by Ramin Mazaheri
I don’t understand: I thought the French were passionately in love with liberty of the press?
That’s what they said when they just HAD to publish pictures of the Prophet Muhammad in Charlie Hebdo. And some of these pictures were absolutely pornographic, let’s not forget – they were not respectful, tolerant or even neutral. Heck, one showed Prophet Muhammad actually filming a porn movie.
But I thought it was a question of the responsibility of the press to be brave and publish what may get them in trouble? And the right to political speech? And of personal freedom?
That’s what was self-righteously proclaimed by one French media after another, after another, after another and after another to anyone who would listen around the world.
The common Frenchman, too: I’ve never seen more people in one place than the 4-million person demonstration in support of Charlie Hebdo. I asked some tough questions there in my work as Iran’s Press TV correspondent, despite the pleas of my cameraman to think of our own skin.
And yet it seems the first rule of MacronLeaks is: Don’t talk about MacronLeaks.
The morning after the hacked emails of the Macron campaign were released the French Electoral Commission menacingly warned that nobody was permitted to publish to the contents of the leaks. The leaks were tens of thousands of emails, notes, bills and internal discussions.
What was inside? Can’t tell ya – I’m a journalist.
It wasn’t as if the French people didn’t have access to this information: MacronLeaks are all over Twitter and social media.
So this 11th-hour election twist means that France is living in a state of forced denial, and this denial is forced by the state. A good word for that is “authoritarian”. Hey, due to the ongoing state of emergency (18 months and to be extended by either presidential candidate) this is officially a “police state dictatorship”, after all.
Authoritarianism has become old hat for us in France!
But if this was Russia and it was Vladimir Putin’s chosen successor instead of Francois Hollande and his chosen boy Emmanuel Macron, what would the French media be saying? Stupid question: They’d be screaming “censorship, censorship, censorship”.
It’s appalling: There hasn’t been ONE French media willing to courageously publish when no one else will.
Leaks just don’t sell as many newspapers as naked cartoons, I guess? What happened to the infamous French provocateur? I’d even settle for one of those annoying types right about now.
Imagine if Marine Le Pen was up 62% to 38% instead of Macron? I’m sure SOME media would have published LePenLeaks, and justified it by “standing up to fascism”.
But the French don’t stand up to capitalism. Certainly not when they seem about to elect Rothschild banker and pro-austerity Macron in about 8 hours. Certainly they don’t stand up for communism anymore.
But boy oh boy, don’t they talk a lot of stuff about their love of a free press? And when you don’t back it up….
Censoring will have the opposite effect of discrediting the media & the election
It’s crucial to know there is not one major media in France which is pro-Le Pen.
This is very different from Brexit, where newspapers made explaining the Brexit rationale a daily occurrence. It’s also different from the US, where Trump at least had Fox News to give his side. Seemingly everybody with power, money and influence – and I mean everybody – is against Le Pen.
Le Pen supporters already had cause to claim, 100% fairly, media bias: The MacronLeaks self-censorship will be also fairly viewed as just another step in this direction.
Whether you agree with the decision or not, the fact is that nearly 40% of voters are expected to vote for Le Pen. Add in some abstentionist sympathizers and we can accurately predict that half the country is going to view France’s media as being in total collusion against their candidate.
They are turning to the “Fourth Estate” for guidance and what they found at the top of the France 24 website was this story: Reproduction of whales and dolphins in captivity banned. How can France’s media not lose credibility with such nonsense?
That’s why Twitter Francais was full of condemnations like this one: “The oligarchy will be scandalized by its methods. This is why people go elsewhere than the mainstream for information. This is all that the journalists of BFMacron can do?” (BFM is one of the two top TV news channels here.)
The French establishment is trying to protect its election (or its preferred candidate, perhaps), but half the country is going to see this self-censorship as undermining the credibility of the election itself. Also from Twitter: The censoring of the French media on the MacronLeaks revelations before the decision of the French people is a reason to invalidate the vote.
This is the anti-Macron camp on Twitter, and they are right.
The pro-Macron camp on Twitter encouraged each other to post pictures of cats. This was in order to bog down Twitter in feline stupidity and not allow their fellow citizens to see what the future president was up to.
So why didn’t I publish the contents – I’m a journalist in France?
That’s an honest question, and I’ll give an honest answer:
That decision was above my pay grade.
