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These days (Score:2)
The effect of the "decentering" part of postmodernism is that every idea sounds equally (in)sane, and (un)worthy of respect or consideration.
Re:These days (Score:2)
I rather doubt this is the mechanism at work here. France had a pretty much different approach to contestation when postmodernism came out, and I don't think it had/has the same impact.
Remember that racism is outlawed in France, even in (public) speech. That's because (to make a long argument short) political freedom is considered superior to the freedom of speech. The reason the FN wasn't forbidden (even though Le Pen was fined many times) was to avoid giving them more cred by making them look like martyrs -- imho a bad move.
There has always been an extreme-right in France, and there has always been racism. The history of racism in France is in fact rather simple: before the Dreyfus affair it was rather commonplace, after it it became a right-wing/conservative thing (and this is still noticeable today), and then after WWII it moved farther to the extreme-right and became more covert.
I don't think people are more racist today than they were ten years ago, in fact I think they're less so if only thanks to increased mixity in schools and lodging politics. Le Pen's last campaign was far more moderate than his previous ones, and he only gained less than a million more votes. His seat in the second round is only due to the fact that both traditional parties suffered seriously (Socialists lost 2 million, RPR/UDF lost 4, the rest was scattered accross a host of candidates).
The only problem we are facing (racism-wise) due to the results of the first round is that people that are racists (only part of Le Pen's electorate) now feel legitimate instead of hiding. That's one reason -- probably the main reason -- why the May 1rst demonstrations were so important: it shows everyone in this country (and abroad) that there's no way racism will take over and those bastards can voice their opinions proudly. No bloody way.
-- Robin Berjon [berjon.com]
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Re:These days (Score:2)
What's contestation?
Re:These days (Score:2)
Looks like French to me ;-) Contestation is a general term that covers pretty much all forms of disagreement, protest, etc. This includes direct confrontation as well as just doing things differently in such a way that it challenges something else.
-- Robin Berjon [berjon.com]
Re:These days (Score:2)
Interesting! What's France's approach to contestation (protest/opposition) been?