Shielding the Nation?

Is authoritarianism instead of democracy sometimes needed to “shield” the nation? So thought Marshal Philippe Petain, who, with widespread support, led France’s collaborationist Vichy regime during World War II.  Julian Jackson’s France on Trial masterfully and disturbingly examines Petain’s post-war treason trial. It exposes countless moral ambiguities about statecraft, political responsibility, legitimacy, and nationhood.