Like many journalists, I am not in charge – I’m just a worker. I can decide for myself, but I cannot decide for my media. My views on it appear to be clear.
I think the point of view of Press TV is that: We have already been banned by France’s state-run satellite company during the Hollande administration…what do we need even more harassment for?
After all, I could barely find anybody in France to stand up for Iran’s right to freedom of the press at this censorship. Even the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders refused to give an interview to me to attack this ban and to defend Iran’s rights. LOL at that NGO’s “apolitical” reputation. LOL at their hypocrisy.
I’m not trying to sound “tough” – I was very conflicted about MacronLeaks and it’s not certain I would have revealed the contents if the choice was mine to make. What made it much harder was that, for sure, I would have been the first.
I am a foreign journalist – why aren’t the domestic media leading the way?
They have all the contacts, all the ability to fight in courts, all the language-skills to explain to a judge, all the reasons to defend their press. It is their country, after all – I’m not even a citizen.
So I understand Press TV’s view.
But there are certainly many French journalists who feel disappointed with their publishers and their colleagues, and they should feel that way.
Rules are made to broken – failing to do so leaves only questions
Ok, 36 hours is not much time to verify the veracity of the leaks, but I ask you: Which media refused to publish the allegations about conservative candidate Francois Fillon and “Penelopegate” over these very same alleged concerns?
Or which media refused to publish the allegations concerning Marine Le Pen and her EU ghost jobs scandal?
The answer is, “none”. So why is Macron getting preferential treatment?
If the answer is, “Because it’s too close to the election,” I find that very unsatisfying. Truth, justice, transparency and the peoples’ right to know does not have a date.
If the answer is, “Because it’s the law,” I find that unsatisfying as well. However, I did not realize just how anally-retentive about the law the French were until I moved here – it goes against the common stereotype. They have been, as we all inevitably are, greatly influenced by their neighbors, the anal-retentive kings – the Germans. France has not fallen far from that tree.
If the answer is, “Because foreigners are trying to influence our election,” I find that unsatisfying as well. Learning the truth about a candidate is the most important – have we not seen how badly Hollande lied and backtracked to the French? Learning the truth is the best safeguard to democracy – the source of the truth and their motives are totally irrelevant.
Macron and his team are asking to serve as public servants: How does transparency not trump their right to privacy? Mustn’t elected officials be held to a higher standard?
This censorship cuts both ways, including against Macron’s rights: By denying all discussion, how can Macron clear his name? Surely some will say that Macron is guilty by suspicion, and that is not fair either. Of course, with a 20+ point lead he just wants to tread water and say as little as possible – this has been his election strategy all this time, in fact.
Ultimately, it is the public which must be made king: Otherwise you have an oligarchy. The media’s complicity in the MacronLeaks affair will only increase accusations that this is the true nature of France.
Plenty of proof that France censors only when it wants to
The fact is that assuming these leaks were some sort of “disinformation campaign” is not based on any proof.
WikiLeaks, who was not behind the leaks, said that they appeared credible. When is the last time such a big leak proved out to be false? Whistleblowers like this have a very good record.
But if the whistleblower thought this would have an effect like in the United States, he was sorely mistaken. The French are not going to go hog-wild over conspiracy theories like the Obama Birther Movement in the US.
What’s more likely is that the whistleblower had the data, and realized he had no smoking gun. So he waited until the campaign ended, hoping that innuendo would do what his hacked data could not.
Am I even allowed to print that? Dear Paris prosecutors, please note I am only hypothesizing that there is no smoking gun, maybe there is!
I have had to make that same half-serious, half-pathetic plea for other cases in France recently: covering “apology for terrorism” cases. That’s another example – hundreds of examples – where France clearly cared nothing for freedom of speech: you had minors, drunks and mentally ill citizens accused by hearsay, jailed, tried and sentenced over just a few days.
French media doesn’t like to make a fuss about that, either.
Back to MacronLeaks: By releasing this so close to the election there’s a fair case to be made that this is not whistleblowing but manipulation, and those are two different things.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. But the first rule of MacronLeaks is that we can’t talk about them….
Ramin Mazaheri is the chief correspondent in Paris for Press TV and has lived in France since 2009. He has been a daily newspaper reporter in the US, and has reported from Iran, Cuba, Egypt, Tunisia, South Korea and elsewhere. His work has appeared in various journals, magazines and websites, as well as on radio and television.
