I am an idiot for writing this post. I write nothing for months, and there are several hundred political issues more important and more pressing and a similar number of literary topics that are more interesting and I'm writing about Manuel Valls, the Minister of the Interior here in France banning a comedy show.

Dieudonné M'bala M'bala (Dieudo to his fans, of whom I am not one) is, in my considered opinion, based on a number of minutes watching him on Youtube, an idiot, an antisemite, a conspiracy theorist, and less funny than Chubby Brown. I've had many bitter personal arguments about his views and those of some of his friends- alcohol fuelled table and door slamming arguments. If you tell me the man is a pig I will not contradict you.

It had not occured to me that these were reasons for denying him the right to speak. I did not know this meant he wasn't to be allowed to earn his living. Not here, not in France, which, particularly in the last few years, has been much more protective of free speech and plurality of opinion than USA and UK.

This afternoon a court in Nantes, where Dieudonné's show was to take place, allowed it. Within two hours the Conseil d'Etat (the highest court in these matters) in Paris- some 250 miles away- had banned it, without giving Dieudonné's lawyer a chance to plead his case. Clearly the courts can work fast for you, if you're the Minister of the Interior.

What is particularly sickening is to watch Valls appearing en boucle on the news channels claiming this is a victory for the Republic and its values, especially 'la fraternité'. In case anyone has forgotten Valls's real opinion of fraternity the clip below will remind them.

So congrats Manuel- you forced me into defending the egregious Dieudonné when both you and I have much better things to do. You should have kept your big fat gob shut. If you'd let Diedonné open his we could have judged him for ourselves. Now we have to support him. You're as big a pig and as big an idiot as he is.