The Great Laundering

W h i t e w a s h i n g is t h e m a i n activity of this century's e n d . W i t h t h e first t h r e e - q u a r t e r s

o f t h e c e n t u r y largely g i v e n o v e r t o a n a c c u m u l a t i o n o f evils, v i o l e n c e , c o r r u p t i o n
a n d guilt, w e h a v e a colossal r u b b i s h h e a p b e f o r e us. W e are e n g a g e d i n a n indefi n i t e w o r k o f m o u r n i n g for all t h e i d e o l o g i e s , v i o l e n c e a n d i n c i d e n t s w h i c h h a v e
m a r k e d t h e c e n t u r y . R e p e n t a n c e o f t h e past, h i s t o r y b e i n g sold off a t k n o c k - d o w n
p r i c e s o r g i v e n a face-lift. T h e w h i t e w a s h i n g o f a d i r t y history, o f d i r t y m o n e y , o f
corrupt consciences, of the polluted planet.
T h e cleansing of m e m o r y ; the cleansing of the e n v i r o n m e n t ; the ethnic and
racial c l e a n s i n g o f p o p u l a t i o n s . I n particular, t h e political class has e n t e r e d t h e v i c t i m a l era o f r e p e n t a n c e . E v e r y p o l i t i c i a n , e v e r y o n e i n a p o s i t i o n o f p o w e r , i s
p o t e n t i a l l y liable t o p r o s e c u t i o n a n d has t o b e l a u n d e r e d like d i r t y m o n e y . T h e y
have to s u b m i t , if n o t to a b r a i n w a s h i n g , t h e n at least to a r e p u t a t i o n - w a s h i n g ,
before b e i n g p u t back into circulation, the way b l o o d is washed before it is reinj e c t e d i n t o t h e b o d y ' s c i r c u l a t i o n (this w a s n o t , i n fact, d o n e i n t h e case o f A I D S
a n d it has g i v e n t h e political class its b i g g e s t scandal for years t h e c o n t a m i n a t e d

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b l o o d virus circulating even faster t h r o u g h t h e political system t h a n t h r o u g h t h e systems of the patients)."

O n e has, w h e r e possible, t o s h o w off o n e ' s vices t o restore o n e ' s v i r t u e . T h i s has

e v e n b e c o m e a k i n d of fashionable political tactic: p r o t e s t i n g one's errors, one's c o r r u p t i o n , o n e ' s i m m o r a l i t y ; a t t e m p t i n g at all costs to be f o u n d guilty. It is a k i n d of
simulated expiation, a way of whitewashing oneself w h i c h the public conscience
eagerly swallows a t little cost t o itself. N o t e v e r y o n e c a n w h i t e w a s h t h e m s e l v e s b y
c o m m i t t i n g suicide, a s P i e r r e B e r e g o v o y d i d .

11

B y that very act, h e w h i t e w a s h e d t h e

w h o l e of t h e political class (by m a k i n g politics a n o b l e calling, since y o u c a n die by

it), b u t this was also s o m e t h i n g of a p o i s o n e d chalice, as he s i m u l t a n e o u s l y s h o w e d
u p t h e w r e t c h e d n e s s a n d c o w a r d i c e o f all t h o s e w h o , t h o u g h suffering t h e s a m e
powerlessness a n d d i s h o n o u r - i.e. h a v i n g t h e s a m e reasons t o d o away w i t h t h e m selves t o o k c o n s i d e r a b l e pains n o t to do so.
T h i s s a m e p e r s p e c t i v e o f t h e w h i t e w a s h i n g a n d face-lifting o f t h e political class
casts light also o n t h e j u d i c i a r y ' s a n t i - c o r r u p t i o n offensive. T h a t s o - c a l l e d ' C l e a n
H a n d s ' offensive m a k e s t h e h e a d l i n e s daily, r a n k i n g a l o n g s i d e t h e lives o f t h e stars.
T h e s i t u a t i o n is as follows: t h e political class was fretting away in its i m m u n i t y a n d
i m p u n i t y . It was d y i n g w e i g h t l e s s a n d far r e m o v e d from t h e social b o d y on t h e
far side o f r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , i n t h e t e l e - a b s e n c e o f t h e masses, i n a n i m m u n i t y w h i c h
h a d b e c o m e lethal, w h i l e t h e t e l e - c i t i z e n , w h o h a d h i m s e l f b e c o m e a u t o - i m m u n e ,