Please note that two “leading” journals (‘Journal du Dimanche’ and ‘Liberation’, formerly left-leaning) are publishing with ‘Vote Macron’ on the front page – strictly forbidden at the eve/day of the vote.
So much for the French being “anally retentive” in their respect for the letter of the law.
I seem to remember that Liberation was bought up by French Rothschilds in order to support Je Suis Charlie, a satirical magazine which serially besmirched Christianity and Islam, but published only one feeble joke about Judaism – and that particular editor was fired toute suite. If so, no surprise to see Liberation in above context.
Check out the video in this link. Does the probable new French President remind you of anyone? The bloke looks a raving nutter to me, and you don’t even need to understand any French.
“The return of propaganda in Europe : «Not that!»
by Thierry Meyssan”
http://www.voltairenet.org/article196260.html
Things are not looking good. It’s like its 1939 again – except this time the lunatics have got lots of nuclear weapons.
I suggest you also read
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2017/05/06/information-controlled-washington-israel-trolls-leading-destruction/
Have a nice day, before everything goes out. This may not be survivable.
Tony
Tony Might Be Right
Mass consciousness is a tide
In the affairs of men and women
The Flood, the Ebb we must ride
Noahs, doubting it can be ridden.
If this Day in May is our very last
And Dark Demonic Doom engulfs us,
Well then, say I, ” It’s been a blast!”
Mercy! May General Sin not nuke us.
:
My little efforts to affect the tides (call me “Canute”) are in the Marine Cat Cafe where I posted this:
/moveable-feast-cafe-2017-05-04/#comment-354463
Now it’s off to a full work day in the desert, where a lot of submarine periscopes are rising up, to stop Sin’s genocidal orders.
A follow-up article to the one that Tony suggests:
“What would happen if an 800-kiloton nuclear warhead exploded above midtown Manhattan?”
http://thebulletin.org/what-would-happen-if-800-kiloton-nuclear-warhead-detonated-above-midtown-manhattan8023
There are about 700 such strategic nuclear warheads that Russia can deliver to any target it chooses in a matter of minutes. The fire zone created by the detonation of an 800-kiloton warhead would cover a total area of 90 to 152 square miles (230 to 389 square kilometers). The resulting firestorm would rage for three to six hours. Air temperatures in the fire zone would likely average 400 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (200 to 260 Celsius). No one in the fire zone would survive.
In a US/NATO-Russian nuclear war, hundreds or thousands of such detonations would occur within an hour. Thousands or tens of thousands of square miles would be consumed by nuclear firestorms, which would produce tens of millions of tons of soot and smoke. This smoke would quickly rise above cloud level and form a global stratospheric smoke layer, which would act to block the majority of sunlight from reaching the surface of the Earth.
Loss of warming sunlight would cause average surface temperatures to plunge to levels last experienced 18,000 years ago at the height of the last Ice Age. In central North America and Eurasia, daily temperatures would fall below freezing every day for one to two years; growing seasons would be eliminated for a decade or longer. Most people and animals that survived the initial blast, fire, and radiation, would perish from starvation.
US political and military leaders choose not to acknowledge the validity of the scientific studies that predict the environmental consequences of nuclear war : https://fas.org/2017/01/turning-a-blind-eye-towards-armageddon-u-s-leaders-reject-nuclear-winter-studies/
Macron will be taking orders from Washington.
Absolutely, that it why obama was so happy!!!! Front National needs to change strategy and leader- Le Pen has done her time-, but always be ready to counter attack the mistakes that inevitably marcon will make. The French have shown that they want EU: a different one, may be, a better economy, but these French do not have the resources or courage to stay alone in today’s world.
I’m going to guess that almost all the “French” voters for the FN are native French people. So that would mean that instead of around 40% of the French vote being for Le Pen. The figures for “French” people voting for her would be 45-50% (or more). That is an important figure to consider. There is an old truism that governments in the West need to dwell on,”Governments are allowed to exist,only by the “consent” of the governed”. That was forgotten during the 1780’s in France. And the elite’s in France had to be reminded of it in 1789. I think France ( and the West in general) will need another reminder in this century as well.Once a large majority cease to accept your rule as rightful. Then you will be dethroned from that rule. In my opinion its an error for the opposition in France (and other Western countries) to continue the charade that the current regimes are lawful.But instead recognize them as illegal,and treat them as such.Stop obeying them. And prepare for expelling them from power.
