| http://www.americanfreepress.net/04_28_02/Will_France_Say_Goodbye_To_Glo/will_france_say_goodbye_to_glo.html Will France Say Goodbye To Globalism? Populist Jean-Marie Le Pen’s strong showing in the recent French election is sending a strong message to America’s and Europe’s leaders that the world is beginning to reject the self-serving policies pursued by the international plutocratic elite. Exclusive to American Free Press By Jack Ross Without question, the recent victory of Jean-Marie Le Pen represents a new birth of freedom in Europe. Even if he is smashed by Jacques Chirac in the May 5 runoff it is only the calm before the storm. The media is attempting to write off Le Pen’s victory as a fluke due to disunity on the French left. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Trotskyist candidate Arlette Laguiller was expected to take at least 11 percent of the vote in an upsurge similar to Le Pen’s, but came away with only 6 percent. Leftist Jean Pierre Chevenement was expected to get roughly 13 percent and ended up with only 5 percent. Green candidate Noel Mamere was polling at 8 percent and finished with only 5 percent. These numbers point to what the media has readily conceded: Le Pen captured the anti-establishment vote. But it doesn’t stop there. Polls also expected Prime Minister Lionel Jospin to at least tie with Chirac, but Le Pen came in 2 points above what the polls projected. All this reflects the main reason Le Pen’s numbers soared as they did: His base now includes the younger sections of France’s working class. The fact that at least a third of the votes lost by Laguiller, Chevenement and Mamere probably went to Jospin is only further proof of Le Pen’s appeal to the left and the working class. Le Pen appears to have learned a lot from this campaign. On the heels of his victory with the working class, Le Pen is now emphasizing a broad-based program, appealing to all the people of France regardless of age, race, or class. A strong campaign aimed at the Chirac corruption scandals and at the EU will surely bring him a respectable score at least in the runoff, as surely these is sues still matter. Chirac appears gun-shy: Breaking with tradition in French elections, he refused to debate Le Pen. The arrogance of the ruling class politicians and EU promoters is bound to backfire, especially since there is not a shred of similar outrage at the second place finish of the Communist Party (PDS) in high-profile state elections in Germany last week. As Le Pen himself put it in response to the most classic canard used against him: “I have nothing to do with fascism—it is fascists who violently protest a democratic election.” Still, this is not keeping the establishment from acting its worst. EU ministers and other politicians across Europe speak of the situation as if the French people are children who have misbehaved. Chirac speaks of preserving “national cohesion” in a statement reminiscent of John Ashcroft’s admonishment of those who defend the Constitution for “aiding and abetting terrorists.” And, in the United States, NBC talk show host Chris Matthews tells us we need to be thankful for our two-party system. In 1986, the court-killed populist publication, The Spotlight, interviewed Le Pen while visiting the United States for what was described as “informal consultations with American political leaders.” At the time, Le Pen also spoke at the National Press Club in Washington, which was covered by all of the major media outlets. Le Pen’s message then—just as it today—was blacked out by the Establishment press which focused heavily on the French leader’s critics, ignoring the populist’s statements. |
