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SpurNation
09-02-2009, 06:42 AM
In generalities, and in many ways, I have come to the conclusion that our country is becoming more and more like the Popular Front.

Comparisons to the Democratic party are amazingly similar to that of the Popular Front party of France during 1936 right before the fall of France to Germany in WWII.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_Front_(France)


The Popular Front (French: Front populaire) was an alliance of left-wing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Left_in_France) movements, including the French Communist Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Communist_Party) (PCF), the French Section of the Workers' International (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Section_of_the_Workers%27_International) (SFIO) and the Radical and Socialist Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_Party_(France)), during the interwar period (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interwar_period). It won the May 1936 legislative elections (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_French_legislative_elections), leading to the formation of a government first headed by SFIO leader Léon Blum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_Blum) and exclusively composed of Radical-Socialist and SFIO ministers.
Léon Blum's government lasted from June 1936 to June 1937. He was then replaced by Camille Chautemps (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camille_Chautemps), a Radical, but came back as President of the Council in March 1938, before being succeeded by Edouard Daladier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edouard_Daladier), another Radical, the next month. The Popular Front dissolved itself in autumn 1938, confronted by internal dissensions related to the Spanish Civil War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Civil_War) (1936-1939), opposition of the right-wing and the persistent effects of the Great Depression (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression_in_France).
The Popular Front won the May 1936 legislative elections three months after the victory of the Frente Popular (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_Front_(Spain)) in Spain. Headed by Léon Blum, it engaged in various social reforms. The workers' movement (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers%27_movement) welcomed this electoral victory by launching a general strike (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_strike) in May-June 1936, resulting in the negotiation of the Matignon agreements (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matignon_Accords_(1936)), one of the cornerstone of social rights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_rights) in France. The socialist movement's euphoria was apparent in SFIO member Marceau Pivert (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marceau_Pivert)'s "Tout est possible!" (Everything is possible). However, as the economy continued to stall during the Great Depression, Blum was forced to stop his reforms and devalue the franc. With the French Senate controlled by conservatives, Blum, and thus the whole Popular Front, fell out of power in June of 1937.
The Popular Front was supported, without participation (soutien sans participation) by the French Communist Party, which did not provide any of its ministers, just as the SFIO had supported the Cartel des gauches (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartel_des_gauches) (Coalition of the Left) in 1924 and 1932 without entering the government.
SouthernFried
09-02-2009, 07:11 AM
What we're seeing now in the US is nothing new.

5,000 yrs. of recorded human history...not much is new. Including not learning from it.

SIG
LnGrrrR
09-02-2009, 08:32 AM
So you're saying we're France? If so, who's Germany?
101A
09-02-2009, 08:47 AM
So you're saying we're France? If so, who's Germany?

Canada.
clambake
09-02-2009, 09:03 AM
what should we do to remain french?............besides hate ourselves?
LnGrrrR
09-02-2009, 09:03 AM
Canada.

:lol

Of course, the problem with that analogy is Germany had one of the world's best armies at the time... and Canada has... comedians, lumberjacks and maple syrup. :lmao
hope4dopes
09-02-2009, 09:53 AM
what should we do to remain french?............besides hate ourselves?
refrain from bathing, and round up jews.
clambake
09-02-2009, 09:57 AM
tell us more about your time in france, micca.
hope4dopes
09-02-2009, 10:05 AM
tell us more about your time in france, micca.

Never been....I lived with a woman from Paris for 6 years ...she was a jew.The worlds an intresting place you may wanna get out of suburbia once in a while.
101A
09-02-2009, 10:07 AM
:lol

Of course, the problem with that analogy is Germany had one of the world's best armies at the time... and Canada has... comedians, lumberjacks and maple syrup. :lmao

You forgot the Mounties; them some tought M'fers; gonna lay waste from N. to S; until they reach Texas.

Mounties v. Rangers gonna be EPIC!
clambake
09-02-2009, 10:13 AM
Never been....I lived with a woman from Paris for 6 years ...she was a jew.
how do you know she's from paris, france. there's more than one paris, micca

The worlds an intresting place you may wanna get out of suburbia once in a while.
any suggestions? i mean.....to somewhere you've been?



oh yeah, sorry that you hooked up with a smelly parisian jew.
hope4dopes
09-02-2009, 10:15 AM
how do you know she's from paris, france. there's more than one paris, micca

any suggestions? i mean.....to somewhere you've been?



oh yeah, sorry that you hooked up with a smelly parisian jew.

That's it.
SpurNation
09-02-2009, 02:43 PM
I never said anybody was Germany. I was pointing out the similarities of the 2 parties in how they diversified themselves with support from other political organizations not aligned in the Democratic party.

The Republican party is pretty much that of a single party compromised of people who think, for the most part, along the same lines.

Interesting. And I'm not saying this as a negative but maybe that's why in learning from the Popular Front, on the surface, the leaders of the Democrat party often entertain those of other political affiliations not associated with Republicans in order to solidify enough votes for election.

Just as interesting was the last part of the quote in the OP...


However, as the economy continued to stall during the Great Depression, Blum was forced to stop his reforms and devalue the franc. With the French Senate controlled by conservatives, Blum, and thus the whole Popular Front, fell out of power in June of 1937.
The Popular Front was supported, without participation (soutien sans participation) by the French Communist Party, which did not provide any of its ministers, just as the SFIO had supported the Cartel des gauches (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartel_des_gauches) (Coalition of the Left) in 1924 and 1932 without entering the government.