them or those they hated, and ultimately became notorious terrorists, in a feverish effort to eradicate the Monarchy and the Church. But if we blame the great writers of the 18th century for the carnage that ensued, must we then blame men like Fjordman for the Norway massacre? Are writings to blame, are the writers of those writings to blame, however unwittingly, for the actions of a killer?

I suppose it is safe to say that ideas that are "in the air", ideas that make powerful distinctions between right and wrong, good and evil, ideas that question the actions and policies of a lax and treasonous government, ideas that warn men of the grave dangers that lie ahead, are sooner or later going to be implanted in the minds of potential killers, who, as I said, need a reason to kill. But I am still not 100% convinced that there is a direct link between anti-Islamic writings, and what this 32-year old man did. Nor am I convinced that he was, as he claims, concerned about the decay of the West and the takeover by the forces of Islam. It is more likely, isn't it, that he was acting out a fantasy?

There are comparisons with Colombine, Beslan, Virginia Tech., Oklahoma City, among many...

In any case, Breivik was not a Christian, whatever he said. He was, it appears, quite the opposite: an anti-Christian and a Mason. The lodge to which he belonged has ejected him. The grand master of the Norwegian Order of Freemasons, Ivar A. Sklar, denounced his act, and refuses any responsibility for the crime, stating that the Lodge espouses "Christian values". H/T: Yves Daoudal

Here is an 18-minute video from Canada, featuring Ezra Levant and Michael Coren. Coren rejects with sound arguments the MSM proclamation of Breivik as a "Christian Fundamentalist."

Below, a photo of the Grand Lodge of Norway with the red and white flag. The red cross was featured on the cover of the Breivik's manifesto, emphasizing his adherence to Norwegian Masonry. I want to point out that the Lodge, whatever one may think of Freemasonry, cannot be held responsible. Only the killer is responsible, no matter how strong the influences on his thinking.

Update

I must apologize for the delay in posting. This has happened to me before, as those of you who are regulars know. Too many things converged on me these past three days. First, it has been a furnace on the East Coast, the heat reaching well above 100º Fahrenheit, and this always slows me down. Second, I have been preparing for a short trip out of town that I must make tomorrow (Sunday). So I will try to get back to the grindstone on Monday, if I can rest up from Sunday's activities.

I have not followed the news from France, but will catch up as best I can. I did of course hear about the massacre in Norway, and my heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones and who were terrorized. It is everybody's worst nightmare come true, it is something that stalks all of us in our daily lives, and we must always be cautious of what the news reports say about these killings. So often, the news media are delighted to be able to blame "Christians" and "conservatives". But this type of killing is anti-Christian and as far from conservatism as one can get. The fact that the alleged killer may have been born a Christian or belonged to "conservative" associations or groups does not mean that his inner life was guided by Christian ethics or conservative values. My first thought was that his actions resembled those of Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City killer.

Many will say that the same applies to Muslims, that when Muslims kill innocent people they are not acting in accordance with Islamic law. However, this point is arguable, for the Koran exhorts Muslims to kill the infidel.

We must look at this killer and try to explain his actions in ways the media never will. According to Bruno Gollnisch of the Front National, there are indications at Facebook that he was a member of a Masonic lodge. Another article by Eric Martin at Nouvelles de France has similar information.

For those who prefer an English-language site, see Lawrence Auster's home page. There is more there than I can absorb. This article describes the shock and amazement of his readers as they try to understand what happened. Apparently, these killings and the killer himself Anders Brievik, are not conforming to any recognizable pattern, since Brievik seemed to be a conservative concerned about Islam, and a reader of Gates of Vienna and Jihad Watch. The readers emphasize that this a fatal blow to the anti-Islamic cause, since Brievik will be considered as a typical anti-Islamist. One reader sums it up:

I'm stunned and almost speechless. I'm also still deeply suspicious of the appearances. Should the appearance stand, then, as you say, it is a stunning defeat for the West.

You must read also this article on the killer's "manifesto".

So we have another one of those sudden apocalyptic events, a bolt out of the blue, that characterize the age we live in. This is very hard on the nerves, and we feel the earth quake beneath us. These are dangerous times. We cannot rely on reason or on humane feelings. People are more and more detached from the context in which they were born. They are setting themselves up as Messiahs, avenging angels, warriors of ancient times reincarnated. They read, they absorb what they read, they are fashioned by what they read and they attempt to turn their fantasies into reality, without any humane thoughts for their victims. An age of monsters, of nine-days-wonders, who flash across the sky and disappear leaving death and destruction behind, as well as moral and political confusion.