Ramin Mazaheri is a wonderful addition to the Saker blog, please keep writing and publishing here, merci.
I have to admit that he’s growing on me. :)
The big hit is coming from Paris – they were polling at 70% for Macron.
All the other regions are much closer, but most are around 53% or so for Macron.
Uncle Bob 1, “And prepare for expelling them from power”.
That process may well be going on but we do not want a mess..and what do you do…if this extremely powerful lunatic who should be in a straight jacket – has got this nuclear grenade in his hand – which can destroy the entire world – and he is holding it in his hand – and he has already pulled the pin out.
1. if you shoot him – he lets go – and the world is gone.
2. if he falls asleep – he lets go – and the world is gone.
so all you can do is talk to him – try and make some sense with him – but he will not be distracted.
Anyone else got any ideas? some people have already given up hope – but there must be a peaceful, graceful solution…
Now I don’t necessarily agree with him – but this Irish kid (living in China) writes very well…
“Extinction is the System Result
Posted on April 19, 2017 by Cathal Haughian ”
https://beforethecollapse.com/2017/04/19/extinction-is-the-system-result/
Tony
vive la France – who cares
Dear Ramin,
Would could you do today (on election day) as a yournalist to record and capture history?
Going out on the street and ask as many people as possible if they have heard about the leaks. Just to gather proof if they say tomorrow “We did not know”.
Hugs to you and Paris
The French – what French?…You have got to be kidding. The last nationalist France had was de Gaulle. Just like Britain – France is nothing more than a vassal state for the occultists and the zionist bankers. Even if LePen wins – she will be crushed and controlled by the banksters.
Only Russia under Putin was able to exercise the needed resolve to defeat the occultists. Only violence and direct action at a state level can stop the anglo/zionists.
Syria is a perfect example – violence and chaos was met with controlled directed force. Ultimately a political will – to not only mercilessly crush the zionists but also the foresight to run a very long game.
The French election is all about the discrediting of the MSM – not who actially wins. In the US the MSM is now finished. CNN and others could see this coming and began by removing comments well before the US election. Fox continues with comments – and although many are shoot from the hip – the insults against the MSM and ultimately the oligarchy are revealing in their sheer volume.
The hubris, arrogance and stupidity of the western oligarchy will soon result in their total and complete destruction under a violent storm of revenge.
The catalyst for the revolution is not in the streets of western cities – with fake police agent saboteurs and provocateurs but rather the collapse of faith in so called democracy by the masses. A faith based on denial – a denial process that the MSM propaganda can no longer sustain. Only those paid to chant the mantra of the western hoax defend neo-liberalism – no one else is buying the farm.
I believe there will be a move to liberate Palestine soon – the entity will no longer be able to resist and need to lash out to attempt to buy more time. That will be end of the cancer in the ME. As now both Russia and China are fully against the zionist world project. Without neutrality of these super-powers the zionists will not be able to resist a united Arab and Persian resistance. The US is a spent force and certainly club med iof is not able to fight anyone else other than women and children.
Crush the entity and the entire bankster system – with its MSM lackey’s and western illusions collapses.
I don’t see that in Palestine. The zionist fanatics are too strong for now. In this year its more likely they will go full apartheid there. Not even attempting to mask it. The regime is bringing out a law to abolish Arabic as the second language and officially declare Israel as a Jewish national state.Officially (as opposed to just the reality) declaring non-Jews as 2nd class citizens. Couple that to the full support the pro-zionist US regime gives them. And you have the perfect storm. The crucifixion of the Palestinian people is not ending.
I remember when South Afrika was officially under the apartheid regime a wholesale supermarket company was forced to pull out of the South African market after their stores back here in the Netherlands started being burned down. They gave in after 4 of their businesses were burned down. Somehow they had a very effective torching method,
“What was inside? Can’t tell ya – I’m a journalist.”
Well, the election is over now. So, what was in the emails?
Si
France has chosen death over life. Sad,but true. Karma has bitten them hard,and continues to bite off their flesh.The next few years should see the corpse buried.More immigration,more Russophobia,more EU madness,more NATO control,more control on civil rights,more terrorism .La Belle France,goodbye. Welcome to Macron’s Francistan.
