Alex Christoforou
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the Vigano letter and the different reaction from French President Macron and London Mayor Khan to the SJW, BLM-ANTIFA mob violence and dismantling of history and culture in the UK and France.
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Viganò warns Trump, Khan hates UK history & Macron refuses to kneel to mob by The Duran
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 573. The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the Vigano letter and the different reaction from French President Macron and London Mayor Khan to the SJW, BLM-ANTIFA mob violence and dismantling of history and culture in the UK and France.
We have been discussing the destruction of public art and history monuments by mobs who are often allowed to carry out such acts without police intervention, a problem that pre-existed the current protests (here and here and here). It was particularly alarming to see statues defaced or destroyed in London, including bizarrely a statue of Abraham Lincoln. The response in London and Paris is strikingly different but, in this tale of two cities, it is London that seems to be surrendering to the hysteria of the moment.
Protesters often faced no intervention in London as they defaced public art and later London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced that he would yield to demands to take down statues of imperialist figures and create a commission to “review and improve diversity.” In his statement, Khan said that he no longer wanted to see “statues, road names and public spaces reflect a bygone era.” He declared “The Black Lives Matter protests have rightly brought this to the public’s attention, but it’s important that we take the right steps to work together to bring change and ensure that we can all be proud of our public landscape,” To that end, he said that the city would replace historic statuary with black and Asian minority ethnic communities, as well as women, the LGBTQ community and disability groups.
I have previously discussed my love for London and its rich history. As a history nut, walking around London is an overwhelming and inspiring experience. To see the response of Khan to his destruction and his plans to remove historical monuments is terribly distressing. I have long supported adding to historical monuments to bring greater context and diversity. This however seem like a pledge to remove history, literally, from the streets of London.
Over in Paris, the response has been very different from French President Emmanuel Macron who vowed to stand with history and resist efforts to down statues of controversial or colonial-era figures. Macron showed incredible courage in refusing to rewrite the history of France and declared “the republic will not erase any trace, or any name, from its history … it will not take down any statue.” Instead, he insisted that “We should look at all of our history together with lucidity.”
I would not only say lucidity but logic. Paris and London are magnificent examples of the history of civilization, struggling with our best and worst motivations. The public art is a reminder of that history. We should work together to understand it, not rewrite it. Yet as discussed today, we have professors and teachers leading the mob in tearing down monuments and public art.
I have been highly critical of Macron for his anti-free speech efforts. However, he deserves praise for this principled stand, which must be very difficult for him in Paris where mobs have demanded the destruction of public art and monuments.
So there you have it. Two cities and one profile of courage. As Charles Dickens wrote:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
I think you guys are finally coming around to the idea that the ‘lockdown’ was not primarily a medical response. The lockdown proponents and the BLM are becoming part of a unified movement. Comparisons to the Bolshevik revolution, to the Cultural Revolution, and the Khmer Rouge are looking more believable every day. Aside: you should have more discussion of the articles by Peter Hitchens, especially as you have a particular connection to the UK. I don’t think there has been a more eloquent voice agains the obscene destruction of personal liberty carried out in the name of an entirely… Read more »
I have to say I absolutely detest Khan, he will jump on any bandwagon to further his ambitions. He has done nothing for London, the knife crime should be his No1 priority and he is more concerned with pleasing the thugs who are destroying our history. Some of our history is not good but you tell the people why it happened and the circumstances behind it, not just eradicate it because a few thugs want it. I can understand the movement more in America with police shooting black people, but over here the police do not systematically shoot black people.The… Read more »
no one is dismantling French culture and being-ness faster than macron — first with your support of the lockdown and t for the whole covid 19 scam and now this — you guys have really lost your compass , I hope you’d find it again
Surely this is a no-brainer. If you put a Pakitani in charge of your largest city, this is what you get. Duh! What did you expect?
this is exactly what white South Africans went through in South Africa. The total destruction of their heritage, to be replaced by a non-existent African “culture”. Thereafter came the farm murders, home invasions and rapes.
F. William Engdahl made a penetrating well documented analysis of what is actually behind the current “spontaneous” disorders in the U.S.. “America’s Own Color Revolution”, https://journal-neo.org/2020/06/16/america-s-own-color-revolution/ . It opens with: “… Color Revolution is the term used to describe a series of remarkably effective CIA-led regime change operations using techniques developed by the RAND Corporation, “democracy” NGOs and other groups since the 1980’s. They were used in crude form to bring down the Polish communist regime in the late 1980s. From there the techniques were refined and used, along with heavy bribes, to topple the Gorbachev regime in… Read more »
https://todayrevolution.com/2020/06/18/emma-watson-leading-group-of-gucci-kering/
https://todayrevolution.com/2020/06/18/america-too-weak/
EUROPE HAS THE ANCIENT DOGMA THAT ASIA WAS COLONIZED BY EUROPE. BUT ASIA IS RETURNING TOWARDS EUROZONE. THE EUROPEAN UNION THINKS THIS WAY… THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE EU CANNOT APPLY THE EUROPEAN PLAN… EU GEARS DID NOT RECOVER FROM COLD WAR…
https://todayrevolution.com/
France standing for history of who? Of themselves – Masons.
Khan – replacing monuments of white, Europe people – with LGBT, non-white, etc – so he is one of them. The only white men will be shown as disabled LGBT – so for Muslims will be shown as weak, lost.