In June 1940, the German invasion of France left the country and its political structure split in two. The country was divided into a German region, encompassing the North, West, Paris and the Atlantic coastline, and a French region with an administrative centre in the spa resort of Vichy. The political structure came to consist of those who felt it was better to fight on, albeit in exile (the "Free French") and those who made the more expedient decision to retain some fragile level of power and personal security by staying on under German occupation (the Vichy Government). Presumably they calculated that, even with a ruthless military occupying force, it was better to share the tent and pee out than to risk standing outside the tent peeing in.
I found one of those silicon 'charity bracelets'in the bathroom today. It had come as a freebie with some cosmetic products, obviously seeking to advertise on the back of the 'coloured bracelet' phenomenon.
On it, the embossed words read "Vichy - Protect Your Skin". "Plus ça change"...
![[RSS Newsfeed]](/themes/sotto/images/valid-rss.png)
![[This is a Roller site]](/themes/sotto/images/roller-logo.gif){kind=logo}