Remember Grütli's oath!
Let's ask the RIC, and choose another Europe...
Today there is a peasant revolt in France. I salute the courage of our farmers and ranchers, who perpetuate the essential link of our civilization with the earth, in such a difficult context that it becomes heroic. And I fully share their dismay in the political management of nodular dermatosis, and their refusal to see their herds slaughtered by the Parisian and European diktat. This is happening at a time when the new free trade agreements with Mercosur threaten to destroy our farming community.
It's a tragedy that deeply moves us. It brings tears to my eyes. It is yet another drop of sadness and exasperation caused by our leaders. Enough is enough!
Many of us hope that the current movement will grow at least as much as the Yellow Jackets, and that it will be able to bang its fist on the government's table and say: enough is enough!
The protesters might not get anything, as on previous occasions. However, the current social movement has emerged from a hard-working and essential profession. The interests of our farmers can unite a majority of the population, concerned about the future of our country, and interested in what ends up on their plates. These weeks could therefore be the right moment to force the government to back down. We hope so. But what will happen then? Will it simply be a victory in stopping Mercosur and the culls? Chaos? Other measures necessary for renewal?
For a long time, struggles have emerged to demand a power that has been confiscated from us. Many have thought about what the conditions of a better path would be. And if I am writing today, it's to remember the main claim of the Yellow Jackets which I wholeheartedly support: that of the Citizens' Initiative Referendum. This is not a miracle or perfect solution, but an essential step in order to easily stop tyrannical ambitions, work towards renewal, and promote local levels.
May the current movement finally succeed in obtaining the RIC. My hope is that this key demand will become the focal point of all struggles. And once it is obtained, we can return home to continue in peace our path. We will not have won the war yet, but we will have won a battle.
Attempts have been made to silence the Yellow Vests and to ensure that the demand for the RIC goes unheard. But the aspiration for freedom and more participation in political life will not disappear from our hearts. Often our eyes have turned to Switzerland, admiring their voting system, and being astonished by the stubborn refusal of our rulers to inspire them. It is therefore time to remember the oath of Grütli, founder of the Helvetic model and pronounced on the, August 1, 1291, by a handful of resistance fighters who were confronted with an imperialist tyranny.
Having lived for several years in Switzerland, I can testify to the benefit of such a political system for an entire society. Every year, citizens are asked to vote on around twenty issues at the municipal, cantonal (approximately the size of our departments) and federal level. Every year, they think and debate about what is good for their country. They are very aware of the concrete realities surrounding them, with precise language, and develop real civic virtues throughout their lives. Practice makes perfect. It is by regularly voting on concrete subjects that a true civic spirit is developed.
To be honest, the Swiss have somewhat neglected this heritage for 30 years, unfortunately. Despite this political gem chiseled over 700 years of history, they let themselves be caught by the mirages of money, security and leisure, according to their own claims. Many young people no longer vote, disappointed by the corruption of their elected representatives. Trust is no longer there. However, even if their heritage has been neglected, it is still available to them, not only through the political system in place, but also through existential postures, affirmed values and habits of life, which their ancestors have bequeathed to them. They still radiate the benefits of voting and the civic spirit that this can bring, sometimes without even realizing it themselves.
We don't have that in our country, because we vote only for elections, and never for votes. We put four ballot papers every five years in the ballot box to give the full powers to those who have performed the best in the media. Therefore, we live in an applaudimeter dictatorship. And our attention is immediately drawn to the national level instead of focusing on the primary place of civic engagement which is the village, the town, the region. We have been corrupted by the Ring of Power, and we do not even realize it.
In Switzerland, specific issues are put to a referendum for three possible reasons at their three political levels (municipal, cantonal, confederal): either because of a constitutional obligation, because of the elected representatives' will, or because of a citizens' initiative referendum when enough signatures have been collected. Such a system would be widely applicable in our country at the municipal, departmental and regional levels.