10. In spite of a circular of 1983 pointing o u t the risk, France c o n t i n u e d to use b l o o d from
potentially c o n t a m i n a t e d sources in the 1980s, w i t h the result that seven people contracted A I D S .
T h r e e ministers stood trial on manslaughter charges, b u t only o n e , E d m o n d H e r v e , was convicted,
t h o u g h no sentence was passed on h i m .
1 1. Pierre Beregovoy, the third p r i m e minister of Mitterand's presidency, c o m m i t t e d suicide on
1 May 1993, apparently because of damage d o n e to his reputation by a scandal over an interest-free
loan.

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l o o k e d o n . T h e m e d i a class h a d t h e s a m e p r o b l e m . I t t o o was d y i n g o n t h e far side

o f t h e s c r e e n , i n its t e l e - i m m u n i t y . H e n c e t h e n e e d for a h u g e 'reality s h o w ' , a n
i n t e r a c t i v e p e r f u s i o n , w h i c h c o u l d give t h e masses a role as fully-fledged extras. In
t h e political f i e l d , t h e a b s o l u t e i m p e r a t i v e was also t o r e m o v e this i m p u n i t y b y a n y
means whatever - including being accused of w r o n g d o i n g , being exposed by scandal so as to give t h e p o l i t i c i a n s t h e c h a n c e to o v e r c o m e t h e i r i s o l a t i o n a n d
reattach the umbilical cord.
F o r t h e political class, this was a m a t t e r of life a n d d e a t h . N o w , t h a t class is n o t
capable of g i v i n g up its o w n privileges: it is capable only, as we have seen, of g r a n t i n g itself a general amnesty. In a sense, t h e n , t h e politicians delegate this w o r k to t h e
j u d g e s . T h e y use t h e j u d i c i a r y t o absolve t h e m o f t h e i r s u p p o s e d i m m u n i t y a n d
isolation a n d o v e r c o m e t h e p u b l i c disaffection afflicting t h e m . A n d t h e y d o this b y
a p p e a r i n g v u l n e r a b l e a n d fragile, a n d h e n c e o p e n a n d accessible.
It is a great illusion to believe that, in o u r system, t h e politicians a n d t h e j u d i c i a r y
can really c o m e i n t o conflict. W h a t is g o i n g on is m e r e l y a division of l a b o u r w i t h i n
a caste c a r r y i n g o u t a s i m u l a t e d p u r g e on i t s e l f - destabilizing itself in h o m e o p a t h i c
doses t h e b e t t e r to re-stabilize itself. T h e r e is, h o w e v e r , n o t h i n g to i n d i c a t e that this
stability has any l o n g - t e r m p r o s p e c t s . T h e r e is n o t h i n g to say t h e i n v o i c e for this
l a u n d e r i n g (after t h e l a u n d e r i n g o f t h e ' i n v o i c e s ' )

12

- t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e bill for t h e

collective b r a i n w a s h i n g w h i c h a c c o m p a n i e s i t will n o t o n e day l a n d o n t h e g o v e r n m e n t ' s d o o r s t e p . T h e m e d i a a n d t h e political class will pay dearly. T h e y are
already p a y i n g for t h e l o a n t h e y h a v e t a k e n o u t against o u r i m a g i n a r y a d v a n c e , b y
forfeiting all c r e d e n c e a n d credibility.

12. A series of scandals involving false invoices rocked France t h r o u g h o u t the eighties and
nineties, from the U r b a affair, in which monies were laundered through a consultancy company into
Socialist Party coffers, to the affaires associated w i t h the names of Alain C a r i g n o n and Michel Noir.

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T h e r e has r e c e n t l y b e e n a w i d e l y o r c h e s t r a t e d c a m p a i g n against t h e p r e s i d e n t i a l
amnesty on g r o u n d s of public morality.