France set on the road to extinction on the 14 of July 1789 when she was bamboozled in joining of her own volition the jihad waged against herself by the ‘globalists’ since at least the 16th Century (les Guerres de Religion). When the populace raised to the dignity of ‘le peuple’, marshaled by the agents of ‘globalism’ masquerading as the ‘aristocracy’ set to ‘hang the last king with the entrails of the last priest’, decapitating her last native leaders, smashing and burning the symbols of her identity, the relics of her saintly protectors, unleashing the ‘Terreur’ against her own people, genociding the resistant against the ‘Colonnes Infernales’ (the Infernal Columns) of “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité ou la mort” (BTW the Le Pen alight from the lands of ‘Chouannerie’).
Soon you will hear the bleating of muezzins from the towers of the Tours Cathedral celebrating their revanche for their defeat under Charles Martel.
Serves them right for the pain and misery they inflicted on the African nations both in North Africa and the central african nations.
By the way, this globalist vision must come full circle. Destruction of the Middle east overtly, destruction of Europe covertly is their vision apparently. And the little people will fight it out on the streets like mad dogs over issues of identity and they will laugh it off
The globalist need one solid military defeat either in Syria or in the Ukraine for their sheep to see the light. Al though two would be splendid nonetheless.
I hope I am alive to see the rapture
You are wrong, WizOz.
Due to many wars with no profit, and the burden that imposed on the people — not unlike what is happening in the US, now — the House of Bourbon lost its credibility, as a worthy sovereign, and was ousted in one of the bloodiest revolutions in human history.
The destruction of France as a superpower follows actually from actions of the “moderate” Girondins — which defeated the radical (and bloody) Jacobins, in an (also bloody) counter-revolution.
The Girondins raised their champion, Napoleon, to royalty status. They stopped the radical agenda of the revolution, and deflected the revolutionary fervor to foreign wars. (It was the complete opposite of Soviet Russia, here). These were wars of conquest (disguised by pseudo-Jacobin propaganda) that led to defeat, and the premature end of the superpower status of France.
You are right, the date should be pushed back. It was when the Bourbons helped in the creation of the United Masonic States which (out of gratitude, I suppose) helped in the overturn of the Bourbons (Thomas Jefferson was the Ambassador to France and coordinated the first phases of the Revolution – “Lafayette, nous voilà”). Jefferson was compensated with the sell of Louisiana by Napoleon.
Isn’t the election for The President of France today? It is now 20:52 07/05/2017
In the UK – even Scotland…you can vote from 06:00 to 22:00 and then the sealed paper ballots are taken to local counting stations under police escort…
And then people – lots of people – actually count them…one by one
Whereas in France – they have already announced the result
France is a big place and very beautiful but mainly very rural and isolated country of little French villages where communications are not that great.
Am I missing something here?
Maybe the French election was yesterday and I have missed 24 hours or the French can’t count?
Shouldn’t they still be voting?
I’ve never found The French particularly fast in the past. If it was Germany – then well even they aren’t that fast.
BREXIT bring it on.
Tony
Ladies and gentlemen, Je suis Charlie has won ! Trump was very quick to congratulate Macron, saying ” a big victory” and “looking forward to work with him” . The EU, of course, they weren’t shy to support him openly during the elections (just to mock Putin, what else ?) So, the play is on for the game (the old one) with a bitter communal association of “liberal values” (Dennis comes to my mind)
From now on, I will look with other eyes at the Camembert cheese. Right now, the elected president macron gives a speech, where ? right before the Louvre’s steel and glass Pyramid – they thought even at this “small detail”, isn’t it interesting ?
Well, ioan, Friedrich Schiller commented on the rage displaces reason French “Revolution” that “A great moment in history has found a little people..”.
Earlier, Francois Rabelais created the giant dad of Le Litterature Frances (Gargantua) and his huge son (Pantagruel) in order to instill some growth, but the French flunked the lesson and ended up even smaller than their twisted dwarf presider over continued national shrinkage, dumping Charles de Gaulle in favor of a stupid little AZ false flag “Charlie”.
And Cameron called Merkel and said “Honey, I shrank the French!”
How far will the pendulum swing toward The Miniscule, Le Minime?