A New Development

The mother of Tristane Banon has admitted to a sexual encounter with Dominique Strauss-Kahn in 2000, and has indicated he becomes domineering and violent when sexually aroused. I will try to have more tonight. Meanwhile, here are two articles, in French and English. I CANNOT at this moment vouch for the veracity of anything.

Note: The article from The Mail gives some insight into the mother's "life-style" as well.

"France is not closed..."

In this 18-second video Interior Minister Claude Guéant explains to Jean-Jacques Bourdin that France is not a closed country. Guéant, who has been accused by the Socialists of being racist and discriminatory for his remarks on the dangers of too much immigration, here attempts to clear himself of all charges. In doing so, he reveals some extraordinary figures:

No, no, France is not closed. Listen. Two hundred thousand visas every year, Jean-Jacques Bourdin. The equivalent of a city like Rennes. I don't know if you realize what that represents?




H/T: Islamisation

DSK Trial Postponed, and other news...

Considering the deluge of articles, tall tales, lies, suppositions, assumptions, wrong information, etc... I shall not comment on DSK right now. Here are three relatively recent articles for those interested in the latest gossip:

First, the trial has been postponed until August 1. It was originally scheduled for July 18.

Second, the maid is suing the New York Post for calling her a prostitute.

Third, DSK presumably slept with three women the night before the alleged assault on the maid.

"Globally calm, despite some violence..."

Three hundred arrests took place the night of July 13 - 14. The author of this report from Le Parisien manages somehow to keep a straight face. A writer at Le Salon Beige says you have to read it to believe it:

The Police Prefecture of Paris issued a first report on the incidents that occurred in the Parisian region on the night of July 13 - 14: 328 arrests and 220 held in custody. "Unlike preceding years, no particular incident was reported regarding the totality of the dance parties," stressed the prefecture, pointing out that the police intervened "in numerous cases before urban violence could break out." Scattered incidents nonetheless broke out. In Paris, confrontations involving small explosives ("pétards") and mortar-type firecrackers were notably reported in the 11th, 12th, 19th, and 20th arrondissements. In the 19th, near a "sensitive" housing project called Curial, groups of young people confronted the riot police for almost three hours, throwing various projectiles. One police officer was reported injured in the leg.

In the department of Val-de-Marne, fewer than fifty cars were burned, ten of them in Champigny. A lower figure than last year. Two firecrackers were thrown near the Choisy-le-Roi and Boissy-Saint-Léger police stations, with no damage or injuries.

In Yvelines, ten cars were burned in the Val-Fourré project in Mantes-la-Jolie. The arrest of one of the alleged suspects was hectic. The man was eventually released. At Mureaux, the situation was also tense with confrontations between young people and police at the projects of Ile-de-France and Renault. In Limay, police were the target of a bottle of acid.

Did you all notice that the bottle of acid is the perp?

In the department of Val-d'Oise, five persons, including two minors, were held in custody for damaging cars in Franconville.

In Seine-et-Marne, a police car was the target of projectiles Wednesday night around 10:00 p.m. in Champs-sur-Marne. Three burned cars were reported in Meaux, Lognes and Brie-Comte-Robert, where the owner of the car was slightly injured in the explosion.

In the department of Oise, six cars were burned in the Creil valley and at least four others in Compiègne.

Le Salon Beige has a few more updated statistics:

The police made 217 arrests the night of July 14 - 15 in the Parisian region, and 125 persons were placed in custody. In all, for the two nights, July 13 - 14 and July 14 - 15, 545 persons were arrested in Paris and in the three departments of the "little crown" (Val-de-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Hauts-de-Seine), while 345 were kept in custody.

Note: The "little crown" refers to the departments just north of Paris that form a "crown".

These figures are only for Paris and the environs. I have no news about the rest of the country.

Reims Cathedral - 800 Years Old

The year 2011 marks the 800th anniversary of Reims cathedral, the cathedral that stands out from all others, for it was there that the Kings of France were crowned. The commemorative ceremonies began on May 6 and will end on October 23. Those of you in France may get the chance to visit the beautiful structure and to attend some of the celebrations. Construction on the current building began in 1211. Reims Cathedral has endured much damage from fires and bombings, through the ages.

In French, the word "sacre" is used for "coronation". "Sacre" better describes the event, a moment of intense religious feeling and a vital link to the deeply-rooted belief in the continuity of the sacred monarchy.

On May 15, the head of the House of Bourbon, Prince Louis de Bourbon, delivered a five-minute speech in the Palais du Tau (above, named for the Greek "t"), the residence of the King during the coronation. It was a speech that never could have been delivered by a modern-day politician, in today's climate of multiculturalism, renunciation of the past, disdain for nationalistic feelings, and dwindling adherence to Christianity, its values and its moral code.

Here is the text of his speech. I understood most of it. If you find an error, please let me know.

