the glory, the fight
REFERENCED
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3364794,more-than-half-of-french-youth-ready-to-enlist-and-fight-in-ukraine
https://www.leparisien.fr/societe/regain-de-patriotisme-57-des-jeunes-francais-interroges-prets-a-senroler-sous-les-drapeaux-en-cas-de-guerre-12-04-2024-35ZK3VMTFFBJPKSWOQ433R675Y.php
"The glory, the fighting"
Article from Le Parisien. The French MSM is doing a great job painting Russia as evil and manipulating French youth into signing up.
REVIEW
"Without mentioning a particular country, 57% of the young people questioned said they were ready to enlist “in the event of war”.", it says.
Yeah it looks like the Army is softening up the public for a good recruitment campaign, doesn't it.
For a start, the survey is one of many, probably the one that produces the most extreme result - which is a 50/50 split in the 18-23 age group.
This particular survey was carried out between June 16 and July 9 2023, so well before Macron declared on February 26 that he would not exclude sending ground troops to Ukraine. Also at a timewhen Russia was weak, long before the failure of Ukraine's counter-offensive.
Furthermore, to the question: “if the protection of France required the country to engage in the war in Ukraine, would you be ready to commit to defend your country?”», the 57% drops to 51% of those answering “yes” if Ukraine specifically is mentioned, ie fighting Russia, but only 17% actually answering +vely “yes absolutely”, with 34% “yes perhaps” - so not 57%, not 51%, but 17% ... and that when the Western public still had little doubt it was winning ... French youth are people of good sense and I very much doubt you would get 17% today, when Russia is dropping TOS fire bombs all along the front line and blowing Ukraine's youth to smithereens.
No need to go into the detail here of how the questions were worded so as to lead one-way to the desired answer !!!
This is more about the attraction of a career in the military, the Foreign Legion indeed, da-daah, (subsequent to the survey, kicked out of West Africa btw), especially attractive when unemployment in France is two or three times what it is in the UK.
To be perhaps a bit picky, it's worth pointing out that the survey was conducted in June and July and it is Bastille Day on the 14th of July. Also at that time there was a lot of heated debate around the reform of pensions, creating a polarised climate in which I'd guess young people are feeling more patriotic given that they have the most to gain from such a reform. And given that France has been slipping in its global position, probably young people were feeling their personal and national security was at issue, under threat.
What's most interesting about this article is the rhetoric used to soften up the public and prepare them for war. The main lever used to motivate soldiers is fear and this article builds fear in young people, encouraging them to fight when they feel they, their family and their country are under threat, boys and young men have no experience of war and do not understand the consequences for them and their family.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Keep it clean, keep it lean