13

I t is, i n fact, t h e first t i m e m o t o r i s t s have

h a d s u c h a s e c o n d a r y g a i n f r o m e l e c t i o n s t o l o o k f o r w a r d to.
B u t p e r h a p s this ' i m m o r a l ' b e h a v i o u r was c o m p e n s a t i o n for t h e a b s e n c e o f any
political stakes in t h e s e elections? At least in this w a y t h e citizens r e - i n j e c t e d s o m e
real issues i n t o t h e m . A t any rate, t h e y expressed t h e t r u t h o f t h e elections t h e m selves, w h i c h are no l o n g e r so m u c h a political act of r e p r e s e n t a t i o n as a collective
act u n d e r w r i t t e n by a b l a n k c h e q u e f r o m t h e p e o p l e - of t h e o b l i t e r a t i o n a n d
a b s o l u t i o n of all c o r r u p t i o n , all p r e v i o u s political w r e t c h e d n e s s . Scandals, failures,
e m b e z z l e m e n t a n d simple mistakes are all w h i t e w a s h e d a n d a m n e s t i e d for a m o m e n t .
T h e R i g h t has w o n , t h e Left is r e b o r n f r o m its ashes e v e r y t h i n g starts off again
from scratch. T h i s i s t h e m a r v e l l o u s illusionism o f t h e electoral system! S o w e ' r e n o t
t a l k i n g a b o u t a n a m n e s t y for p e t t y l a w b r e a k i n g h e r e , b u t a g e n e r a l a m n e s t y o f t h e
political s y s t e m as a w h o l e (the a n y t h i n g b u t p e t t y larceny of t h e financial system
h a v i n g largely served to finance t h e s e s a m e elections). E l e c t i o n s are like t h e black
b o x o f t h e political system. I n p u t : dirty m o n e y , m u r k y c o n s c i e n c e s , c o m p r o m i s e s ,
o p p o r t u n i s m ; o u t p u t : a squeaky clean political situation. A n d the m o t o r i s t s '
i m m o r a l i t y is as n o t h i n g c o m p a r e d w i t h t h e cynical w a y t h e politicians, t h e insiders,
t h e financial experts a n d t h e m a n i p u l a t o r s o f all k i n d s have cynically j u m p e d t h e g u n
o n t h e g r e a t electoral p a r d o n . T h e c r i m i n a l s , fraudsters a n d o t h e r political a n d
financial speculators have also unreservedly, u n s c r u p u l o u s l y p r e - e m p t e d this s y m b o l i c
amnesty, this l i q u i d a t i o n of all civic c r i m i n a l i t y w h i c h t h e trompe-l'oeil d e m o c r a t i c
o p e r a t i o n o f t h e e l e c t i o n s represents. D e m o c r a c y , h a v i n g t r e a t e d its h a e m o r r h a g e s ,
its m e n s t r u a l flow, w i t h r e p e a t e d scandals, r e g e n e r a t e s in electoral coitus.

13. T h e tradition of i n c o m i n g presidents granting amnesties on driving offences has been widely
criticized for leading to increased n u m b e r s of road deaths.

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Yet civic v i r t u e still has t h e last w o r d : w h e r e t h e r e are m o r e t h a n t h r e e p o i n t s o n

t h e l i c e n c e , t h e r e will b e n o a m n e s t y for m o t o r i s t s . A h a p p y idea, since t h e p o i n t s b a s e d l i c e n c e is an e x c e l l e n t f o r m u l a . It is m e r e l y s c a n d a l o u s t h a t it applies o n l y to
m o t o r i n g . W e s h o u l d e x p a n d t h e s y s t e m a n d c r e a t e a p o i n t s - b a s e d existential
l i c e n c e . F o r e v e r y offence, m i s d e e d o r act o f i m m o r a l b e h a v i o u r y o u w o u l d h a v e
existence points docked from your licence. W h e n the points ran out, it w o u l d be
w i t h d r a w n altogether. I n this way, t h e roadways o f existence w o u l d b e less c r o w d e d ,
w i t h t h e r e m o v a l o f all t h o s e w h o c a n n o t b e h a v e properly. Y o u m i g h t b e sent for
r e m e d i a l t r e a t m e n t u n d e r t h e d i r e c t i o n o f c o n s c i e n c e experts, b u t o t h e r w i s e t h e b a n
o n living w o u l d b e i m m e d i a t e l y enforceable. T h e p o i n t s l i c e n c e w o u l d j u s t have t o
b e i n s e r t e d a s a p r o g r a m m e d i m p l a n t a n d t h e offender w o u l d b e ' t e r m i n a t e d ' b y
automatic heart-failure. This w o u l d be the full-blown application of h u m a n rights.
A n d t h e n w e w o u l d have a clearer v i e w o f t h e j u s t , u n y i e l d i n g a p p l i c a t i o n o f
democracy.
7 August

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1995