	Generational Dynamics
	Forecasting America's Destiny ... and the World's

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 01-Apr-05
French scandal over teaching "La Marseillaise" in school.

Web Log - April, 2005

French scandal over teaching "La Marseillaise" in school.

Why is the French national anthem so much bloodier than the Star Spangled Banner?

It's one of the most familiar songs in the world: "Allons enfants de la patrie..." -- "Arise, patriotic children of France! The day of glory has arrived!"

In case you don't remember the song, check out this page from the site marseillaise.org that gives you some MP3 files. Really, if you have an MP3 collection, don't miss out on this. And check out the rest of this web site as well.

It's a song that dates back to 1792, and the ideals of liberty, brotherhood, and equality.

And now, a new law requires the French public schools to teach the song to students.

And you may ask, What's wrong with that?

Well, it's quite a bloody song. "The ferocious soldiers are coming to cut the throats of your sons and wives. March! And make their impure blood soak into the land!"

Now, there's a huge debate going on in France about the appropriateness of teaching words like this to small children.

"I find it a little horrifying to hear toddlers howl La Marseillaise at the top of their lungs," says one opponent. "I don't see how we can teach them that we all have to live together, at the same time we talk about 'impure blood.'"

But France is in a "generational crisis" period, just like America and every other country that fought in WW II, and countries are becoming more nationalistic, and their people are becoming more patriotic. In fact, France recently passed another law making it a crime to say something offensive about La Marseillaise. The song is as inspirational to Frenchmen as The Star Spangled Banner is to Americans, and in a generational crisis period, that's what's important.

Indeed, if you play the MP3 file above, even YOU may be inspired by the stirring passage that ends it. The following is a fairly liberal translation that I feel captures the intensity of the French lyrics:

Arise you children of France
The day of glory has arrived!
The bloody flag of tyranny
Is being raised against us.
Their bloody flag is raised!
Listen to these ferocious soldiers
Howling in our fields.
They come to our homes
And cut the throats of our sons and wives.

To arms, citizens!
Form your battalions!
March! March!
Spill their impure blood
All over our soil!

And yet, the Star-Spangled Banner is much more "laid back." Here's the first stanza:

O say can you see, By the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hail'd At the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars, Thro' the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watch'd, Were so gallantly gleaming? And the rocket's red glare, The bombs bursting in air Gave proof thro' the night That our flag was still there.

O say, does that star-spangled Banner yet wave O'er the land of the free And the home of the brave.

Nothing about blood in there.

Both of these national anthems were written at wartime -- La Marseillaise in 1792 during the French Revolution, and the Star-Spangled Banner in 1814 during the War of 1812. Why is the former song so much more warlike than the latter?

Any popular song, especially a national anthem, is going to reflect the mood of the times, and the mood of the times is going to be affected by where the nation is on the generational timeline.

In 1792, France was in a full-fledged crisis mood, filled with rage and a desire for retribution. They were just about to begin the genocidal Reign of Terror, which would execute more than 200,000 Frenchmen in the guillotine for crimes no more serious than being the acquaintance of an aristocrat. At that time, France had no national direction outside of survival.

But in 1814, 30 years had passed since the end of America's last crisis war, the Revolutionary War. That was a generational awakening period, when Americans had no desire for blood or war, but were anxious that their young Republic might not survive. America did have a direction at that time.

Perhaps the hopes and dreams of America in 1814 are best expressed by the fourth stanza of the Star-Spangled Banner:

O thus be it ever, When free men shall stand Between their loved homes And the war's desolation; Blest with vict'ry and peace, May the heav'n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made And preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, When our cause it is just, And this be our motto, "In God is our trust!"

And the star-spangled banner In triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free And the home of the brave.

Today, of course, France and America have something in common: We have no national direction any more except to survive. And Generational Dynamics predicts that this will result in a "clash of civilizations" world war. It will not be until around 2015 or 2020 that the world will start once again to have hopes and dreams and new direction. (01-Apr-05) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 01-Apr-05 French scandal over teaching "La Marseillaise" in school.

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 01-Apr-05
French scandal over teaching "La Marseillaise" in school.