Introduction
Over the past forty years I have read several books about the Dreyfus Affair. Over time, my focus has shifted from the personal tragedy of Alfred Dreyfus, unjustly convicted and brutally treated, to the socio-political environment of France. In essence, only in a fractured society such as France could its citizens retain such polarized opinions. That is, the Dreyfus Case was front-page news in France for at least a decade. It split the country from 1894 to the fall of the Vichy government in 1944.
In brief, almost everyone in France viewed events and promoted people solely from their personal perspective and prejudice. On one side, was the Catholic Church, the military, the aristocrats, the monarchists, and the Upper Class. Opposing this group was the Republicans, free thinkers, Protestants, Jews, secularists and members of the middle and lower classes. Such vehement antagonism between the conflicting groups undermined moderation, leading to distorted analysis on major personalities and events.
On a personal basis, I was very sick three years ago, when I wrote most of this article. Since then, I have fully recovered and am enjoying excellent health. Sadly, our country has deteriorated badly in the intervening three years. Currently, we are witnessing violent demonstrations in hundreds of American cities. While the genesis of the protests stemmed from the wanton killing of an African-American by a policeman in Minneapolis, many of the protestors are motivated by racial injustice, income inequality, impact of Covid-19, unemployment, desire for justice, and intense political divide. Passions are so high that civil discourse has been lost. Moreover, troublemakers have interceded into peaceful demonstrations, causing widespread looting, arson, and physical assaults on the police and innocent bystanders.
While one can reasonably expect the demonstrations to decline, the schism in America will harden. Almost everyone in public life will continue to be judged through the lens of their political affiliation.
My worry is that unless America reduces its polarization, we will decline as a great power just as France declined. As Abraham Lincoln said: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Sadly, our news is distorted. Depending upon the station, one gets a biased analysis. Learning the truth is impossible. Our minds are filled with alternative facts.
The news is filled with speakers who argue that “America was born with original sin”, that minorities have made no progress in recent years, that the life of a Black or Hispanic is not valued, that income inequality has undermined our capitalism. Because of political correctness, television commentators cannot correct these distortions. That is, America was the first democratic country, enjoyed the first constitution, enacted a far-reaching Bill of Rights, and provided widespread emancipation. While racism has been pervasive, so has tolerance. Millions of soldiers served and over 300,000 Americans died for abolition. To dismiss civil right advances since 1964 as window dressing is incorrect. Any photo of the period before 1964 will highlight the monopoly of power enjoyed by white males.
Over time, our Supreme Court has corrected many of their legal mistakes such as Plessey vs. Ferguson. Freedom of speech has much more teeth today than in the past. We have enacted significant welfare legislation. To dismiss these efforts is counterproductive.
7/25/17
Dreyfus Affair
Previous Introduction
Since I was a teenager, the Dreyfus Affair has fascinated me. This political scandal divided The French Republic from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. One side represented the forces of the Ancien Regime –the monarchists, aristocracy, the Catholic Church and the military. This group viewed Captain Alfred Dreyfus as a traitor deserving horrific punishment. On the other side, the proponents of the Republic, the middle class, liberals, intellectuals, free masons, Protestants, and Jews ultimately became Dreyfusards—demanding full exoneration for Captain Alfred Dreyfus of Alsatian, Jewish descent.
I have thought about great trials in history–Socrates, Jesus, Sir Thomas Moore, Dred Scott, and Alfred Dreyfus. Interestingly enough, although in many cases the accused were sentenced to death, their cause took on world-changing dimensions.
Theodore Herzl, an assimilated Austrian Jew, was so incensed by shouts “Kill the Jew” that he dedicated his life to breathing life into the Zionist movement. His efforts led to the establishment of a Jewish State in 1948.
Historic Background
It must be recognized that the seeds of injustice started with the polarization of France following the French Revolution in 1789 and ended with humiliation of the Vichy Government in 1944. Similar to the polarization that we now witness in America, hard feelings on both sides led to no quarter being given by the side that temporarily held the upper hand. That is, key government appointments, teaching positions, favorable business opportunities, etc. were only extended to your allies. Alternatively, facts were embellished, and alternative facts were created to support one’s positions.
Captain Alfred Dreyfus was a complex person. On the one hand he was an ultra-patriot, very honest, and had incredible tenacity. For four years he withstood horrific treatment on Devil’s Island. He was kept in isolation and chained to his bed. For only one hour a day could he exercise. Despite this, he maintained constantly his innocence.
On the other hand, he was very limited. He was arrogant, had an aggravating voice tone, and never understood that his cause went far beyond the innocence or guilt of himself. In the fashion of the times, he had many mistresses.
Why is partisan politics so destructive?
My reason for concern about our political system’s lack of flexibility and compromise is that as a divided nation France failed to keep up with its leading rivals—Great Britain, Germany, and the United States. France fell from the leading industrial country in Europe to a secondary status.
The scandal began in December 1894 with the treason conviction of Captain Alfred Dreyfus. In order to gain a conviction, army intelligence fabricated information and undermined legal precedent. Specifically, they provided the 7 justices false information that was withheld from the defense. Over time, this miscarriage of justice became a focal point of intense debate among leading European Nations and the United States. The newspapers of these countries decried the failure of the French authorities to operate within legal ethical bounds.
Ironically, Theodore Herzl, heretofore a non-observant Jew, recognized that Jews could never achieve parity with their Christian counterparts. His solution was to found a pragmatic Zionist movement which eventually led to the creation of the State of Israel. During that era, anti-Semitism was rampant. The stereotype was Jews were money driven, disloyal, and financially abusive, liars, etc. Stated differently, despite the fact that many French Jews had lived in France since the Roman Era, gentiles view Jews almost as gypsies, denying that Jews could be patriotic. I find it pathetic that people can make a generalized comment about all Jews. It is silly. One would never make a generic comment about Catholics, Blacks, Episcopalians, etc. To make a comment that all people of a certain group have a uniform belief system shows ignorance.
Over time, the abuse employed by the army to convict Dreyfus was demonstrated. That said, most of the officer class of the army held fast to alternative facts. The army viewed themselves as the repository of all that was great in France. Jews were not welcome because in the view of the army leadership Jews represented competitive philosophy. While temporarily the anti-Dreyfusards were defeated when Dreyfus was exonerated, this group formed the core of the Vichy Government during World War II.
What should we learn from the Dreyfus Affair?
While we think we have a monopoly on truth, in fact our ideas represent a subset. Stated differently, there are many people who have opposite beliefs. Rather that just decrying our differences, we should work hard with all groups to solve America’s problems.
