AN INTERESTING bit of news happened in Fair France last week.
A number of retired officers submitted a letter that demanded reform from the government.
The letter included several sections that covered Islamic radicalization, left wing racial grievance politics and the yellow vests.
The letter also implied that if Emmanuel Macron’s government couldn’t deal with these problems then the military may have to step in.
If they do then they may have a lot of popular support. A Harris Interactive poll showed the following opinions from the French:
* 86 percent don’t support the Republic
* 49 percent support military intervention
* 45 percent think that civil war is near
Polls are fallible, of course, but it’s a good overview of what drove those military to write their letter. Whether they will actually go through with their promise or not is a different matter.
But regardless, the letter itself has come as a great shock to some people. Popular protests like the Yellow Vests are one thing. The threat of military opposition from one’s country is another.
If France’s military leaders do decide to take power, it could change the course of Europe and may even usher in the end of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It could also spell the end of the Third Republic, which as the poll from earlier indicates, is widely unpopular.
France is important in the sense that it has been the heart of Europe. Most of the things that happen in the continent have had their origin in France, and that remains true to this day. So if the French are calling for military intervention and a radical change in government, there’s a very good chance that the rest of Europe may follow suit tomorrow.
For now, this is all speculation based on a letter. But it is clear that something is stirring in France. In the past, such stirrings led to wars and revolutions./PN
