Laurent Louis, MP, Didn’t (Exactly) Get Arrested for Using the F Word

by Mary W Maxwell, PhD, LLB

It was startling to learn that Laurent Louis, a 32 year-old member of Belgium’s parliament, got arrested for slander. I was also surprised to see that it happened back in March, 2014, and there has been almost no coverage of it!

Louis’ sin was not his famous  “Fuck you” to everybody in the House of Reps. This time he said “Thank you Mr Pedophile, oops I mean Mr Prime Minister.” The Belgian constitution protects him from being punished for any statement made on the floor, but perhaps he repeated it later.

Here’s a video that shows a man being brutally apprehended. Can’t be sure if it’s Louis, or a protester. It does seem quite worrying however, that the public did not kick up a fuss.

I’d Vote for Passionate Outbursts Any Day

I am 100% in favor of strong statements in the House of Reps, the Senate, the local council meeting, or any place in which persons we have entrusted with our lives are attempting to justify their decisions. Polite talk is nice but there are greater values at stake. Even slander has to be allowed during parliamentary debate.

What is the legal position? In 1689, when William and Mary were recuperating from the Glorious Revolution, the English Bill of Rights proclaimed: “Freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of parliament.”

That idea was incorporated into the Constitution of the US in 1787. In Australia, the Constitution of 1901 allowed parliament to enact legislation about this, which it didn’t get around to doing until 1987 with the Parliamentary Privilege Act.  Belgium also has, on its books, parliamentary privilege. Louis was fined 50,000 euros and given a suspended prison sentence.

Anyway, it was obvious that there would be action against him as he had been speaking the truth about invasive wars, and strongly condemning the fakery and political crime that virtually characterize our era.  No doubt he will be harassed in such a way that he will lose the next election, and that will “solve the Louis Laurent problem.”

This was done to Cynthia McKinney in the US Congress. She did not know how to be polite. She called a member of the Executive to task!  (Donald Rumsfeld). Then, out she went. Oops, I just checked Wikipedia.  Louis has indeed departed parliament.

Mr Fujita in Parliament, and Japan’s ‘Peace’ Value

Do you recall the case of a parliamentarian in Japan, Yukihisa Fujita?  In 2008 he said — without invective, expletive, or any other breach of etiquette, though massive breach of in-government loyalty perhaps:

“I would like to ask about the suspicious information being uncovered and the doubts people worldwide are having about the events of 9-11. [Please] look at this panel. This is concrete evidence in the form of photographs… The first photograph [shows the size of the plane] that hit the Pentagon. It had a width of 38 meters. So as you can see even though such a large plane hit the Pentagon there is only a hole that is too small for the airplane.”

His speech was broadcast nationally in Japan on NHK-TV. Japan has had a strong tradition since 1945 of not taking part in war. So Mr Fujita was at least able to find a context in which to express his disapproval of the US’s invasion of Afghanistan.

Consider how lacking we are now in the ability to state such a value!  If a European like Laurent, or an Australian like… um… can’t think of one, were to say “We shouldn’t be killing people,” that speaker is immediately suspect. He or she is considered a fool, a crazy, or downright lacking in loyalty.

This is why Laurent Louis is my man. He is my man because he puts forth rather normal values! He talks sense. He hates spin.

Anger Has Its Place

The original Laurent Louis  “fuck you” tape is as follows:

How can one express one’s anger and frustration with the terrible set-up in which we now find ourselves?  The actual phrase Louis used was “J’emmerde So-and-So”, meaning, more or less “I spread excrement on so-and-so.” Like “Fuck you” in English it is a way of assaulting someone verbally.

Shakespeare might have said “Fie on So-and-So.” Aussies would say “You bastard! Scumbag!” It doesn’t matter what word is used. The point is to condemn what is being done. Laurent Louis is saying “The wars are not being fought in self defense; they are genocidal.”

I myself am trying to say this all the time. I am also saying that the natural disasters are fake-natural; they are high-tech genocide. Ditto for the epidemics.

Personally, it wouldn’t suit me to scream “Eff you.” Yet, by keeping anger out of the picture we miss out on a big advantage.  Humans evolved to have anger as a weapon against anyone causing harm. We’re supposed to lower the boom on them. They, in turn, have a shame mechanism in them to make them respond.

To hold back on anger is to frustrate the biological mechanism. Monsieur Louis was screaming about his legislature’s plan to aid a cruel war in Africa. Anything less than a roar would have been pathetic.

