International Elections and Politics (no US/UK)

[The Romulan Republic]

^Thanks. Though to be fair, the Mayor of London said much the same thing. The other notable thing Macron said was something along the lines of there being no such thing as French culture. And yet they elected him as their leader and describe him as a moderate.

There is some truth to that.

No nation, no human institution or gathering of any size, as a single unique, unified culture. Cultures evolve over time, due to internal disagreements, outside influences, and basic human individuality. The change and merge and develop off-shoots.

A nation has many cultures. Anyone who says "This nation has one culture, this is the way it is, end of story" is arguing the cause of despotism, wittingly or unwittingly. Because despotism is the only way you can even pretend to maintain a single, unified national culture.

That's not to say that their are no French values, no French history or art, worth preserving. That would be ridiculous, and I'm sure Macron wouldn't argue it either. But they do not exist in a vacuum.

[Admiral X]

Nah, there's French culture. It hasn't always been the way it is, but it has been for a few hundred years. Although the fact that cultures evolve is a great argument against the rather racist and arguably xenophobic idea of "cultural appropriation." In this case, though, it reminds me a lot of a Swedish politician's attempt to flatter "Islamic" culture by claiming Swedes had no culture. Seems a rather racist claim to me.

[The Romulan Republic]

Nah, there's French culture. It hasn't always been the way it is, but it has been for a few hundred years. Although the fact that cultures evolve is a great argument against the rather racist and arguably xenophobic idea of "cultural appropriation." In this case, though, it reminds me a lot of a Swedish politician's attempt to flatter "Islamic" culture by claiming Swedes had no culture. Seems a rather racist claim to me.

My point is that there is never, in any nation, a single, homogenous culture that represents the "true" national culture. Rather, any nation's culture is composed of various sub-cultures, which grow and change and interact with one another over time, as new influences, both internal and external, arrive and disappear.

No nation is what it was, say, two hundred years ago, nor should it be. If it was, it would be stagnant, oppressive, and un-innovative. That's not to say you throw everything out just because its old or traditional. If an idea has merit, let it stand on its merits- wherever and whenever it comes from. And there is much of merit in France's past, just as I hope that there will be much of merit in its future.

[PerrySimm]

Catalonia is a mess right now. A referendum that might have been easily dismissed as a cry for help from a region whose autonomy was dented by some shortsighted rulings from the Spanish Supreme Court, was instead incompletely crushed with an armed response.

Guess Madrid didn't get the memo from The Indendant on how to apply force.