Au Cochonnet Marin

According to French media, the Jews are leaving France in droves. After a slew of murderous attacks they don’t feel safe anymore.
Some people might rejoice, but this does not augur well for the land of “liberté, égalité, fraternité ».
If history repeats itself (and it does) France is in for a lot of troubles.

In 1598, after years of conflict, Henry IV of France issued the Edict of Nantes, granting Protestants (also known as Huguenots) the right to legally worship their religion.

According to Wikipedia,
“It marked the end of the religious wars that had afflicted France during the second half of the 16th century.
In October 1685, Louis XIV, the grandson of Henry IV, repealed the Edict and declared Protestantism illegal. This act, commonly called the ‘revocation of the Edict of Nantes,‘ had very damaging results for France. While the wars of religion did not re-ignite, intense persecution of Protestants took place.

All Protestant ministers were given two weeks to leave the country unless they converted to Catholicism and all other Protestants were prohibited from leaving the country. In spite of the prohibition, the persecution including many examples of torture caused as many as 400,000 to flee France at risk of their lives.
Most moved to Great Britain, Prussia, the Dutch Republic, Switzerland, South Africa and the new French colonies in North America.
This exodus deprived France of many of its most skilled and industrious individuals, some of whom thenceforward aided France’s rivals in the Netherlands and in England.”

The latest Jewish exodus from France bears a lot of similarities with the repeal of the Edict of Nantes.
Last year, around 5000 Jews left France and this year it is estimated that another 7000 will depart for Israel.

The departure of educated, industrious, law-abiding Jews will impoverish France and create a dangerous vacuum that will be filled by neo-Nazis and Muslim extremists.
An explosive combination.

Just as the Protestants were forced to flee France in 1685, Jews are now compelled to follow the same path.
This new Jewish exodus will be extremely detrimental for a country where unemployment is already high and where people are already dangerously polarized.

And what would be a country without the self-depreciating Jewish humor?
Can any Muslim country laugh at itself or are they so straight-laced that they can’t even smile?

I’m Jewish. I don’t work out. If God had wanted us to bend over, He would have put diamonds on the floor.
Joan Rivers

My grandmother was a Jewish juggler: she used to worry about six things at once.
Richard Lewis

A country where people are afraid to laugh or voice a dissenting opinion is a country primed for dictatorship, tyranny and violations of human rights.

I am Charlie!

Alain

This is so much better than fighting!

I am Charlie. We all are Charlies, or ought to be.

We have to stand united against this latest form of evil that is Islamic extremism.
And above all, never submit to intimidation.

Sony initially made a capital mistake by cancelling the New York premiere of a political satire called “The Interview”.
It cowardly caved in to threats.
Charlie Hebdo on the other hand, in spite of its staggering losses (10 journalists gunned down) vowed to continue publication of its magazine and lambast extremists of all ilks.
I vigorously applaud this!

The latest terrorist attack that struck Charlie Hebdo in Paris is a reminder that intolerance is alive and well.
This old form of cancer is spreading again throughout the world and ought to be fought with the greatest determination if democracy and civilization are to survive, for there is very little difference between Islamic extremism and Nazism.

The pathetically ignorant zealots who spread terror ought to be opposed by everybody, including ordinary Muslims.
« Qui ne dit mot consent » He who says nothing (tacitly) agrees.
Remaining silent in front of this outrage is condoning this type of behavior.

The best way to get rid of this scourge is to systematically cut off every head of the Islamic Hydra.
So called preachers, imams, rabble-rousers, agents provocateurs, anybody enticing another person to commit murder should be vigorously prosecuted.
Every possible mean should be used to annihilate the malefic leadership that incites gullible followers to hatred and murder.

Using religion as an excuse for eliminating opponents is not a new trend.
It has been used for centuries by just every religious faction to gain power and establish tyranny.
But you would think that in our day and age people would be a little less gullible than in the Middle Ages.
Not so.

France has been bending over backwards to absorb and integrate its Muslim population, but with little to show for.
Handouts are not the answer. Chain gangs would be a better alternative.

And any so called “jihadist” who goes to Syria or any other troubled region to fight western civilization ought to be permitted to leave, but never to return.
When you leave your country to fight against it, you abdicate your citizenship.

A trip to the warring areas of the Middle East ought to be a one-way ticket to “Paradise”.

Je suis Charlie!

Alain

Yesterday, January 6 marked the day of the Epiphany, a feast that celebrates the revelation to the world that newborn Jesus (funny name) is the Son of God.

Yesterday was also my birthday, a day that also confirms that I am not the son of any deity. Difficult to believe, don’t you think?
And still, a lot of people took the time to send me a note to wish me a happy birthday.
Thank you very much to you all. Merci beaucoup mes chers amis !

This is one of the few things that Facebook is good for. Remind people of upcoming birthdays.
This avalanche of good wishes prompted me to update my Facebook status to include my wife, and the second I did this, Facebook trumpeted to the world: “Alain Got Married!”

This in turn led well-wishers to send me their heartfelt congratulations.
Well my friends, sorry to disappoint you but I didn’t get hitched yesterday. I did this for the second time about ten years ago, probably while in a drunken stupor.

But this episode perfectly illustrates the danger of providing too much information about yourself on social media.
There is a wise French saying that goes: “Pour vivre heureux vivons cachés” (to live a happy life, remain discreet) and it is a heck of a good advice.
No matter who you are, it would benefit you to always remain discreet about yourself.

Yesterday was also the birthday of my good friend Jean-Claude (the Baker) Bunand. I forgot a little bit about this because of the commotion surrounding my own birthday.
But the “barbu” didn’t forget.
Around 7:00 p.m. someone rang my doorbell and when I opened the door it was not Melchior, Caspar or Balthazar standing there.
It was Jean-Claude bearing Gold, Myrrh and Frankincense.

Actually it was just a Galette des Rois (buttery puffed pastry filled with almond cream) but it was symbolic enough. This man reveres me like a god.

Thank you Jean-Claude. You are a king among men and I am glad to count you as a friend.
Thank you all for thinking of Little Old Me on that significant day.
This might entitle you to a piece of the Kings’ Cake.

Alain

PS: We didn’t eat it that cake. We are saving it to share it with friends.