MRAP (Mouvement contre le Racisme et pour l'Amitié entre les Peuples, Movement Against Racism and for Friendship Between Peoples) is in a snit because the dictionary Petit Roger has not crippled its definitions to pass the MRAP sniff test.

LE MRAP DEMANDE LE RETRAIT DU PETIT ROBERT 2007
[MRAP DEMANDS THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE PETIT ROBERT 2007]

PARIS September 5, 2006 (MRAP) - The MRAP raises a vigorous protest against definitions of the Petit Robert 2007. Indeed, for the words "colonization" and "to colonize", the Petit Robert proposes the following definitions:

- Colonization: "enhancement, exploitation of countries as colonies"
- (To) Colonize:* "to colonize a country in order to enhance it, exploit its wealth"

For the MRAP, these definitions are neither more nor less than a surety and a justification of colonization, the Petit Robert thus taking up on its own account the spirit of the law of February 23, 2005 [loi n° 2005-158]** which recognized French colonization's "positive role".

Facing this new attempt to rehabilitate and glorify colonialism, MRAP demands the withdrawal, pure and simple, of this dictionary. It demands a study group be put in place in order to propose definitions for these words that take into account all the experiences, suffering, and damages caused by this crime against humanity that was colonization.

This type of definition is all the more serious as the dictionary still remains a reference, especially for the youngest populations towards whom it is necessary to be vigilant as regards the trivialization of the alleged benefits of colonization.

These two definitions are poor not because of political incorrectness, but because of political correctness. The definition of colonization needs foremost to define the haecceity, the whatness, of colonization not its possible motives or outcomes. The American Heritage Dictionary gives the essential definition as: The act or process of establishing a colony or colonies.

Neat as a pin.

We hardly think the Petit Roger definitions constitute a justification, rehabilitation, glorification, or banalization of colonization. Here is what a banalization of the past sounds like:

« La grandeur d’un pays, c’est d’assumer toute son histoire. Avec ses pages glorieuses, mais aussi avec sa part d’ombre. »

Jack,
President and fabulist of France
Uncited

And as bad as the Petit definitions are, MRAP's proposed improvements are even worse. For example, ants, bees, and termites all colonize without an imputation of "crimes against humanity". Antartica has been colonized without recourse to such crimes. Colonization was no tea party but neither was was it wholly bad, all "suffering and damages". For example, the British suppression of the Thuggee in India is an arguable good. And how to explain the contented TOM/DOM of contemporary France?

We are always being lectured on the French appreciation of words. It would seem that the MRAP appreciation extends only to those words it can load with its political dynamite.

* - Coloniser : « coloniser un pays pour le mettre en valeur, en exploiter les richesses. » This definition is particularly poor because it defines the word using the word being defined.

** The French Constitutional Council (Le Conseil constitutionnel) struck down this law on a competence technicality earlier this year.

PFFT (What is this?): Newspeak 3 | Rayonnement français 0

Bonjour,

Qu' un Yankee ait le culot de discuter la colonisation française , c'est à se taper le c.. sur la banquise !!!!

Les Yankees qui ironisent sur le Socialisme à la Française ont VOLE leurs terres aux Indiens , pour finir par les GENOCIDER ....

Et la colonisation des barbares yanks DURE TOUJOURS !

Faites preuve d' un mimimum de PUDEUR ...

Good luck to your contry in Irak !

http://www.resisters.ca/