He opens with greetings to all those present: the Apostolic Nuncio, the regional Prefect and Vice-Prefect, the Mayor, the elected officials, "my dear cousins", the administrator, "ladies and gentlemen," "dear friends":

Remember, thirty-five Kings of France were crowned in the cathedral whose anniversary we are commemorating today. It is both exhilarating and moving. Thirty-five kings acclaimed by a people of France proud of her traditions and her history.

Note: I believe he says "a people", not "the people", to distinguish the people of then from the people of today.

Young and old, peasants and city-dwellers, nobles and clergy, each in his own way participated in the coronation. Some took care of the tapestries, others of the banquets, and others were just spectators. France lived these events passionately. You can feel in this cathedral, in this room, the vibrations of those who preceded you here. It is the past that makes things certain. I'm not so sure. It is not sure that the memory we are reliving today will not engender a certain feeling of pride. Beyond the divisions, beyond the quarrels, the coronation marked the beginning of a reign, the advent of a man anointed, in the footsteps of Clovis and Saint-Rémi. The coronation was the divine unction, the renewal of society, a new breath in the continuity of a lineage of the country; a hope of an entire people for the one who incarnated the unity of France.

Note: The line "It's the past that makes things certain" ("C'est le passé qui rend certain") seems to be a quotation of some sort, but I could not find it.

In a period of time that sees only the future, and forgets the past, I am very struck by this event that unites us - a cathedral, and more than that, THE cathedral of the coronation. In the glow of the footlights, each of you in his own way is commemorating the event; every woman, every man, is seeing its symbolism, everyone here is feeling history, our history, vibrating.

Allow me to express my emotions on the occasion of this commemoration, my emotions on seeing men and women assemble in this immense vessel that inscribes France into the most Christian tradition. A paradox of history, nonetheless…

I have received, as head of the House of Bourbon, a very special heritage - to be the successor to the Kings who made France, the very ones who came here to receive God's consecration.

I cannot claim to remain insensitive to this anniversary, or to the symbolism and beauty of this place that well deserves its international radiance. I have received an inheritance that I accept, but I am not alone in bearing it. Yes, you, my dear friends, you the people of France, for you, too, it is your heritage, our common memory, our foundation, our roots. Just as I do, you attach to it this particular importance that none can avoid today.

"France, What have you done to the promise of your baptism?" a blessed man inquired here more than twenty years ago, having come to meet the people.

Note: This was Pope John-Paul II, and the year was 1981.

Today, France remembers, France comes to life, France breathes. Yes, this monument of the past, this monument of unity is also a monument of the future, one we will transmit to our children, so that they may be proud of their country, of France.

His speech was greeted by applause and shouts of "Vive le Roi!" which were deleted in this video. There is another video where they are audible. I chose to post this one because it is louder and clearer.




Below one commemorative stamp for Reims' 800th birthday. See this site (in French) for more.



Those interested in the decline of Christianity in France may find this article by Mary Jo Anderson informative.

On the visit to France by John-Paul II and the pressures put on him during his return visit, see Catholic Tradition.

Celebrating the Nightmare of Revolution

What did the French people celebrate yesterday? Most of us still have trouble remembering how bloody, how brutal, how unjust and murderous the French Revolution was. We hear the Marseillaise and we see the men and women in uniform and we feel a shiver. It's hard not to feel proud of those who are ready to die for us and for their country.

Le Salon Beige, a very Catholic website and an endless source of information, quotes abbé Laffargue who reminds us of the reality of those events that took place 222 years ago:

On July 14, 1789 in Paris, a gang searching for rifles and ammunition, having entered through the door left open by the governor de Launay (who would be assassinated despite their promise), found seven (7) prisoners whom they liberated: four counterfeiters, a libertine and two madmen. Thus began a profoundly anti-Christian revolution: on August 11, 1789, the tithe, which had allowed the Church to insure its social mission in schools and hospitals, was abolished. On October 28, the Assembly suspended dictatorially monastic recruiting; on November 2, ecclesiastic goods were seized. On February 13, 1790, monastic vows were forbidden and the contemplative orders abolished. On February 23, the Constituent Assembly decided that decrees were henceforth to be read from the pulpit by the priests; on March 17, the goods of the Church, having been declared national property, were put on sale; on July 12, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was adopted: priests and bishops were to be "elected". If the clergy wished to remain faithful to the Pope and not make a schism, they were condemned to death (as were those who hid them or or who practiced their sacraments). Out of one hundred thirty bishops, only four accepted the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. One hundred thousand priests, out of one hundred and thirty thousand, refused. Four thousand of them would leave the priesthood. On May 27, 1792, a decree from the "Legislative" ordered the deportation of "refractory" priests. On September 2, 1792, one hundred fourteen priests were assassinated, at the Carmelite convent in Paris, on rue de Vaugirard. Today it is Catholic seminary and university, but no sign, no directing arrows point out the spot where they were martyred. The steps in the garden hold a marble plaque: "Hic ceciderunt" (here, they perished.)

