SPIN, IT'S A VORTEX:

France Upholds Law Requiring Textbooks That Put Positive Spin on Nation’s Colonial History (WRKO)

France’s parliament voted Tuesday to uphold a law that puts an upbeat spin on the country’s painful colonial past, ignoring complaints from historians and the former French territory of Algeria.

The law, passed quietly this year, requires school textbooks to address France’s "positive role" in its former colonies.

France’s lower house, in a 183-94 vote, rejected an effort by the opposition Socialists to kill the law. Passage would have been unusual, since the effort to overturn the law came from the conservative government’s political enemies. [...]

Lawmakers from the governing conservative UMP party passed the law in February when only a handful of deputies were present. It came under full public scrutiny only in recent months with a petition by history teachers. It was denounced at a recent annual meeting of historians.

The language that offends stipulates that "school programs recognize in particular the positive character of the French overseas presence, notably in North Africa.",/blockquote>
It would make sense for the Brits to require same--given that they contributed judeo-Christianity, the Common Law, parliamentary democracy, etc.--but the French contributions--egalitie and secular rationalism--have been disastrous for the Third World.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 30, 2005 12:02 AM