The French Secret Police - Ha!
Wouldn't that be just like the French? To have instituted a system whereby peoples' meanest instincts of jealousy and suspicion are given sufficient credence that a "snitch" system of raising alarm is a recognized mechanism for state security to intervene through the medium of "internal intelligence".
Sounds like a resounding instance of lack of intelligence. On the other hand, the sneak syndrome may tell us more than we would like to know about the French mentality.
Come to think of it, wasn't that an honoured mechanism by which the Stasi in East Germany kept themselves informed? Through the pressure exacted on ordinary people to inform on others. And the information gleaned from people who had an axe to grind, or who suffered from a terminal case of jealousy, or who simply wished harm on others was placed on the record. And from there it was possible to harass, to denigrate, to harm and incarcerate.
It's the preferred mechanism of a police state. It's rather George Orwellish, wouldn't you say? And here we are informed that it's common for national security agencies in France to permit individuals free reign in discrediting others, to leave a stench of suspicion and aggrievement against others and make it an official document harming hapless and unsuspecting individuals.
Anonymous tips, under the French system of intelligence gathering, are given credence, can form the basis for an intelligence search, and blackening the reputation of people who have done no wrong. Quite incredible. However, as this is France we're discussing, perhaps credible, after all. Fraternal in suspicion, equal in stupidity.
Now, none other than newly-elected President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to change all that. Why? It would appear the viper's sting of suspicion levied against him by this time-honoured system has energized him to upend the system. Good on him, and about time.
Does this bespeak a national psychosis? A paranoid society? You've got to wonder. When tax audits and criminal investigations can be launched on the basis of an anonymous tip it's hard to imagine this is a mature, intelligent, liberal democratic country we're talking about and not a severely repressed dictatorship.
The laugh of the matter is that former prime minister Dominique de Villepin's alleged skulduggery in implicating Mr. Sarkozy in a scandal in an attempt to discredit him sufficiently to deter him from ascending to the presidency of the country has led to this alteration of intelligence procedures.
For the rather simple reason that the device of planting suspicion has commonly been utilized by politicians as well. Now it would appear Mr. de Villepin is charging Mr. Sarkozy with malicious denunciation in implicating him in the failed attempt to discredit Mr. Sarkozy himself. Does that give you a headache?
Does this all sound rather childish, obtusely adolescently silly? You bet. But dangerous as all hell, too. There are some legislative, governmental traditions that deserve to be abolished, and some societal mores that need to be discouraged for the sake of blind justice.
Can you believe this? France!?!
Sounds like a resounding instance of lack of intelligence. On the other hand, the sneak syndrome may tell us more than we would like to know about the French mentality.
Come to think of it, wasn't that an honoured mechanism by which the Stasi in East Germany kept themselves informed? Through the pressure exacted on ordinary people to inform on others. And the information gleaned from people who had an axe to grind, or who suffered from a terminal case of jealousy, or who simply wished harm on others was placed on the record. And from there it was possible to harass, to denigrate, to harm and incarcerate.
It's the preferred mechanism of a police state. It's rather George Orwellish, wouldn't you say? And here we are informed that it's common for national security agencies in France to permit individuals free reign in discrediting others, to leave a stench of suspicion and aggrievement against others and make it an official document harming hapless and unsuspecting individuals.
Anonymous tips, under the French system of intelligence gathering, are given credence, can form the basis for an intelligence search, and blackening the reputation of people who have done no wrong. Quite incredible. However, as this is France we're discussing, perhaps credible, after all. Fraternal in suspicion, equal in stupidity.
Now, none other than newly-elected President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to change all that. Why? It would appear the viper's sting of suspicion levied against him by this time-honoured system has energized him to upend the system. Good on him, and about time.
Does this bespeak a national psychosis? A paranoid society? You've got to wonder. When tax audits and criminal investigations can be launched on the basis of an anonymous tip it's hard to imagine this is a mature, intelligent, liberal democratic country we're talking about and not a severely repressed dictatorship.
The laugh of the matter is that former prime minister Dominique de Villepin's alleged skulduggery in implicating Mr. Sarkozy in a scandal in an attempt to discredit him sufficiently to deter him from ascending to the presidency of the country has led to this alteration of intelligence procedures.
For the rather simple reason that the device of planting suspicion has commonly been utilized by politicians as well. Now it would appear Mr. de Villepin is charging Mr. Sarkozy with malicious denunciation in implicating him in the failed attempt to discredit Mr. Sarkozy himself. Does that give you a headache?
Does this all sound rather childish, obtusely adolescently silly? You bet. But dangerous as all hell, too. There are some legislative, governmental traditions that deserve to be abolished, and some societal mores that need to be discouraged for the sake of blind justice.
Can you believe this? France!?!
Labels: Justice
posted by Pieface | 5:52 PM
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