EDITO 010 / 3 May 2011

In the middle of the night of May 1st, a crowd converges on Time Square, in front of the gates of the White House. It was 2am and there were scenes of popular jubilation, of joy, of "celebrating" the death of a man, a terrorist, Bin Laden.

"USA! USA!" chants the crowd. It is not a question of celebrating the victory at the end of a world sports competition, but another victory, some would say a revenge, which is also the achievement of a fixed objective, a deliverance, which comes from the death, some would say the execution, of a man who himself ordered the death, the execution certainly, of so many others.

We may know the natural patriotic fervour of the American people, but we are always quite overwhelmed, challenged, and deep down, we are also quite admiring of this capacity of America to gather and celebrate its star-spangled banner. Who, travelling in the United States, venturing into the heart of deepest America, has not been struck by the multitude of houses proudly displaying the national flag on their frontage? Like Neil Armstrong on the moon, the American people love to fly and claim their flag. What other nation is so good? Justice has not been done, but it has been done.

Combine this natural ability to stand together behind the colours, with the considerable and quite unique scale of the trauma experienced during the attacks of 11 September 2001 (we must remember this) and with the ever-present culture of the expeditious and vengeful justice of the cowboys of the Far West, and you effectively obtain these demonstrations of popular jubilation. Spontaneous rallies and "slogans", therefore sincere and authentic, even if they may challenge and heckle the more normalized and acceptable conception we might have of the exercise of Justice by the greatest democracy in the world. Justice has not been done, but it has been done.

A pride of belonging that is all the more impressive because it is expressed in relation to a country that is 'hard' on its citizens, whose social protection system remains weak and highly unequal, and which advocates a liberalism that one might think cultivates individualism and egoism. A beloved nation which is itself without doubt the largest melting pot in the world, and therefore the most diverse and motley at a time when we are convinced that integrating the other and difference leads to a loss of reference points and culture. A young nation, very young compared to our centuries of history which could constitute the basis and the condition of a strong common identity. A nation that is developed and rich (albeit very unevenly), but which does not become gentrified, which cultivates this strong competitive spirit and this inexhaustible pioneering spirit.

America's religion is America. Unity on a foundation of diversity.