V for Vendetta :

V for Vendetta : “you may call me V.”

Cette année, avec mes classes de Premières, je me suis amusé avec le film V for Vendetta – réalisé par les frères Wachowski et inspiré des personnages créés par Alan Moore et David Lloyd – pour illustrer la notion Seats and Forms of Power.

Nous avons abordé la notion sous l’angle pouvoirs/contre-pouvoirs et on s’est demandé comment le peuple pouvait se rebeller contre un ordre établi qui pourrait s’avérer despotique totalitaire et dictatorial.

J’aime bien cette notion, c’est pour moi la seule qui permet réellement d’entendre l’opinion personnelle des élèves et un semblant de réflexion sur les libertés individuelles et ce qu’est vraiment la démocratie.

Elle permet de se projeter et d’analyser notre société un peu plus sérieusement, de se poser des questions et d’exercer un peu de sens critique.

Et cela permet aussi de travailler sur la langue et les figures de style, comme cette magnifique introduction de V à base d’allitérations en “v”, d’accumulation et de gradation:

Et dans un registre soutenu en plus. Un vrai régal pour qui aime les lettres.

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Fink - This Is The Thing photo

Fink – This Is The Thing

En ce jour un peu spécial étant donné les évènements de ces derniers jours en France, voici Fink interprétant This Is The Thing :

I don’t know if you notice anything different.
It’s getting dark and it’s getting cold and the nights are getting long
And I don’t know if you even notice at all
That I’m long gone

And the things that keep us apart
Keep me alive
And the things that keep me alive
Keep me alone
This is the thing

I don’t know if you notice anything missing
Like the leaves on the trees or my clothes all over the floor
And I don’t know if you even notice at all
‘Cause I was real quiet when I closed the door

And the things that keep us apart
Keep me alive
And the things that keep me alive
Keep me alone
This is the thing

And I don’t know if you notice anything different
I don’t know if you even notice at all

This is the thing

Les ministères de l’Education Nationale et de l’Enseignement Supérieur scrutent le buzz et assurent une «veille de l’opinion»

Les ministères de l’Education nationale et de l’Enseignement supérieur viennent de lancer un appel d’offres pour assurer une «veille de l’opinion».

En d’autres termes, suivre tout ce qui se dit et s’écrit dans les médias sur les sujets les concernant. Le premier y consacre un budget de 100 000 euros, le second de 120 000 euros.

A l’origine, ce dispositif a été lancé sous l’ère Gilles de Robien alors qu’il n’y avait qu’un seul ministère. Il a été poursuivi par Xavier Darcos (nommé en mai 2007) et par Valérie Pécresse, qui récupère alors l’Enseignement supérieur. L’an dernier, le budget consacré à cette «veille» était déjà de 220 000 euros.

Certains craignent que le ministre cherche à identifier les courants de pensée qui agitent les salles des professeurs afin d’anticiper des mouvements de grogne.

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The Glorious Revolution of 1688

The Glorious Revolution of 1688

  1. The Reformation in the British Isles
  2. English Expansionism
  3. The Glorious Revolution of 1688
  4. The American colonies : Religion and Politics
  5. USA: Birth of a Nation

Introduction

Civic liberties and parliamentary institutions represent one of the major cultural legacies England left to the civilization of the world.

The first document protecting individual liberty and the prototype of the modern Parliament appeared in England as early as the 13th century. However, effective protection against arbitrary power and the first parliamentary regime emerged much later in the 17th.

However, the modern notion of democracy, which implies full political citizenship for everyone (no one deprived of the right to vote) took a much longer time to take route in Britain than elsewhere in the world.

The pioneer of Parliamentarism took the slow road to universal suffrage. As the American claim for independence and liberty showed in the late 19th century, English liberty celebrated by the most famous philosophers (Voltaire and Montesquieu) was more a myth than a reality.

Origins of Parliament and Civil Liberties

In Britain, there is no written constitution to protect civil liberties and define the rules of the political game. Yet, several traditions, constitutional agreements and political conventions exist and constitute the pillars of the regime.

One of those documents is the Magna Carta (Great Charter) granted by King John in 1215 under the pressure of his aristocracy and clergy. This document excluded very early in English history the practice of political absolutism and excessive use of the royal prerogative).

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The Boss : “there has to be some civility in the world”

For crying out loud !

Internal Affairs Agent : Hang on ! (zooms in with binoculars)
This is one screwed-up crew…

Special Agent Derrick Vann (Samuel L. Jackson) : Alright… just so that there’s no confusion, here’s the deal : you’re in my world now not yours and in my world your responsibilities begin and end with me.

Andy Fidler (Eugene Levy): And what would these responsibilities be ?

Special Agent Derrick Vann : Well these guys think you want to badgun from them. I need you to meet them one more time and set up a bass so I can bust their ass.

Andy Fidler : Okay, I… I.. I’m developing a slight phobia about meeting these guys. The whole meeting thing, quite franky, is getting irritating – I have to be honest.

Look, I’ve done everything you’ve asked me to do. Why can’t I go ? Why does any of this have to do with me ???

Special Agent Derrick Vann : Because everytime these guys meet somebody new, they look out for the man. And you, most certainly do not look like the man.

Andy Fidler : Oooh I don’t look like the man… well thank you because that clears up… absolutely nothing ! Who… who’s the man ?

Special Agent Derrick Vann : The he, the pig, the poh-poh, 5-0, the undercover agent that’s gonna bust their ass ! You’re such a white ray son of a bitch these assholes trust you !

Andy Fidler : Well, you know, people do trust me.

Special Agent Derrick Vann : That’s not a compliment shit-stained !

Andy Fidler : Okay, you know what ? Why do you swear so much ? Do you think it makes you sound tougher ? When you just swear all the time ?

Special Agent Derrick Vann : Fuck you.

Andy Fidler : Okay that’s good. That’s really good. Really quality.

You know I could go around all day saying “f*** you”, “f*** this” and “f*** that” and “f***ing this, you motherf****r” but I don’t because there has to be some civility in the world.

So really there’s a trick you can use to curb that habit : everytime you feel like saying the f word just go ahead and say it and then add “crying out loud” :
“Fuck crying out loud”.
“Fock crying out loud”.
“Fock crying out loud”.
And before you know it, you’re saying “ooooh, for crying out loud”.

The Man