It was because King Louis XVI (who was in truth very liberal) opposed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, after Pope Pius VI had condemned it in March 1791, and the deportation of priests, that he was stripped of his power and guillotined on January 21, 1793, dying as a martyr.

To say that the so-called "French" Revolution (95% of the population was Catholic and faithful to the Church) was good and that the "excesses" of the Terror were less so, is an (ideological) imposture.

(…)

As always, it was not the "people" who rose up, but the forces of Evil against the people...

According to Wikipedia, 150 priests were killed at the Carmelite Convent:

The first instance of massacre occurred when 24 non-juring priests were being transported to the prison of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, which had become a national prison of the revolutionary government. They were attacked by a mob that quickly killed them all as they were trying to escape into the prison, then mutilated the bodies, "with circumstances of barbarity too shocking to describe" according to the British diplomatic dispatch. Of 284 prisoners, 135 were killed, 27 were transferred, 86 were set free, and 36 had uncertain fates. In the afternoon of 2 September 150 priests in the convent of Carmelites were massacred, mostly by sans-culottes. On 3 and 4 September, groups broke into other Paris prisons, where they murdered the prisoners, who, some feared, were counter-revolutionaries who would aid the invading Prussians. From 2 to 7 September, summary trials took place in all Paris prisons. Almost 1,400 prisoners were condemned and executed, in truth half the detained persons from the previous days. Among the victims were more than 200 priests, almost 100 Swiss guards and many political prisoners and aristocrats.

(...)

Restif de la Bretonne saw the bodies piled high in front of the Châtelet and witnessed atrocities that he recorded in Les Nuits de Paris (1793).

Note: There is much more on the Civil Constitution of the Clergy at Wikipedia. Here is just one short excerpt that struck me:

Anti-Catholic persecution by the State would intensify into de-Christianization and propagation of the Cult of Reason and the Cult of the Supreme Being in 1793–1794. During this time umpteen non-juring priests (note: priests who refused to swear loyalty to the Constitution) were interned in chains on prison-ships in French harbors where most died within a few months from the appalling conditions. This might be seen as an example of an 18th century "concentration camp."

Those interested in the complete text of the civil Constitution of the Clergy, in English, can find it here. It is clear that though they may have had the dream of destroying utterly Christianity, what they really wanted was to control and subjugate it. Cutting the power of the bishops and the priests, forcing them to swear an oath of loyalty or at least limiting their influence, and above all confiscating their wealth were more realistic (and possibly more satisfying) goals.

Note that they thought nothing of deporting recalcitrant priests, and nothing of making caricatures of monks and nuns newly "liberated". from the chains of dogma. They were "high" on a new sense of power, and naive enough to believe that people would be grateful for their efforts. This incredulity when faced with dissent is one of the hallmarks of what we have come to call the "Left". Note too that that the "excesses" of the Revolution were excused then, just as they are today, and just as the "excesses" of Islam are rationalized as not having any real significance.

At the top, a fascinating plate showing a priest taking an oath of fidelity to the Constitution:

"I swear to uphold, with all my power, the Constitution"

Below, a caricature of monks and nuns celebrating their "liberation". In their inability to comprehend the spiritual needs of people, the Revolution assumes that the nuns will now be "free" to be women. The image is in the United States Library of Congress with this explanation:

"Print shows monks and nuns enjoying their new found liberty, some are loading possessions onto horses and wagons, some embrace, one couple kisses while another rides off together on horseback." Translation: "Decree of the National Assembly which dissolved all orders of monks and nuns. Tuesday, February 16, 1790. How happy is this day, my sisters! Yes, the peaceful names of "mother" and "wife" are much preferable to that of "nun", they give you all the Rights of Nature, thus to us." The speaker is a former monk, addressing the former nuns. The humor of the original derives from the deliberate ambiguity about whether the monk is talking about his being given the Rights of Nature, or the nuns themselves.


Note: As in my previous post on the Champs-Elysées, some of this material may have appeared already at GalliaWatch. I feel that these facts about the Revolution warrant repetition, especially on "Bastille Day". We do forget that the Revolution had, as its major goal, the dismemberment of the French Catholic Church, and that this intense hatred of the Church is one profound reason why the French Republic today is so willing to turn the country over to enemies of Christianity - Islam, anti-sovereignty multiculturalists, unethical social ideologues, atheists, and all the others...

