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economy, among other reasons. This generates feelings of inferiority
in the majority of the population, and not only in the government–
whether it will be rightist, or leftist. People imagine that in order to
preserve their national identity, they have to possess strategic as well
as economic - but essentially military - strength . The exaggerated
pride in military power, I believe, is equated with preserving national
autonomy. So we have to question whether this need is an archaic
attitude belonging to a bourgeois or feudal state, or whether it helps
preserve national and personal individuality. The French want to
counteract the uniformization of the world, which they feel is devel–
oping as a result of both the conflicts and the compromises between
the two big powers. They perceive the conflicts between the Ameri–
cans and the Russians, but think that the big powers agree somehow
on eliminating the other cultures . That is a big cultural danger, even
if economically it seems inevitable. Thus they aim to preserve a plu–
rality which, in terms of economics, may seem utopian. Neverthe–
less, it is a good utopia to preserve.
EK:
Sure. Are you saying also that the French feel it's okay to be
patriotic?
JK:
Yes, they are returning to a sort of patriotism. But not when
it means going into the army. French students are anti-militaristic.
They will not want to fight for France, I believe, because that would
be old-fashioned. But the image of France is important to them. This
is new and doesn't belong to the '68 mentality .
It
has developed in
connection with the immigration problem, which parallels the anti–
racist development of different groups such as the
Ne Touche Pas Mon
Pot
(Don't touch my buddy). There is a tolerance towards others
and
pride in being French. This is difficult to appreciate, and either of
these two tendencies may prevail. At present, they both exist . Na–
tional pride is very obvious, very noticeable, and all the parties–
left, socialist, and traditional right- are aware of it. So they try to
win votes through national and patriotic propaganda.
EK:
Is this truer for internal politics than for foreign policy?
JK:
For both.
EK:
I get the feeling that in terms of foreign policy, the French feel
they must defend themselves and must preserve democracy, at what–
ever cost.
JK:
This is true, you have to preserve democracy .
If
the Americans
were to preserve our democracy, then they would be our invaders.
Since we would be dependent on them, it no longer would be
our
democracy, but the American one.