We must also know that our local elected representatives can already use referendums to govern if they take the initiative to do so. Having once met the member of Parliament for my district, he confirmed that elected officials have the option to do so, and that he had sometimes done so himself at the town hall or departemental council level. It is up to us to ask them to do so, and to have them sign an appropriate and binding charter. This until the principle of voting is finally enshrined in our constitution.
It is up to us to make appointments with our mayors, representatives and members of Congress to explain how they could set up such a system today. In this way, they will demonstrate their support through a concrete commitment that will already change the lives of their people. It's a simple and effective way that depends on each of us... Will we answer the call?
Some people doubt the applicability of the RIC in France: due to its geaographical size and its different history. This is because they do not understand that the referendum voting system must first be used at the local level, to develop a civic spirit and a love of the common good among all citizens.
At the national level, my opinion would be, at the very least, to be able to obtain, through a citizen-initiated referendum, that a bill passed by Parliament or a government decision be put to a vote by the people. And it would also be necessary to be able to propose bills that should then be ratified by Parliament for adoption. Nothing important could then be decided without the agreement of the elected representatives and the people.
The relevance of having all citizens vote at national level on new laws and guidelines without the consent of Parliament and the elected representatives can be questioned at length. This is not the subject of this text. We limit ourselves to fully promoting local votingand asking that the people have a say at the national level: for to be able to veto any decision Nomade by our elected representatives and also to be able to submit bills to them.
In our view, this is the demand that can lead to the convergence of all the short-term struggles, in an Alliance of all those seeking another less centralized political model.
Switzerland is 700 years old and can testify that such a system is not a utopia. It will be able to help us implement it in our own specific circumstances and with wisdom, if we decide to do so and ask it to.
This was the main demand of the Yellow Jackets!
So let us remember today the founding act of Switzerland, when representatives of the first three cantons gathered on, August 1, 1291, on the plain of Grütli, and swore an oath to assist each other in resisting the tyranny of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Arrogant bailiffs were oppressing them. Not wanting to lose their dignity, they swore a perpetual alliance and won a victory that allowed them to live as free men. Then others joined them until they formed now a confederation of 26 cantons. Each canton has retaines its linguistic (German-speaking, French-speaking, Italian-speaking), religious (Catholic, Protestant, non-religious) and cultural (Patois, us and customs) specificity. And they have been able to resist throughout the centuries all attempts at annexions, to remain faithful to this oath and to preserve their founding values. At least enough so that this heritage has not been lost.
Wouldn't that be an appropriate source of inspiration for building a different Europe? The current crisis is driving us all to look to Brussels, and not just to Paris. French farmers have gone there these days to express their disagreement, in this capital of a European Union that has fallen into excessive centralism and is in the pay of a financial technocracy. It has become like a new empire that is increasingly oppressive and uniform.
If Europe is not able to resist the temptation of imperial tyranny internally, how could it do so with American, Russian, Chinese or Indian empires? The European Union has been seduced by the Ring of Power. It's up to us to find a way to break it. And one of the places to do so is in Switzerland, in their values forged by 700 years of history of resistance to the imperialist spirit. If we embrace this heritage, it will be a welcome antidote to the current crisis.
Switzerland is located in the middle of other European countries, but it has always refused to join the European Union. Let's ask ourselves why! Actually, she has something to tell us...
Today our farmers ask us the question: What Europe do we want from?
Could the oath of Grütli, a treasure of European history, be the foundation of a European Alliance where the various nations would seek to move forward together while retaining their sovereignty, and where the referendum voting system would be honored by starting with the lowest levels (village, municipality, etc.)? This would not be copying Switzerland, but rather drawing inspiration from it. It would not be a European confederation, but a European Alliance to support each other. An Alliance implies plurality where everyone remains free while choosing to collaborate with others.
This is the meaning of the sign of Grütli's oath: the three raised fingers signify plurality, and the two fingers lowered symbolize the alliance. This symbol, originally Christian to designate the God of the Trinity of Love, was used to signify the Alliance between the cantons of Uri, Schwytz and Unterwald, 700 years ago. And it continues to be widely used for oaths in Switzerland.