July 14, 2011 - A Day of Mourning

For those of you who saw nothing of the parade on the Champs-Elysées today, here is a twelve-minute video. I regret I do not have time to translate the commentary, but you will enjoy just watching. Not long into the video you will see the "stars" of today's event, the overseas units. The Antilles and Guyana, Polynesia, New Caledonia, and the Indian Ocean territories (Reunion and Mayotte) opened the ceremonies.

According to Le Figaro:

(…) two hundred eighty underprivileged youth from overseas were at the head of the parade. They benefit from a measure called "adapted military service" (SMA) created fifty years ago after General de Gaulle visited the Antilles. The measure allows three thousand young persons who have family or scholastic difficulties to get back on track and to learn a trade under the auspices of the military. Ages 17 - 26, a quarter of whom are women, these young persons are not sent into combat, but they participate in rescue operations as in Haiti in 2010.

For the first time, the military rugby team called the "Quinze du Pacifique" consisting of forty Polynesian soldiers performed the "Haka", a ritual dance of the Maori people.

All the armed forces are represented. And near the end the police and firemen also march. Some of the faces are deliberately smudged throughout the video. I assume this is some kind of security measure.

But despite the festive air, this was a day of mourning for France. The press reports stress that this July 14 is dedicated to the memory of the Frenchmen killed in Afghanistan. Five were killed on Wednesday, the eve of Bastille Day, and a sixth today (Thursday).

The Decline of a Great Avenue

Note: There is an update to the article at the end.

While the Champs-Elysées was preparing for the July 14 festivities, Parisians could not help but notice the gradual decline of the once majestic thoroughfare, from one of posh shops, sprawling outdoor cafés, movie houses, banks and travel agencies (this is how I remember it long ago) to a rather seedy third-world dominated gigantic skid row littered with trash. However, I cannot say I'm surprised. Fifth Avenue in New York is not the fashionable promenade it once was. Many cities have seen their glamorous downtown districts decay as both home-grown thugs and immigrants from a myriad of different cultures slowly take over. A reader sent this article from François Desouche. I am using the source article from France-Soir:

The most beautiful avenue in the world? The glorious title seems to have been definitively usurped. Growing insecurity and disgusting filth are at the heart of protests. Cleaning crews have plenty of work, but cannot stay on top of the impossible challenge. "We go up and down the street continuously with our machines, but since there are no more trash cans, because of Vigipirate, there are fast food wrappings everywhere."

Note: Vigipirate is a security measure implemented by the French government to prevent terrorism. Trash cans are a frequent target of both street thugs and terrorists who place bombs inside. The absence of the trash cans, however, has created a garbage catastrophe. It seems that the French today (or is it the immigrants and tourists?) eat while walking, something they never did in the old days (except for crêpes and Belgian waffles).

The Champs-Elysées benefits from a special operation explains the Paris City Hall. "It's the only avenue in the capital that is cleaned continuously from morning till night," emphasizes Jean-Bernard Bros, adjunct mayor in charge of tourism. From 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., every day, twenty sweepers work in relays. But it is obviously not enough. A search is presumably underway for anti-bomb trash cans to be installed along the avenue, as is the case in London.

Note: I've heard there are transparent trash cans for this purpose. Crime forces us to change every detail of our daily lives, even trash cans.

Edouard Lefebvre, general delegate of the Champs-Elysées Committee that includes almost 160 merchants from the neighborhood, acknowledges the pollution: "Filth and insecurity exist, but it is normal considering the high volume of traffic. In one day, a number of people equal to the population of Bordeaux walk along the avenue!"

Every day the avenue brings together a cosmopolitan crowd: tourists, workers, beggars, unauthorized street vendors. Three weeks ago, three card Monte players invaded the area. "They're chased out of Montmartre, Pigalle and the Champ-de-Mars. Most of them are from countries of Eastern Europe. There are between sixty and a hundred of them. We were ordered to arrest them, but very quickly, police headquarters of the 8th arrondissement was filled to the brim, and we were told to remove them. Now, arrests are once again the order of the day," confided a police source.

Useless orders, grumbles the mayor of the 8th arrondissement François Lebel. "It serves no purpose to detain them only to let them go two hours later. For them to leave on their own, it would be better to increase the uniformed police patrols." The Police Prefecture, "does not deem it to be fitting" to divulge local statistics on crime.

(…)

There are four eye witness accounts of the Champs-Elysées in it current state:

- Frédéric, a salesman at Virgin for ten years:

"Today, the Champs-Elysées looks more and more like les Halles. In the evening, drunkards and guys from the ghetto ("zonards") hang around the store until closing time, at midnight. Salespeople watch them out of the corner of their eye, but cannot do much of anything. If there's a problem, the police are quickly overwhelmed. At night there are four who come to do their rounds. When the store opened, in the 1990's, there were forty. We close at midnight and for the workers who are there late, especially the women, it is no fun walking along the avenue to the metro or the regional rail."

