1/20/2008

Would you want to buy the belongings of such a hypocrite ?


Francois Mitterand, the dead former French President and Nazi collaborator in Vichy France during world war two, is to have his belongings sold in France to raise fund for a foundation named in his honour, presumably the "Hypocrites Foundation".

This is, for all those with short memories, the Mitterand who claimed to be a good Europeans but always maintained he would stand up for decency and France, who had an illegitimate child, numerous extra-marital affairs, was a collaborator with the Fascist Vichy French regime, sanctioned the bombing of The Rainbow Warrior Greenpeace ship, allowed the French Army to support the genocide in Rwanda, and ruled France whilst massive political corruption was ongoing.

I don't think I will be going to the sale.

3 comments:

Croydonian said...

The most disgusting human being to lead a European democracy since 1945....

Andrew Allison said...

He is everything the public hate about a politician. I agree will Croydonian too.

Franck Guillory said...

The sale is actually to benefit his wife's Fondation, the Fondation Danielle Mitterrand (human rights and codevelopment, and all issues related to the lack of water),that she created when her husband came to power - a tradition for French First Ladies, as it was... An idea for a follow-up piece, she's a very close friend of Castro's.
By the way, it's a bit quick - or biaised or both - to label him 'nazi collaborator' - the truth is/was far from that straight-forward, as exposed by historians such as Paxton,and much more symbolic of the misjudgements made by so many members of the IIIrd Republic elite made brainless by the defeat and keen to put France's fate in the then senile victor of Verdun's hands (God knows that if it was not for Churchill, Britain would have had its fair share of 'nazi collaborators', wouldn't it).
Anyway, I had not read so much hatred about Mitterrand, and put in such a way, for at least 14 years - that's refreshing if nothing else and I shall go to bed feeling younger.
Finding myself defending the memories of 'Miteux' feels somehow awkward - surely, it's just out of Gallic pride... lol

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