Establishment Wonders Why Populism, Not Conviction, is Contagious
Mainstream media, here exemplified by RT's take, reports on Nicolas Sarkozy's conviction (for corruption and influence peddling, twice) and the hand-wringing among the European elite. They portray a class under siege, as if lawful judgments against high-ranking officials are an affront to civility, rather than a long-overdue application of the rule of law. It's a fascinating display of narrative
gymnastics, turning a criminal conviction into a symbol of 'elite fragility.' What they fail to mention? This fragility seems to only manifest when the elite are the ones on trial, never when their policies decimate pension funds or expand surveillance states. The underlying message, unspoken but clear, is that certain individuals are simply too important to be held accountable by common
standards. This isn't about defending French democracy; it's about defending a global system where political connections often grant immunity. The 'narrative laundering' isn't just about Sarkozy; it's about conditioning the public to accept that rulers operate by different rules. One might wonder if the same mournful tones are struck when a whistle-blower faces prison for exposing state secrets,
or if their 'fragility' is considered less newsworthy.