Who better than France today could advocate such a new political model for Europe? Our country has the capacity to do so, and many French people want it. If our country takes the time to listen to its Swiss neighbour and to meditate on the wisdom contained in its history, it will be able to propose a European Alliance to countries wishing to break the current deadlock.
Will we achieve such a goal and bring about real renewal without leaving the European Union? It's unlikely... But if we end up choosing Frexit for the RIC, it will not be to leave Europe, but to found another... In the middle of the 27 Member States, one country has not joined the Union, like a village of dihards. For Switzerland has in its genes to resist imperial temptation. Isn't it time to enrich the political Europe with this heritage?
Then remember Grütli's oath! And let us take advantage of this moment to promote another Europe, that of a Free Alliance, and that of the referendum voting system.
Not as a perfect way, but as an unavoidable path...
That is our hope!
Are we going to keep money as king?
Let us regulate the stock exchange system and choose another Europe...
Wishing to take part in a farmers' blockade before Christmas, I made a long detour to Carbonne, south-west of Toulouse, at the highway interchange. The blockade was easy to find, and I parked my car among hundreds of others near the roundabout near the four-lane road.
Barriers have been set up on the ramp to prevent cars from passing. Pedestrians can therefore safely walk down onto the tarmac. About 50 tractors are aligned upstream and downstream of the meeting place. It's a peasant blockade!
There are tables, tents and marquees. Barbecues are underway. The aperitif is offered. The match is being shown on a screen. Children are playing. It looks like a party. And having a discussion with the participants is very easy. So we're under a highway bridge...
Two cereal farmers tell me that global stock markets have such a direct impact on grain prices that they no longer know how to organize their business. One year in ten is a success, because stock market prices are favorable: they get excited and invest. Then it's nine years of misery. One of them claims to have reduced its activity by 60%, because it is now more profitable not to work.
I ask a breeder what the situation is like for him. He says that until now, meat prices have remained fairly independent of international markets, thus unlike cereals. But he considers that the Mercosur agreement will lead him to bankruptcy. As soon as these low-cost meats arrive from South America in our supermarkets, consumers will rush to buy the cheapest option, as always. Being a farmer in France has no future.
What struck me in these exchanges is that money is king. It reigns supreme and dictates its laws to our greatest misfortune. Do we therefore prefer to see our farmers and peasants disappear rather than question our financial model?
Who in France does not suffer from the Reign of Money?
Households and companies, executives and artisans, many see it and dismay it. The relentless pursuit of profit and profitability is a disaster.
So let's look at where the problem stems from and take action to curb it.
The place where this Reign of Money comes from is on the stock exchange. Where financial products are traded at very high frequency, in less than a millisecond, in a kind of casino game where the players hope to make the best bet according to the fluctuations in prices that go up and down.
Why?
Why have we surrendered most of our economy to this infernal machine?
Dear reader, take the time to read articles on the internet that give advice about the stock market. They only talk about ways to make profits and earn money by buying and selling at the right time. But they never question the real work done by real people in companies where these shares come from. What will become of them through these sales and purchases? Unless we have become completely selfish and devoid of any kindness towards others, this can only make us feel uncomfortable.
We assert that any purchase of a stock market product (share, bond, etc.) binds us morally to the company concerned, and makes us responsible for its future.
We therefore advocate a stock exchange system where:
- exchanges are made per week to adjust to the rhythm of real life; not below the millisecond.
- The purchase of any financial product commits the buyer for at least 5 years: no resale can generate profit before this period has elapsed.
Let us repeat: behind these financial products are real companies, real work, and real people. Today, deregulated stock market trading cause bankruptcy and poverty. We cannot allow such injustice to continue.
It may be legitimate for someone to hope for profits by making their capital available for real work; but only on condition that this shareholder is directly involved in this work, this company and these persons, and that the profits obtained remain limited.
Buying a share or bond commits us. The duration of this commitment must correspond to the reality of a company. Less than five years makes no sense.