- Jean-Pierre, owner of an apartment on the Champs-Elysées:

"For fifteen years I have been renting my apartment to tourists. It is located on the upper Champs-Elysées, a few steps from the Arc de Triomphe. Lately, we had to install a camera and a flash in front of the door to dissuade the Saturday night revelers from relieving themselves at the foot of our building. I live close-by, place Beauvau, and I cross the avenue every morning to take my son to school. Between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m., after the Streets Department has gone, the avenue is dazzling. But a few days ago, I came home around 5:00 a.m. and it was disgustingly filthy."

Benoît, manager of Fouquet's brasserie:

"Fifteen years ago the Champs-Elysées was a promenade for Parisians. I used to go there with my parents, we were all a bit dressed up, it was a real outing. Today, only tourists walk along the Champs, and Parisians avoid it or come only to do shopping or go to the movies. The most beautiful avenue in the world has lost its former glory. Only a few establishments, like Fouquet's, are resisting. Most have been replaced little by little by commercial chains. But it doesn't affect our regulars customers or the tourists."

Omar, salesman at Sephora:

"It's the most rotten avenue in the world! There is no advantage in working here. The sidewalks are dirty and it's dangerous to walk around at night. A colleague was slashed with a knife not long ago on her way home after closing, at 2:00 a.m. Others are regularly insulted or hissed. Every evening, it a calvary just getting up to place de l'Etoile."

Note: The Champs-Elysées always had a "seedy" side. Especially at night. There were dangers, but not like those today. I enjoyed the avenue at its best, at the height of the rush hours when the cafés were bursting with people, and not all of them were tourists. My bank (Chase Manhattan) was there, so I made regular trips, but I think I preferred other areas of Paris.

The photo shows a more familiar view of the fabled avenue, dressed for the festivities. From FNCV, where French readers can read articles about the deaths in Afghanistan.

Note: I realized after posting this that four years ago I wrote a similar article, using much the same language as I did in this one. At least I'm consistent.

Update - July 16: There have been some interesting comments to this post. First, I changed one phrase from "improvised street merchants" to "unauthorized street vendors", a better translation. These street vendors are part of an international ring of profiteers primarily from Senegal who gain access to foreign lands, and ply their trade, all for the glory of Allah whom they worship in the mosques of Paris, Harlem, and probably every other major city of the world. One reader has provided this link to a 20-minute video that follows these vendors from the streets of Paris near the Eiffel Tower, to Times Square, Harlem, and eventually back to Senegal.

It's helpful if you know French, but even if you don't, you may get something out of it. They go to New York, in search of the "American Dream". They sell anything and everything, a lot of it counterfeit, such as watches and "designer" handbags.

Here is a link to an article that will give you some background information. The article dates from 2009, but the presence of illegal vendors goes back to the 1980's.

Finally, if you read the second comment below, you will learn about an experiment that took place last year on the Champs-Elysées which was transformed for a few days into a huge piece of farmland, with trees and farm animals. The photos are amazing. Below, a thumbnail-sized image.

Released Under Surveillance

While many were shocked at the swiftness of the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and the ferocity of the D.A.'s judgment before all the facts were known, the opposite type of reaction can be just as shocking. In Bar-sur-Aube a 57-year-old father was beaten to death by three "young people" following an argument. So far, the three are free, under court surveillance. This report is from l'Est-Eclair:

All three left the courthouse free men, late Tuesday evening. That afternoon, the men arrested for delivering fatal blows to Roger Correia, on Sunday in Bar-sur-Aube, were sent to the court at Troyes after being held for two days.They had explained again, in detail, what happened on that fateful day and how Roger Correia died from the blows he received after a trivial argument.

Before he was thrashed, this young grandfather allegedly made a remark to the three young men, ages 25 -30, because they were speeding down Rue des Acacias, a small street. "He's the one who went after us!" one of the three shouted, surrounded by a group of friends, on the steps of the courthouse.

He complained loudly that he hadn't had any food for two days while in custody, and fulminated against the "keufs" (cops). And, in the midst of those entering and leaving the courthouse, he lashed out at the victim, using offensive language.

Meanwhile, Roger Correia's family had to be told the news. No provisional detention was ordered, despite the requests of prosecutor Alex Perrin for at least two of the three: the driver of the car Anthony Matos-Perreira and one of the passengers, Ibrahim Genc.

