Indochine: Les Mensonges de L'anticolonialisme: Contre-Enquete

An effective study of history is often hindered by one's ability to read foreign languages. With this handicap it is often extremely difficult to get beyond the big picture "globalized" account of a specific series of events, with its concentration on simple chronologies. This is particularly the case when dealing with the often controversial topic of anticolonialism and its antithesis, colonialism. These significant topics are rarely studied with a scientific approach as there remain strong emotional reactions to the subject that can paralyze dispassionate judgment. In the context of this subject, the battles are more often ideological than properly historical. Anticolonialism is usually portrayed in a positive, generous perspective, open and liberating whereas any defense of colonialism is often overwhelmed by the perceived irredeemable sins of the past. In the special case of the history of French Indochina, the anticolonialist accepted wisdom presents distorted picture of the colonial story in the Far East. Against this position, the author does not try not to defend the detail of colonization-that has already been done in other works. Rather, he analyzes here, for the first time some of the misleading perceptions of anticolonialist ideology, even to extent of viewing the invention of the concept of "colonialism" as one that does not correspond to reality. He points out the omissions, the chronological inversions and selective exploitation of the events used by the anticolonialist supporters to advance their position. He shows that the anticolonialist position often fails to pass the test of many of the actual facts of the history of the period. A lawyer by profession, Paul Rignachas served with humanitarian associations that work in the countries of French ex-indochina. He has undertaken this controversial work to dismantle the mechanisms of anticolonialism and suggests that in this politically correct stance lie many of the contemporary problems of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. This book is his first work.Rignac, Paul is the author of 'Indochine: Les Mensonges de L'anticolonialisme: Contre-Enquete', published 2007 under ISBN 9782914086264 and ISBN 2914086261.