–– Mary W Maxwell invites you to see her video on “Anger Management” at her Youtube channel: Mary W Maxwell

Speech Transcript:

Thank you, Mr. President. Dear Ministers, dear colleagues.

Belgium is indeed the land of surrealism. This morning we learned in the media that the Belgian army is incapable of fighting some extremist soldiers having radical Islamist beliefs existing within its own ranks and who cannot be dismissed by legal of legal means. However, at the same time, we decide to help France in its war against “Terror” by providing logistical support for its operation in Mali.

What wouldn’t we do in order to fight against terrorism outside our borders? I just hope we took care not to send for this anti-terrorist operation in Mali, these much talked about Belgian Islamist soldiers! I seem to be joking, but what is going on in the world today does not make me laugh at all. It doesn’t make me laugh because without any doubt, the leaders of our Western countries are taking the people for imbeciles with the help and support of the Media which are nothing more today than an organ of propaganda of the ruling powers.

Around the world, military actions and regime’s destabilization are becoming more and more frequent. Preventive war has become the rule. And today, in the name of democracy and the fight against terrorism our states grant themselves the right to violate the sovereignty of independent countries and to overthrow legitimate leaders. There has been Iraq and Afghanistan, the wars of the American lie. Caoming later, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya where thanks to your decisions, our country has been “first in line” to participate in crimes against humanity, in each case to overthrow progressive and moderate regimes and to replace them by Islamist regimes, and – isn’t it weird? – their first will was to impose Sharia law. This is exactly what is currently happening in Syria where Belgium is shamefully funding the arming of the Islamist rebels who are trying to overthrow Bashar Al Assad.

Thus in the midst of economic crisis, as more and more Belgians can no longer house themselves, feed, heat and cure themselves – Yeah, I can hear what a filthy populist I am – Well, the Minister of Foreign Affairs decided to offer the Syrian rebels 9 million euros! Of course, they’ll try to make us believe that this money will be used for humanitarian purposes … one more lie! As you can see, for months, our country is only participating to put in place, Islamic regimes in North Africa and the Middle East. So, when they come and pretend to go to war in order to fight against terrorism in Mali, well… I feel like laughing. It’s false! Under the appearance of good actions, we only intervene to defend financial interests and to complete a neo-colonialist mindset.

It’s real nonsense to go to help France in Mali in the name of the fight against Islamic terrorism when at the same time, we support in Syria the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad by Islamist rebels who want to impose Sharia law, as was done in Tunisia and in Libya. It is about time to stop lying to us and treating people like imbeciles. The time has come to tell the truth. Arming the Islamist Rebels, as Westerners have in the past armed Bin Laden, that friend of the Americans before they turned against him, well, the western countries are taking the opportunity to place military bases in the newly conquered countries while favoring domestic companies.

Everything is therefore strategic. In Iraq, our American allies have put their hands on the country’s oil wealth. In Afghanistan, it was its opium and drugs – always useful when it comes to make lots of money pretty quickly. In Libya, in Tunisia, in Egypt or then again in Syria, the aim was and still is today to overthrow moderate powers, to replace them by Islamist powers who very quickly will become troublesome and that we will shamelessly attack, pretending once again to fight terrorism or protect Israel.

Thus the next targets are already known. Within a few months I bet that our eyes will turn to Algeria and eventually to Iran. To go to war, to free people from an outside aggressor is noble. But to go to war to defend the interests of the USA … To go to war to defend the interests of big corporations such as AREVA … To go to war to put our hands on gold mines, has nothing noble at all and it reveals our countries to be attackers and thugs!

No one dares to speak, but I will not shut up! And if my battle makes me look like an enemy of this system who flaunts Human Rights in the name of financial, geo-strategic and neo-colonialist interests, so be it! Flaunting and exposing this regime is a duty and makes me proud. And honestly, I apologize for my low class speech, but f*** you, all the so-called do-gooders, both left and right wingers or from the center who are today licking the boots of our corrupted powers and who will be pleased to ridicule me. F*** you all, leaders who are playing with your bombs as kids do in a playground! F*** you! – you who pretend to be democrats while you are nothing more than low class criminals. I don’t have much respect either for the journalists who have the audacity to label the opponents as mentally retarded while basically, they know very well that these opponents are right. Finally, I despise at the highest point those who believe they are the kings of the world and who are dictating their laws because I am on the side of the truth, the side of justice, the side of innocent victims of looting at all costs.

