Opulence
One factor that motivated the French
to surrender Paris to the Nazi war machine
rather than fight for every inch of ground
was the desire to preserve the architecture
the art
the monuments
the opulence--
They didn't want to see their history
churches, museums, palaces, etcetera
demolished by bombs, artillery, and tanks--
Better to surrender their monuments
of victory and liberty to the fascists
and as a result they saw Nazi soldiers
smirking as they marched under the Arc de Triumphe.
Sartre was right in his comment
that surrendering these objects to fascists
robbed them of their worth
and made them meaningless.
Try to remember when you're living under fascists
not to cry too much at the destruction of property
belonging to the oppressor class.
A broken window means nothing
compared to
enforced poverty
and a boot on your throat.
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