The turmoil in France at the electoral success of Jean‐Marie Le Pen was echoed in Britain and all over Europe.
The reason for the turmoil is that Le Pen is described as “far‐right”, while most other governments in Europe are described as “left”, “center‐left”, “center”, or “center‐right”.
The remarkable thing about it all is that they all argue about “right” and “left”, and are not concerned about “right” and “wrong”.
But while politicians and political journalists are preoccupied with “right” and “left”, the people are thinking in terms of “right” and “wrong”.
All that people want is a government that would be honest and competent. Apart of the vociferous “political” minority, the majority of people do not care a speckle of dust about “right” or “left”. For them “right” and “left” is just a lot of political nonsense.
But, for historical reasons, if they want to replace a government, they have no other choice than “right” and “left”.
They look to the “right” and they see muddle‐headed self‐seeking small‐c conservatives looking for some magical trick to make themselves “popular”, and they turn away in disgust.
They look to the “left” and they see socialists trying to squeeze the world into their perverse envy‐based doctrines of “social justice” and “re‐distribution of wealth” so they could bribe the “working class” into voting for them, and they would like to turn away with the same disgust as they turned away from the “right”. But there is nothing else to choose from.
Whether they look right, left, or center, they see incompetent, dishonest political demagogues eager to exploit their prejudices and “fears‐and‐anxieties” so as to put themselves into positions of power.
So, with every election less and less people turn up to vote at all. No, not because they are ‘indifferent’, ‘apathetic’, or ‘irresponsible’, but because no politician is worth voting for.
In the meanwhile, the real task of government is neglected and the powers of government are abused.
The abuses of power range from excessive taxation and misuse of public funds to running of children's homes as child pornography studios, from failure to perform their duties of maintenance of law and order to use of their powers to cover up their own incompetence and dishonesty.
Is it surprising that a party, whose appeal to the people begins as in the following quote would find support among the French public?
“Successive governments are responsible for the decadence of France and have been powerless in recuperating the situation.
Today immigration, unemployment, AIDS and the decrease of birth rate pose a real threat to the liberty and security of the French people and to the very survival of France.
The state is neglecting its essential duties: defence, national security, law and order, education; even its own civil servants are neglected. It sinks vast sums into a ruinous and outdated economy which are then recouped by the Revenues from the Taxpayer.”
Who, except politicians, would disagree with the above statement?
Whether Le Pen's party can provide the cure is a different matter.
I shall not proceed to reproduce the “Programme” of the Front National. Those who are interested in he subject can see itfor themselves at the Front's web site.
Le Pen lambastes both the “left” and the “right” of the present French politics and wants to liberate France from the present corruption. But he is still a politician. And governments cannot be cured from politics with politics.
Politics is use of powers of government, not for the purpose of administration of an area of governance, but to favour a particular interest. And as long as powers of government are not strictly defined and controlled, people will abuse these powers — which is what corruption is. To be free from corruption government has to be 100% impartial and objective. But politics is partiality and favoritism by definition.
Le Pen does not seek to abolish politics. He seeks to be elected using the public's disgust with the present politicians.
Given the disgust of the French with their present political government it is possible that Le Pen will win the elections.
But the French will discover that they only got what they were trying to get rid of — politics.