How France clings to empire.
The Times reports on how the French have held onto pieces of their empire:
Napoleon described the outre-mer slightingly as â??this confetti of Empireâ?, but France is determined to hang onto its imperial remnants in a quasi-Napoleonic manner which far outstrips the post-colonial politics of other western nations. If you live in the outre-mer, you are French to your core, no matter what your skin colour, your maternal language, religion or background. You carry a French passport and, in theory, the French state will support you......This is how life goes on in one of the Départements et Territoires Outre-Mer, or Dom-Toms. The Dom-Toms are distant, isolated, extremely expensive and produce virtually nothing of any use. Their only role is to promote the continuing glory of the French Republic.
Evidently even post-colonial, vanity empires are a boondoggle.
(AP Photos)
