FRANCE: Twenty French generals implore the government to take a firm hand against chaos.

via americanmind:

In France this week, 20 retired military generals, 80 officers, and 1,000 lower-ranking soldiers signed an open letter expressing concern over “mortal dangers” they say face the Republic. President Macron’s government has instructed the army chief of staff to discipline the signatories for inciting insurrection.

The letter bears close attention on several grounds. Although the signatories warn they wish to act only after the outbreak of civil conflict, Macron’s response shows the government understands the situation has already deteriorated to a point where a true coup or uprising—an event quite unlike the shambolic ordeal in Washington on January 6th—might erupt at the slightest provocation.

At the same time, the letter itself shows just what failures of statecraft and betrayals of representation run the inexcusable risk of provoking the kind of civil breakdown the signatories decry.

The weaker the regime, the more sensitive it is to criticism. The letter (translated) is at the link.

UPDATE: Paris mayor says she AGREES with military chiefs who threatened to seize control of the country and warned of the ‘disintegration’ of France – as 18 of the officers are fired.

h/t Glenn