A few weeks ago witnessed the publication, in the French periodical Valeurs Actuelles, of a rather extraordinary letter. It was addressed to the members of the French government and signed by 1,000 service personnel of the French military, including 25 retired generals. Here is the letter in full, as translated by the Irish website TheBurkean:
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Government,
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Parliament,
This is a serious time, France is in peril, several mortal dangers threaten her. We who, even after retirement, remain soldiers of France cannot in the present circumstances remain indifferent to the fate of our beautiful country.
Our tricolour flags are not just a piece of cloth, they symbolise the tradition of those who, whatever their skin colour or creed, have served France through the ages and given their lives for her. On these flags we find in gold letters the words “Honneur et Patrie“. Now, our honour today lies in denouncing the disintegration that is affecting our country.
A disintegration which, through a certain anti-racism, has only one aim: to create on our soil a malaise and even a hatred between communities. Today, some speak of racialism, nativism and decolonial theories, but through these terms it is the racial war that these hateful and fanatical supporters want. They despise our country, its traditions, its culture, and want to see it dissolve by tearing away its past and its history. Thus they criticise, via the biases of statues, former military and civilian glories, analysing words many centuries old.
A disintegration which, together with Islamism and the hordes of the banlieue, is leading to the detachment of many parts of the nation, to transform them into territories subject to dogmas which are contrary to our constitution. However, for every Frenchman, whatever his belief or non-belief, all of France must be his home; there cannot and must not be any town or district where the laws of the Republic do not apply.
A disintegration because hatred takes precedence over fraternity, as it does in demonstrations where power uses the forces of order as auxiliary agents and scapegoats, against those French in yellow vests who are expressing their despair. Meanwhile hooded individuals infiltrate and ransack businesses, threatening these same forces of order. However, the latter are only applying the directives, which are sometimes contradictory, and are given by you, the rulers.
The dangers are growing, the violence is increasing day by day. Who would have predicted ten years ago that a teacher would one day be decapitated outside his school? We, the servants of the Nation, who have always been ready to put our skin in the game — as our military status demanded — cannot be passive spectators of such actions.
It is therefore imperative that those who lead our country find the courage to eradicate these dangers. To do this, it is often enough to apply without weakness the laws that already exist. Do not forget that, like us, a large majority of our fellow citizens are fed up with your wavering and your guilty silences.
As Cardinal Mercier, Primate of Belgium, said: “When prudence is everywhere, courage is nowhere.” So, ladies and gentlemen, enough procrastination, the hour is serious, the work is colossal; do not waste time and know that we are ready to support those policies which take into consideration the safeguarding of the nation.
On the other hand, if nothing is done, laxity will continue to spread inexorably in society, in the end causing an explosion and the intervention of our active comrades on the national territory, in a perilous mission to protect our civilisational values and safeguard our compatriots.
We see that it is no longer time to procrastinate, otherwise tomorrow this growing chaos will be put to an end by civil war, and the deaths, for which you will be responsible, will be counted in thousands.
