What’s going on in the world today? An interview with Jérôme Rivière, French politician

I once went to a conference where the virtues of eating wild foods were extolled: it was said, even the bitter and unfamiliar adds important elements to our well-being that we are often missing. With so much of American media predigesting our sources of information like an old bird feeding us pablum, we’re offering a little different fare.

Jérôme Rivière is a French politician, lawyer, entrepreneur, as well as a member of the European Parliament since 2019. He has been a member of the French political party National Rally (RN), since 2017. Rivière received a Master’s degree from the ISG Business School and an MBA from the European University of America at the University of San Francisco.

According to Wiki, in the summer of 2020, he reacted to Hillary Clinton’s suggestion that Joe Biden should not concede defeat to President Trump under any circumstances by comparing her attitude to that of the Taliban. He also criticized the Democratic National Convention for hosting Hollywood celebrities who appeared inauthentic. He recently tweeted a now-viral video (with English subtitles) articulating his strong disapproval of Joe Biden here.

This interview was conducted by Skype.

You and many of your social media followers seem to be acutely aware that there have been credible allegations of fraud in the US Presidential election. Why do you think that there are so many people in France without having a direct stake in the results are aware, yet so much of the US media and millions of Americans refuse to hear of it?

I believe we have the same thing in France. A lot of people are brainwashed by the mainstream media, fake news, lies. They’re told in France that Trump is a horrible person. What wasn’t understood by the French people, the zealots, was until Congressional certification, he had not lost. It’s hard for us to understand that there were no results the night of the election. In France, we know at 8 pm. Some states decided not to file or count their votes that night. Democracy can’t be put on hold!

Americans were shocked to learn of the murders at Charlie Hebdo headquarters. What is the French opinion of “political correctness”?

It’s something we have to battle with. Many Twitter accounts in France are shut down, but not the same significance. Twitter banned a picture of a woman in full burkha on the street, (showing that the) law was not enforced. He went to court and won because it was the law.

De Toqueville observed almost 200 years ago in Democracy in America regarding political jurisdiction:

“(T)hat in the United States the tribunal which passes sentence is composed of the same elements, and subject to the same influences, as the body which impeaches the offender, and this uniformity gives an almost irresistible influence to the vindictive passions of parties . . . in America, no one hesitates to inflict a penalty from which humanity does not recoil.”

While this may not have been so true in his day, doesn’t it seem that De Toqueville predicted exactly what is happening now in the US?

I believe he was acutely aware of the tension that could come of the US system. To my age, the US was the beacon of the symbol of the freedom. We were aware of the US people who didn’t know France, had never been there, who died at Normandy in 1944.

Now, the US is perceived differently: with Clinton and Obama, it was quite aggressive in the world. It used to be Capitalist vs. Communist. Because of the globalist system, people at hedge funds making money without much work go to the government for a bailout if they lose.

Now it’s Populists vs. Globalists. In the US, Trump was the first populist. Globalists attacked him every which way. There’s a new divide. But he (Trump) should have addressed social media early in his administration.

Stop Game is ignored in France. It’s the system desperately trying to hold their privileges.

Would you say that there is any comparison between Speaker Pelosi and Robespierre?

No, I don’t. I don’t think Nancy Pelosi is at that level. Robespierre was part of the bourgeoisie. She is part of the system. I think she is the old, failing monarchy trying to hold up the system.

What effect did President Trump have on France?

I was extremely pleased to see a president who put his nation first, not to police the world. A non-belligerence. Not like Biden, who said, “Lead by example”. We want to relocate jobs (back) to France.

What is your opinion of the Paris Climate Accord?

Those are big names, big accords that don’t mean much. President Trump reduced the carbon emissions without the accord. Signing an agreement doesn’t mean it will be respected. The Chinese won’t respect it; I’m upset at that. Big agreements are just a show of power.

France had riots over “green taxes”, BLM, anti-Israel ANTIFA movements and of course, suicide terrorists. What can be done to combat these events and similar ones in the US?

Our system is rigged. Our party cannot be properly represented. The “discussions” were held outside. Macron had said there would be proportional representation of the parties. Now he will not: “We do not want National Rally.”

Have French schools been infiltrated by radical teachings, in the same way American’s have?

Yes, it is coming. It’s a sad thing to see in the US. My three kids went to American universities. Now people are not told objective facts. A lot of kids do not like being told what to think, they think “woke” people are so outrageous.

In France, we do not want religion to interfere with government. Some Islamists, the extremists – not the religion of Islam – want the laws to change the way women are represented. Samuel Paty was a teacher who showed drawings, he was giving information. He was killed, beheaded. In the 10 days between, teachers were against him! One family wanted to name a school after him. But then, teachers were afraid it would trigger Islamists. A picture of his head was on Twitter — they didn’t react promptly.

Don’t you think intelligence should be picking up on these things beforehand?

There’s a tremendous weakness of intelligence in agencies. It’s because of the leaders, it comes from the head. It’s a failure of Macron.

Do you have grassroot campaign efforts, like we’ve seen in the US?

We have a lot of people who work for us. But we have no money in politics, it’s illegal. $10 – $15 million will be spent for President. There are no ads, no billboards. That’s why we’re quite worried about social media. That’s how we get our message out.

France seems to have more control over social networks, keeping tabs on violations of privacy, etc. Do you think France would put up with their leaders being banned from Twitter and Facebook?

I don’t think Facebook will be banning Macron – they’re on the same side! They’re worried that Marine Le Pen will win. Poland has been more aggressive. I think it’s coming to France. Companies need to make money, they can’t ban everybody.

Photo courtesy of Le Figaro