Free Speech; Free Elections

Our friends in France have had a rough election season. They have had many candidates for head of their government. Macron and Le Pen came out on top of the vote count. This is a favored result because of how it can be managed for the run-off election.

In France discussions were open, heated and often borderline violent. So too, were the presidential campaigns in America in Fall 2016; but the result came down to the clown winning the race. A clown. Running the most powerful nation in the world, or least the hoped for most powerful nation! That is all in doubt these days. Who knows what will happen in America or in the world, for that matter, because a clown resides in the White House?

We know France watched America’s election season closely. Their own campaign season was wild and alarming. Most of the candidates were not centrist or calming; no, they were hot headed, free speaking, manipulative and highly charged political games men. France was worried. Especially after Britain’s Brexit vote. Followed soon after by America’s election of Clown Donald. Yes, France was worried for their own nation. They reasoned that if two nations of sophistication and renowned leadership fell to populist unreason, then surely their own election could end badly. And then what of all of Europe and the rest of the global community?

Yes, France was worried. And we worried for them.

But look! Behold their results. Yes, a run-off election must be held, but the two finalists are poles apart with one reasonable and well versed in government. Plus, the major parties in France have already formed an alliance to support the centrist candidate Macron. All of this is in readiness to keep the Le Pen clown from winning the leadership role.

There is no doubt that populism today is swarming the free speech air waves. A lot of upset has occurred in recent years. The economies of the world have changed; home conditions have changed as a result all over the world. Wages are down. Jobs have been lost. International trade has seemingly wiped out entire homeland industries. Policies have been blamed. So too, ideologies. Conservative, liberal, centrist – all are labeled with denigrating terms.

Populism is quick to judge cause and effect, but they skip the result phase too fast; it is there they will learn the full meaning of change and what it brings into being. Those who are aware benefit; those who aren’t aware, lose out. Populism is lazy. Awareness takes discipline and work; study, too. And research. It is all of apiece. Populism takes the easy way out and focuses only on what appears to be ‘bad’, not what is the inevitable march of time and change toward new, different and possibly better eras.

Politics is about power. That comes from votes from the electorate in the main, and from blocs in seats of government centers. Votes. They are aligned often by short term whimsy, not long term study and benefit.

This is the Achilles Heel of democracy – the need for all of us to do our duty preparing for an intelligent vote. The lazy rely on mood and emotion driven by fear. Fear. Fear of change and what it may bring to my life. Fear. Raw and terrible.

Avoiding fear thus gathers votes. The political clowns know how to manage the formulas of fear. They play their games and win their spoils all too easily. Meanwhile the intelligent people are left to wonder.

Just not in France, hopefully. Good thinking. We wish you well in the final election! We wish this had happened in America!!

April 26, 2017