Leaving early should necessarily result in a loss for the shareholder. If this were to happen because of pressing needs, our idea is that:
- The new shareholder must buy the share at the real price,
- The former shareholder must receive no more than half of his initial investment,
- The difference between the two goes partly to the company concerned, partly to the State, and partly to charitable causes.
Changing the current financial system can no longer be done within the European Union, which is now too closely tied to the Reign of Money.
If France finally decided to promote a different financial model, it could convince other European countries to form a European Alliance where the economy would serve the people. This Alliance would then have enough weight to survive in the face of deregulated global markets, and lead other countries around the world into a more virtuous economy.
So let's choose Frexit, let's separate ourselves from the Reign of Money, and let's build another Europe, that of a European Alliance, where the stock exchange system would be regulated and put at the service of the people.
Let us act today for our farmers and agricultural workers...
In short: why a European Alliance?
As a peasant revolt rumbles, our goal is to bring together all struggles, around three points :
- the implementation of the citizens' initiative referendum (RIC), inspired by the Swiss model of voting.
- the regulation of stock market transactions to prevent excessive speculation.
- the exit of the European Union, the Frexit, so that France regains its sovereignty, and can promote a European Alliance more respectful of countries and people.
The implementation of the RIC and referundum voting system
We recall that the implementation of the RIC is the main demand of Yellow Jackets.
The RIC allows citizens, who collect enough signatures, to have a decision taken by referendum among the entire population. It can be applied at several different levels: municipality, department, region, nation.
We want for France:
- the right to veto the decisions of our elected representatives by citizens' initiative referendum ;
- the right to propose bills to Parliament by citizens' initiative referendum ;
- the implementation of a Swiss-style voting system starting with the local level (village, municipality, department): any decision can be put to a referendum.
We want that each years all citizens can express their views on at least 20 issues covering the various political levels: municipality, department, region, nation. This is the case in Switzerland, and it works well.
We want all citizens can participate effectively in political life, starting with the local level, and thus develop their civic spirit and their love for the common good throughout their lives.
More broadly, we want France to take a less centralized political turn.
The regulation of stock market transactions
We consider that excessive speculation is one of the main causes of current injustices and disorders.
We therefore want the stock markets to be regulated around the following points:
- exchanges must be made per week to adjust to the pace of real life ; and not below the millisecond.
- the purchase of any financial product commits the shareholder for at least 5 years : no resale can generate profit before this term.
Buying a share or a bond commits us to a real company, real work and real people. This gives us responsabilities. Leaving before five years should necessarily result in a loss for the shareholder. If this were to happen because of pressing needs, our idea is that:
- The new shareholder must buy the share at the real price,
- The former shareholder must receive no more than half of his initial investment,
- The difference between the two goes partly to the company concerned, partly to the State, and partly to charitable causes.
We do not question the contribution of capital to support entrepreneurship per se. But we refuse to accept that it should be disconnected from reality. We reject that the stock exchange system looks like a casino where people buy and sell according to rising or falling prices for profit only, without caring about people and businesses.
Frexit, for a European Alliance
We promote a European Alliance where different countries would seek mutual assistance, without falling into the temptation of a uniform and centralized imperialism, and without being corrupted by the money powers.
Let's be clear about the words: France is in Europe, like Switzerland. It cannot leave Europe, which is a continent. But it can leave the European Union to promote another collaboration with its neighbours.
It may want an Alliance where each country is respected in its own specificity and in its own free will, while choosing to collaborate with its neighbours.
The history of Switzerland could help us in that. It is not a question of copying their federal model at European level: Europe is not Switzerland. However, this country remains the most successful example in Europe of resistance to the temptation of imperial tyranny, as well as the establishment of a voting referendum system.
The European Union today creates too much injustice. If we want to implement the measures outlined above (RIC and referendums, as well as stock market regulation), this is no longer possible within the European Union, which is in the hands of the money powers.
So let's choose Frexit, regain our sovereignty, and exercise our right to organize ourselves differently in a European Alliance!