Take courage, Francophiles, with Micron we’ve almost hit bottom, the “infinitesimal” of Political Calculus. The codpiece that Pantagruel shook to ward off evil is now with Micron’s tiny member virtually empty, all holster and no gun, not even a peepee shooter in its “Center”!
This is just Round One of the Real French Leader Selection…..after this shrinking, disappearing act the vacuum will finally admit a new Joan, and then some bigger Frenchmen will be born.
Yes the symbolism of the pyramid wasn’t lost……
Interestingly enough, nearly 10% left their ballots blank and over 25% didn’t vote in the run-off. She gained roughly 35% of the run-off vote.
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201705071053368008-french-voters-cast-empty-ballots/
So he is not as popular as some may wish to think. Also there are protests right now in Paris against the result – when his true colors are revealed the protests will be even bigger…….
https://www.rt.com/news/387494-teargas-paris-presidential-runoff/
Macron wins French presidency by decisive margin over Le Pen
https://www.google.com/?hl=en&ei=rI4PWf-7OZLMwAKSrrLgBw&fg=1&gws_rd=cr#hl=en&q=Macron&spf=73
–
Je Suis? Je Suis pissed off! Very much so. Extremely pissed off in fact.
First Rothschild Macrony, next May will be voted in, and after that Schultz in Germany – or some other globalist whore – and then they’ll gave all their ducks on a row at the ready for frontal assault in Syria, or where ever else they choose at their leisure.
Russia better be making preparations to fly Assad and his adorable young family out of Syria (possibly to Iran) at a moments notice, if necessary. This won’t be like the run-up to the Iraq invasion, with months of hyping the drums of war in the media. This time around they know the people are in no mood whatsoever to bomb Syria, no amount of propaganda will convince them to the contrary, so they’re just gonna skip that phase and just go ahead with the bombing. It won’t be months, it’ll be days, if not hours.
The writing is on the wall and it mustn’t be allowed under any circumstances for Assad and his family to perish like Gaddafi. I hope him and his allies are preparing for the worst.
–
Theresa May plans to call snap vote on bombing Syria after the election if Assad launches another gas attack on his people
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4471574/PM-call-snap-vote-bombing-Syria-wins-election.html
–
Theresa May ‘planning vote on BOMBING Syria after General Election’
“[..] It is believed the vote will ask MPs to approve attacking Syrian forces should Mr Assad’s forces repeat a similar chemical attack.
Mrs May reportedly wants Britain to take part in the strikes after becoming convinced that the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Russia, was behind the recent gas attack on his own civilians.”
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/800370/Theresa-May-Syria-bombing-Commons-vote-Assad
-TL2Q
I bet a dollar to a Parisan that Albert Camus would have published them in Combat.
As he stated in Combat, “We have a right to think, that truth with a capital letter is relative. But facts are facts. And whoever says that the sky is blue when it is grey is prostituting words and preparing the way for tyranny. === Albert Camus
I guess some people have thought about it – but we can hardly lob nukes at The French – well we could except we would get all the radioactive fall out – which would not be good…Now lets look at the map and how the winds normally blow.
to be honest, I am completely disgusted with The French – but we always knew you were wimps – even The Germans sussed you lot out.
Us in Grande Bretagne might be rubbish too – but at least here in England they go through the motions – and at least try and give the impression that there is some democracy…
Are you French trying to take the oui oui or not?
Must try harder – have you guys counted the votes yet?
Non, nous ne voulons pas faire cela. Nous savons que nous vivons dans une dictature
Tony
Ramin had it right, Macron is a psychopath! Analysis by a psychotherapist, Italian professor Adriano Sagatori:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NNDgsw39m9s
Cheers!
Non, vous stupide anglais. Nous sommes français Nous ne comptons pas les votes. Nous brisons le vent dans votre direction générale
Monty Python with French subtitles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGXx56WqqJw
Antoine
Fascinating how the two leading revolutionary societies of the 18th century have both lost freedom of the press.
In both countries, it involves a concentration of the ownership of ‘the press’ that the thinkers of the 18th century didn’t imagine. In both, there are some government decrees (in the US, the head of the national police just stated that all US media asks permissions of the police before publishing.), but mainly its the fact that ‘the press’ is no longer locally owned by many independent owners and is instead owned by a handful of billionaires and large mega-corps.
“Fascinating how the two leading revolutionary societies of the 18th century ”
I know you are referring to the French Revolution but please pray tell the other “revolutionary society”. I know a fair bit of history but probably I missed that other one.