Note: It is very unusual for the French press to give the real names (assuming these are real). But this is a local paper. One family name sounds Spanish or Portuguese, but the first name is written English-style, the other is hard to pinpoint. Ibrahim is Arabic, Genc could be Turkish? Albanian?

As for the third man, the prosecution had requested he be investigated for gang violence. The judge finally decided to hear him as an assisted witness.

Note: An assisted witness is a person who may have participated in a crime but against whom there is insufficient evidence for an investigation. If you are interested in the law read this page.

Regarding the driver, who tested positive for drugs, he was not incarcerated. Rather, he was put under investigation for a fatal beating and gang violence, as well as for driving while under the influence of drugs and placed under judicial surveillance. He is forbidden all contact with the witnesses and with the victim's family, and he may not frequent the neighborhood where the crime took place. Other than that, he is free to go where he pleases.

In the case of Ibrahim Genc, the examining magistrate heeded the request of the prosecution and asked for provisional detention. But the judge who decides on the questions of detention or liberty did not follow through. Instead, he granted still another release subject to judicial surveillance. The prosecution appealed to the Appeals Court of Reims. Ibrahim Genc, the most implicated of the three, according to the files, was put under investigation for a fatal beating and gang violence.

None of the three has a previous record, but one was said to be known to the police for another act of violence.

(...) violence that unintentionally causes death, is punishable by fifteen years of imprisonment.

A companion article at the same website speaks of the rise in crime in this once peaceful city. "Now it is like Paris and Lyon", they are saying. Here is just one reader's comment:

- (…) frankly in ten years I no longer recognize this charming little town that has become a nightmare for drivers and for pedestrians too who can no longer take a walk without being asked for a cigarette or for money by aggressive people who don't give a hoot about laws forbidding drinking in public thoroughfares. It's a pity that a small number of people can disturb the lives of the vast majority of citizens.

Note: True. It only takes a small number of troublemakers to disrupt our lives and to change everything. However, one must not think that by getting rid of this small number we can restore peace and harmony. There would be others. Massive immigration sees to it that the supply of trouble makers never runs out.

This article demonstrates that the miseries endured by Frenchmen in the big cities are slowly spreading.

According to Wikipedia, Bar-sur-Aube is an ancient city with vestiges from the Iron Age. At one point the city was pillaged by Attila, then later in 1318 Philippe V sold the city to Jacques le Croy but the inhabitants made him buy it back and managed to force him to agree never to sell it again.

Interesting. Perhaps the inhabitants of this city will have to make the same decision again, now that Bar-sur-Aube has been "sold down the river."

No hablamos inglés

How often have we heard stories of French soccer teams being booed by fans rooting for Algeria or some other non-European country in the process of slowly taking over the West? How often has the Algerian flag been hoisted at soccer games? How often has the Marseillaise been booed?

How often have I said "France is not alone in this." America is in the same boat, and has probably been there longer than France.

The American soccer team was booed by Mexican fans in Los Angeles. Read this.

H/T: VFR, here, and here (with excellent comments from readers)

Train Attacked in Marseille

This story of an attack on a freight train in Marseille has been widely reported on the web. This version is from Novopress:

In Marseille, as in many other French cities, crime is part of the landscape. Besides drug trafficking that took root a very long time ago, other, equally grave, events take place every day in the Phocaean capital.

Note: "Phocaean capital" is the French nickname for Marseille. The city was founded by the sea-faring Greek Phocaeans in 600 B.C. and named Massalia.

Last night, a passenger train, the Regional Express (TER), was blocked violently, at the risk of causing a serious accident. Huge quantities of objects had been thrown onto the rails in the Nord districts of Marseille, by "a group of about twenty young people" said AFP (Agence France Presse). According to the Télégramme, the locomotive was damaged when it brutally struck a shopping cart. A freight train that was following behind was in turn blocked by the TER but fortunately did not hit it. The "young people" could not get into the TER, but the freight train became the scene of a veritable razzia.

Note: The "young people" wore hoods, according to L'Humanité.

We won't discuss the designation "young people" used by the lobby of political correctness and "newspeak" that the AFP represents. This crime took place near the Ruisseau Mirabeau ghetto in the 15th arrondissement, a ghetto where immigrants of all origins are concentrated.

Unquestionably very skilled when it is a matter of acting badly, these "young people" obstructed the rails with metal beams and supermarket carts. Once the two trains had stopped, the cars of the freight train were opened by a horde of thugs who stole the contents with all impunity. According to a police union representative, "we thought attacks like this from another age had disappeared after security measures were put in place," adding: "It's almost back to the days of stagecoach robberies."

While this was going on, Interior Minister Guéant and his acolytes of the UMP were boasting about their record on crime...

