If you thought that the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris last year finally forced the entire Left in France to get rid of political correctness, you’re sorely — and sadly — mistaken:
The push by France’s Socialist government to revoke the citizenship of convicted terrorists with dual nationality after the Paris attacks has turned into a harsh political dispute, with the far right applauding the move while some on the left express indignation at what they call a divisive measure.
Yes, you read that right: some members of the French Left believe it to be “divisive” to revoke the citizenship of convicted terrorists, even when they have two nationalities.
Opponents of the measure consider it would create two classes of citizens — dual nationals who could lose their citizenship and others who cannot — in opposition to the principle of equality set out in France’s constitution.
Two of the opponents are Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, both from President Hollande’s Socialist Party. This, while 80 to 90 percent of the French electorate support the proposal.
Although the proposal is only common sense, Hollande is now actually in for a bloody political fight; not with the right — conservatives and members of the far-right Front National support him on this one — but with his own party. Some socialists, Senator Samia Ghali among them, have even gone so far as to compare the proposal to the policies of the Vichy regime that collaborated with the Nazis during World War II:
The issue remains highly sensitive in France as some have compared it to the revocation of citizenship of Jews and members of the French Resistance during World War II, when the government led by Philippe Petain collaborated with German authorities. The Vichy regime revoked the citizenship of more than 15,000 naturalized and 500 French-born people — including General Charles de Gaulle.
“It’s dangerous because you start wanting to revoke the citizenship of some people, then take a step further,” said Socialist senator Samia Ghali.
Let’s see. On the one hand you had a so-called government that committed treason and revoked the citizenship of innocent Frenchmen and even of heroic patriots, and on the other hand you have a proposal to revoke the citizenship of people who have turned their backs on France and declared themselves enemies of the state.
Apples and oranges, anyone?
It goes to show how out of touch and incredibly politically correct many European socialists still are. Muslim extremists can set the entire world ablaze, commit massacre after massacre in Europe, but our socialist friends are too worried about hurting anyone’s feelings to do anything about it.
I’d laugh if it wasn’t so sad.
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