Continuing the fight for pluralism

While the Swiss people have settled – twice – the question of the amount of the audiovisual licence fee, at least for a while, the discussion on the offer provided by this compulsory levy must continue. The same applies to France.

April 14, on Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS): a 19:30 news item to mark the 40th anniversary.^th anniversary of Simone de Beauvoir's death. An opportunity to reflect on the legacy left by the philosopher, often considered one of the founders of modern feminism,« recalls the presenter. The Second Sex, the work that made her famous, has just been included in the Pléiade.»

We then hear from a professor of gender studies at the University of Lausanne – Simone de Beauvoir «shook up the field of how women could understand their situation». (sic) – and a bookseller quoting «authors like Mona Chollet or Laure Adler» to evoke the field Simone de Beauvoir opened up to «feminist research». Feminist research? What an outcry if we talked about «nationalist research», «liberal research» or «Christian Democrat research»...

At the end of the subject, a glimmer of hope for the viewer in search of nuance: the «dark side» of Jean-Paul Sartre's companion is evoked, as she is said to have «taken advantage of her influences to deliver young female students to him». But hope soon fades: if the French writer did this, it's because she «assimilated to a certain extent to the extremely masculine milieu to which she belonged» and «played the male domination card». In short, patriarchy is guilty of everything. A refrain that would be less disturbing if it weren't so common in this house.

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We are delighted that RTS will be devoting a special section to the 40th anniversary of the death of Roger Scruton, a major figure in 20th century conservatism.^th century – and who didn't write hundreds of pages in praise of a dictator. Unlike Simone de Beauvoir, who, in her essay The long walk, published in 1957, raved about Mao's China, which she had visited for six weeks. The public service didn't see fit to recall it.

The question of the audiovisual licence fee has been decided by the Swiss people. Twice. We can therefore consider the matter closed. At least for a while – after all, the population had to vote several times to adopt certain measures... including women's right to vote. But if the financing of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation is a closed affair, the debate on the offer provided thanks to this compulsory levy must remain. We, the taxpayers, we, the citizens, we, the Swiss who value a job well done, a diversity of viewpoints and the proper use of public funds, have a right to expect more finesse from RTS.

This is also true in France, where, in the absence of courteous pluralism, the cultural battle at least has the merit of being accepted. On April 15, for example, France TV's «C ce soir» program brought together six guests to comment on Olivier Nora's – reputedly forced - resignation as head of the prestigious Parisian publishing house Grasset, owned by Vincent Bolloré. Six guests from the left, six guests to denounce the grip of the businessman described as «far-right».

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Not one guest, not one, to say that if the CNEWS channel – also owned by the Bolloré group - has been successful, it's because part of the population felt scorned by the official channels. That if so many authors – admittedly diverse and some of them talented, such as Metin Arditi or Frédéric Beigbeder – chose to leave Grasset the day after its director's departure, another publishing house could be born to welcome them. The reader will decide. And that the fear of a "pensée unique" imposed by the Breton billionaire is a good thing when faced with a far more problematic form of left-wing sectarianism, subsidized by the French people – and illustrated in this very program.

Visit Regard Libre, We will continue our intellectual battle for pluralism. Thank you for fighting with us.

Graduate in philosophy and journalist by profession, Jonas Follonier is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Regard Libre. Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com.

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