Steve Bannon has jumped over to France over this weekend, to participate in the National Front’s big hullaboballo convention, just — I suppose — as Marine Le Pen made her appearance at America’s CPAC conference — to some embarrassment amongst some conservatives.\u00c2\u00a0 Except, Steve Bannon wouldn’t have made an appearance at CPAC — what with his break from the Trump Administration…<\/p>\n
… though, correct me if I’m wrong.<\/p>\n
The big news at the National Front conference is the decision — or plan — to scrap the name National Front.\u00c2\u00a0 And what do we have now instead of the boot-strapping sounding “National Front” name?<\/p>\n
The National Rally!<\/p>\n
Le Pen proposed on Sunday the party should rename itself \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rassemblement National,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d which translates to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153National Rally.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Almost immediately after the big reveal, French media and experts on far-right groups noted the similarity to a party founded in 1941 to work with with the Nazis \u00e2\u20ac\u2022\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rassemblement National Populaire.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em><\/p>\n Eh.\u00c2\u00a0 The lack of “Popularire” makes all the difference.\u00c2\u00a0 (Is that the “National Popular Rally in English?)<\/p>\n Another issue with \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rassemblement National\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is that a smaller French right-wing party already has that name, and its leaders\u00c2\u00a0accused Le Pen of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153astonishing amateurism\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0for trying to steal its banner.\u00c2\u00a0An official from the Rassemblement National trademarked the name in 2013 with The National Institute for Intellectual Property, according to HuffPost France.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Le Pen, in turn, claimed that the National Front will sue Rassemblement National for copying her party\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s red-and-blue flame logo in its materials. She tweeted Monday that the media should apologize for broadcasting Rassemblement National\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s statements, and called the allegations\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u009d#FakeNews.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em><\/p>\n Smaller parties don’t exist.\u00c2\u00a0 They can’t exist.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s a hybrid variant of America’s two party system and the general relationship with third parties — except in a multi party\u00c2\u00a0 run off system [although noted in the last couple elections, they are the second party] –\u00c2\u00a0 eventually you can’t claim to have a party.\u00c2\u00a0 Or maybe it’s how I saw this book for children entitled “Dog Man” (I believe written by the Captain Underpants writer) featuring the same cartoonish likeness for “Dog Man” as I had for Dog Man when I was a child — and probably a whole lot of other Dog Man child creators — maybe one of us should have copyrighted it, but then again — it’s a little too obvious.<\/p>\n