Thanks, Ramin, for another great article!
Your main points are all persuasive, though I’d like to add that at the end of the day, the French MSM’s complicity in refusing to cover the #MacronLeaks — law or no law — only undermines their credibility.
For comparison, look at what happened in the run-up to the American elections, and how the refusal of the MSM to delve into all the leaked e-mails from the DNC only reinforced the growing perception that they were in bed with the DNC, aiding and abetting Hillary Clinton and, who knows? maybe sharing debate questions with her, or spinning poll numbers? The real winner was the alternate media, which was able to turn the feeble accusations of “fake news” back against the MSM.
I agree with you that the timing of the Macron data dump raises questions, but I’m not convinced by your supposition that “the whistleblower had the data, and realized he had no smoking gun”. Nine gigabytes is a LOT of data, and apparently it came from multiple accounts of “En Marche!” staff being hacked. If there’s a smoking gun in there, it’s going to take even the army of 4chan autists some time to sift and find it.
Cui Bono?
From RT:
“France opens investigation into Macron ‘hack’
French authorities have opened an official investigation into the public posting of communications from the office of French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, over potential violations of privacy of communication, and illegal data access. 9 gigabytes of emails and other private documents – the authenticity of some of which is under question – were published on an anonymous uploading service, a day before Sunday’s election.”
No doubt no investigation into Liberation’s breaking of the law to support Macron:
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/387476-france-macron-elections-propaganda/
Macron is currently walking around with his boss Hollande at the VE day celebrations in Paris – hasn’t even been sworn in as President yet – not even hiding the fact he is his heir! His next test will be the countrywide parliament elections next month. He only has 50 party reps out of the 500 needed…….
@Perimetr,
That’s the best option for mankind.
Right now there are protests going on in France.
You can watch them on live stream on wearechange (youtube).
Hi Ramin,
You may want to look at this:
https://medium.com/@nicolasgregoire/pas-avant-le-deuxi%C3%A8me-tour-593526d58a2a
Nicolas Gregoire is a whistle blower who wanted to reveal, before the elections, that he was paid for *2* fictitious jobs as an aide of Bayrou, then a candidate to the presidency.
The story is about his quest to be published, and how from delays and excuses, he finally gets his computer hacked and his house burglarized. Scary. It demonstrates the power of intimidation and censure, and how shockingly deep is the corruption.
Macron was not “chosen” by Hollande.
Macron was chosen by the same people who chose frou frou.
Unfortunately they are the same people who chose, developed and promoted Jesuit educated father Le Pen and the FN — as a mechanism for controlling election outcomes, and especially for the manipulation of public consciousness.
Presently they have chosen to hand the FN torch to Le Pen’s daughter Marine, and then promote it selectively: as unthinkable to the majority of the French electorate on the one hand; and as a powerfully appealing voice of the unspeakable truths to a minority.
And viola, a new dialectic is established — guaranteeing anyone, even a Rothchild crook like Macron, can be elected simply because his opponent is deemed unthinkable by a majority of the stupefied electorate.
This election, like all elections, is an excercise in shaping public consciousness. Democracy is a cloak for the Oligarchy, who have never been at risk of losing control, not in Athens nor in any subsequent epoch. The purpose of ‘Democracy’ is to control what people think and therefore political dialogue whilst simultaneously granting the decisions of the ruling clique an air of legtimacy, therefore, it is essential not to fall lazily (or for more sinister reasons) into the definitions proffered by Establishment Media, i.e., Macron was chosen by Hollande.
What I describe above is not so very difficult to comprehend, Ramin. My intuition tells me you want to be respected by so-called ‘journalists’ yourself, either because you are controlled opposition or because your normalcy bias so overwhelms your sensibilities you can hardly think of living outside of the present unreality, even though you understand perfectly the very concept of ‘journalism’ is a crock.
Like Barack Obama, Macron was the political darling of the Neoliberal American and Western establishments and their fake free press.
Their animus towards Le Pen much like their frenzy against Trump was couched in the rhetoric of “progressive” politics and their supposed opposition to xenophobia and racism.
However, the American and European Neoliberals are at base driven by their need to install puppet rulers who are loyal to the Euro-American Empire.
Every other issue concern the Neoliberals claim to suport is merely a progressive pretext issue.