Note: All the reports I read compare this attack to the Wild West and the days of the stagecoach. But there are some differences. The West was wild and had to be tamed. There was a general consensus concerning right and wrong, and men were called in to stop crime in the newer territories. It was the outlaw against the man of the law. Today it is protected minorities against the civilization that is protecting them. And we aren't allowed to say bad things about these "young people", because that would mean that we are "bad people".

A reader sent me a slide show of recent photos of Marseille. There are many to choose from. Here are three. In the first one we see that the burka is not banned everywhere in France. Or is this France?

Below, I think that's a souk.

Below, an inviting housing project.

Two from the NYT

If you are gagging on DSK, skip these. They rehash a lot of old material, but they have some new things as well - for example, what he did the night before the incident with the maid. No, he did not commit a crime, but it is still very interesting...

Lust and Greed

What Happened in Suite 2806

Why a Perp-Walk?

French people who were shocked by the perp-walk should read this article from the New York Post in which Police Commissioner Ray Kelly explains the reason for the walk. Here are excerpts:

"We have been walking prisoners out of the front doors of station houses for 150 years in this Police Department," Kelly told reporters. "This is how we transport people to court.

"There is no back door, no secret way of doing it," he said at Brooklyn College, where he attended a Police Academy graduation. "So the issue of the so-called perp walk is strictly an issue for the media."

NYPD policy was under fire after French politicians and commentators blasted what they called the humiliating treatment of DSK following his arrest in May.

Most recently, it was Kelly's boss, Mayor Bloomberg, who added fuel to the fire.

(…)

After DSK's arrest, Bloomberg had no problems with subjecting suspects to the walk. "If you don't want to do the perp walk, don't do the crime," he said then.

But with the sex-assault case in a state of collapse, the mayor whistled a different tune about suspects.

"Even if they're guilty, they're not guilty until they're convicted, and yet we vilify them for the benefit of theater, for the circus," Bloomberg said.

Kelly insisted, "We handled this arrest as we would handle any other arrest."

Note: Some Post readers do not agree with him. They regard the perp-walk as a horrible injustice, as so many French people did. But both France and America are awash in crimes. So a perp-walk is not a deterrent, or an impetus. Both countries are dealing with lax, intimidated justice systems that cannot control racial violence against whites.

Unanswerable Questions

The video above is short. It opens with Anne Sinclair looking resplendent, interviewing a young Jacques Chirac. She meets DSK, falls in love and abandons her career. She follows him everywhere and supports him. In Sarcelles, where he is elected mayor, and later when he resigns from Lionel Jospin's government following a financial scandal, then on the campaign trail in 2006, though he lost the nomination to Ségolène Royal, and in New York where she rushed to his aid, saying she never doubted his word.

Hunting for information about Anne Sinclair that would indicate whether or not she has, in the past, paid women to keep silent has borne little fruit, but there are a few hints that she would not only pay a woman to keep silent, but sully her reputation as well. Here is a long, well-written article from an African woman named Nomboniso Gasa, in the Sunday Independent. I know nothing about the writer, but I found the article credible. Here are a few excerpts. (Note that some of this information has been discussed at GalliaWatch before, especially the motivations of long-suffering wives):

DSK has been linked to a slew of sexual indiscretions and scandals. But Sinclair has stood by him.

Hers has not been the silent support of a loyal wife. She has fought hard to have him cleared of all charges, insinuations and allegations, including allegations of financial misconduct when DSK was Minister of Finance.

Her family wealth and connections have often afforded her effective interventions.

(…)

Sinclair’s strategy has always been to support her man but, simultaneously, to undermine the women implicated (whether by choice or not).

As far back as 2006 when she was on the campaign trail and DSK’s sexual frolics surfaced, Sinclair’s words were deliberately selected.

She said she was “rather proud of his reputation”, and added: “It is important for a politician to be able to seduce.”

(…)

In 2008 DSK faced yet another scandal of sexual liaison with a junior colleague who hastily resigned, and who was paid handsomely by the IMF following her resignation.

In a statement released at the time, Sinclair’s signature style was apparent. She reminded the public that the IMF started an internal enquiry and they hoped the matter would be finalised within a reasonable time.

Then came the punch “… that one night stand matter is well behind us now, we have moved on…” and, as an apparent afterthought she declared, “May I add that we love each other very much now, like the first time…”

I would add to all of this that Anne Sinclair dreamt of being First Lady of France. It remains to be seen if she can somehow buy her way out of her current troubles, unless she has already done so. That the chambermaid in New York lied is not debatable at this point. But she may not have lied about everything. If she suddenly began admitting to have lied, it is possible there was a monetary impetus. But it is equally possible that the maid's tall tale fell apart on its own without intervention from Madame. Will we ever know?