And it is for this reason that I have decided to clearly oppose this resolution. Since the beginning of the French operation, the lie has been organized. We are told that France is only answering the call for help of a Malian president. We almost forget that this president has no legitimacy and that he was put in place to ensure the transition following the coup of March 2012.

Who supported this coup d’état? Who started it? For whom is this president of transition actually working? This is the first lie! The French president, François Hollande dares to pretend to wage this war to fight against jijadists who threaten (Ohhh do you realize!) who threaten the French and European territory! But what an ugly lie! By taking the official argument, while taking the opportunity to frighten the population, increasing the terror alert level, implementing the Vigipirate plan our leaders and media are demonstrating an un-imaginable outrage! How dare they use such a point while France and Belgium have not hesitated to arm and support Jihadists in Libya and that these same countries continue to support these Jihadists in Syria. The pretext hides strategic and economic purposes.

Our countries are no longer fearing inconsistency because everything is done to hide it. But the inconsistency is well present. It is not tomorrow that you’ll see a Malian citizen commit an act of terrorism in Europe. No, unless we’ll suddenly create one so we an justify this military operation. Haven’t we created September 11th, after all, to justify the invasions, arbitrary arrest, torture and massacre of innocent populations? Thus, to create a Malian terrorist is no big deal!

Another pretext used these recent months to justify military operations is the protection of Human Rights AHHH! … This pretext is still used today to justify the war in Mali. But yes! We have to act, otherwise the evil Islamists will impose Sharia law in Mali, stoning women and cutting the thugs’ hands off. Oh! The intention is truly noble. Noble and salutary for sure. But then why is it, Good Lord, why is that our countries have contributed in Tunisia and Libya to the accession to power of Islamists who have decided to apply this Sharia Law in these countries which were still not so long ago, modern and progressive?

I invite you to ask the young Tunisians who have launched the revolution in Tunisia, if they are happy with their current situation? This is all hypocrisy. The purpose of this war in Mali is very clear. And since nobody will talk about it, I WILL. The purpose is to fight against China and allow our American ally to maintain its presence in Africa and the Middle East. This is what guides these new-colonialist operations. And you will see, when the military operation will be over, France will, of course, keep its military bases in Mali. These bases will be a benefit to the Americans as well. Western corporates will put their hands on juicy contracts that will once again deprive re-colonized countries of their wealth and raw materials.

So let’s be clear, the primary beneficiaries of this military operation will be the owners and shareholders of the French giant AREVA who has been trying for years to obtain a uranium mine in Falea, a town of 17,000 inhabitants located at 350 km from Bamako. And I don’t know why but my little finger is telling me that it won’t take long before AREVA will eventually exploit that mine. I don’t know, it’s an impression I have. It is therefore out of the question that I would take part in this colonialist mining – the colonialism of modern times. And for those who have doubt about my arguments, I sincerely invite them to learn about the wealth of Mali. Mali is a major producer of gold, but recently it has been designated, recently, eh … – as being a country that offers a world class environment for the exploitation of uranium. How strange! One step closer to a war against Iran, it is obvious.

For all these reasons and in order to not fall into the traps of lies they are telling us, I’ve decided not to give my support to that intervention in Mali. Therefore, I will vote against it. And by doing so, I’m being consistent since I never supported in the past our criminal interventions in Libya or in Syria, and so being the only MP in this country to defend the non-interference and the fight against obscure interests. I really think it is about time to put an end to our participation in the UN or NATO and get out of the EU if Europe instead of providing peace becomes a weapon of attack and destabilization of sovereign countries, submissive to financial rather than human interests.

Finally, I can only urge our government to remind President Hollande the obligations resulting from the Geneva Conventions regarding the respect of all prisoners of war. Indeed, I was shocked to hear on television from the mouth of the French President that his intention was to “destroy” – I say “destroy” – Islamist terrorists. So, I do not want the qualification to be used to name the opponents to the Malian regime – it is always convenient today to talk about Islamic terrorists – to be used to circumvent the obligations of any democratic state in terms of respecting the rights of prisoners of war. We expect such respect from the Fatherland of Human Rights.

In conclusion, let me emphasize how lightly we decide to go to war. First, the government acts without any consent from the Parliament. It appears as though it has the right to do so. It sends equipment, men to Mali. The Parliament subsequently reacts and when it responds, as today, well, this institution [today] happens to be composed of only 1/3 of its members. Much less if we speak of the French speaking MPs. It is therefore a guilty lightness which does not really surprise me, coming from a Parliament of Puppies, submitted to the dictates of political parties. Thank you.