Le Monde: Jerome a Las Vegas

by afew
Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 11:54:12 AM EST

Just out in Le Monde: a portrait of Jerome a Paris, the man from Polytechnique who went to the YearlyKos convention in Las Vegas:

Jérôme Guillet, un X d'influence
LE MONDE | 19.06.06

©

Jérôme Guillet, an influential X

(An "X" is an alumnus of the "X", France's Ecole Polytechnique).

Below the fold for more :

Promoted by Colman


The portrait, by Corinne Lesnes, concentrates on Jérôme's contribution to the YKos convention through the Energize America project, constructed online in collaboration with a group of Kossacks interested in energy policy.

L'enchaînement s'est fait spontanément, comme souvent dans la blogosphère. Jérôme a commencé par écrire sur son sujet de prédilection, après avoir remarqué à quel point les commentateurs politiques sont "ignorants sur tout ce qui touche à l'énergie". C'était en 2002. Les blogueurs accusaient les Etats-Unis d'intervenir en Afghanistan pour contrôler le pipeline Turkménistan-Pakistan, un projet qui "ne se fera jamais", balaye-t-il. "Je me suis mis à lancer des idées, les lecteurs ont fait le tri, j'ai fait une deuxième version. On découvre le pouvoir du site en l'utilisant."

Things came together spontaneously, as they often do in the blogosphere. Jérôme began to write on his favourite subject, having noticed to what extent political commentators are "ignorant about everything that ahs to do with energy". That was in 2002. Bloggers were accusing the US of going into Afghanistan in order to control the Turkmenistan-Pakistan pipeline, a project which "will never happen", he says, sweeping it aside. "I started throwing out ideas, the readers sorted through them, I wrote a second version. You discover the power of the site [Daily Kos] by using it."

(If you suspect a heavy-handed editor shortened the article between the pipeline and the beginnings of Energize America, you might be right...)

The article goes on to discuss the principal stumbling-blocks, in terms of opinion, the Energize America plan came up against on DKos: the gasoline tax, and nuclear energy, and the compromise patches that were found. And finds the process successful:

Jérôme Guillet a présenté le plan énergie de "Daily Kos", vendredi 9 juin à Las Vegas, lors d'une table ronde avec Bill Richardson, le gouverneur du Nouveau Mexique, ancien secrétaire à l'énergie de Bill Clinton. "Je suis enchanté d'être ici", a plaisanté l'Américain dans un français parfait.

Jérôme Guillet presented the DKos energy plan, on Friday 9th June in Las Vegas, in a panel with Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, Bill Clinton's former Energy Secretary. "Je suis enchanté d'être ici," joked the American in perfect French.

Personne n'a l'air de s'étonner qu'un Français participe à l'élaboration d'un programme qui entend influencer le Parti démocrate américain. "C'est le bon côté de la technologie : elle permet de faire tomber les barrières nationales, explique Marcos Moulitsas, 34 ans, dit "Kos", le fondateur du site auquel il a donné son nom.

No one seemed astonished that a Frenchman should participate in building a programme that sets out to influence the American Democratic Party. "It's the good side of technology : it lets you bring down national barriers," explains Marcos Moulitsas , 34, called "Kos", founder of the site he gave his name to.

Yeah, well all this is fine and serious, say you, but what we want is gossip. People talk. Celeb stuff. How 'bout this?

Dans les couloirs de la conférence à Las Vegas, Jérôme a ses fans qui se font photographier à ses côtés, comme "NycEve", alias Eve Gittelson, de New York.  

In the hallways of the conference in Las Vegas, Jérôme has his fans who have their picture taken with him, like NycEve, aka Eve Gittelson, of New York [Hi nyceve!!!]

Avec son allure bon enfant et son visage carré, le polytechnicien a un côté Al Gore.

With his nice-boy look and his square features, the Polytechnician has a hint of the Al Gore about him.

(I somehow doubt Jérôme was expecting that one... But Eurotribbers have the right to know, imo...)

And European Tribune in all this? Disappointingly, Le Monde does not publish as much as the name of this excellent blog, let alone supply a link.

Outre sa contribution à "Daily Kos", il a monté un site européen pour répondre aux médias anglo-saxons, où s'exerce d'après lui "une vraie démonisation" de la France, "le pays qui défend encore le rôle de l'Etat".

Beyond his contribution to DKos, he got up a European site to respond to Anglo-Saxon media, which practise, according to him, "a real demonisation" of France, "the country that still defends the role of the State."

Would have been nice to see European Tribune mentioned. What's up, Le Monde? Afraid of competition?

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Promoted this one to spare Jérôme's blushes...
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 11:55:17 AM EST
Here's what the page looks like in the paper:

click for bigger version

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 12:00:06 PM EST
You'll need a disguise now.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 12:02:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I could not wait to post my own version of the article, despite asking him to be on the lookout for the article and write something about it.

I've been alternating between being overexcited and very nervous in recent days, after learning that the portrait would indeed be published and that the fateful day would be today...

Now that it's out and that I certainly cannot complain about what's written, I'll relax a bit - although I suspect this is just the beginning...

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 12:21:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You should smile more next time. :)

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire
by p------- on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 12:23:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I've always had trouble smiling for pictures, sadly.
This one's not too bad by my usual standards!

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 12:36:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
No problemo, Jeromo :-) But I don't subscribe to the Le Monde mailing list, and the 20/06/06 paper edition is not on sale here (or delivered to subscribers) until tomorrow. So I saw the article when it was put up on their site.

By and large, it's not a bad article. Pity ET isn't credited. But, you know, they'll willingly get juice out of DKos because it's big, while not wishing to appear to be serving up the soup to a small outfit like ET.

Between YKos and this, you should be feeling nervous. A break by the sea? A mountain-top? The desert? Or ask Fran for some Yoga tips...

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 12:33:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
C'est un homme tres serieux (boy, is my French rusty or what?).

Well-earned and long overdue.

"...psychopaths have little difficulty infiltrating the domains of...politics, law enforcement, (and) government." Dr. Robert Hare

by RubDMC (rubdmc at yahoodotcom) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 12:51:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
the Polytechnician has a hint of the Al Gore about him.

I would agree, actually.  (BTW, did anyone ever get the EA plan to Gore?)

Too bad about the omission of ET, but people looking for him will find it soon enough, I imagine.

Congratulations, Jerome.  Well deserved recognition.

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire

by p------- on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 12:01:42 PM EST
...you will only have 15 minutes of fame in the old media, but some of us will be your fans forever.
by Meteor Blades (Meteor Blades) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 02:02:25 PM EST
The public exposure is nice, but it's individual words of encouragement or support from friends that matter the most, and I was and am glad, and proud, to count you among these.

(That's what made YearlyKos so special, and I was really sorry that you could not make it: the ability to finally meet real, close friends for the first time after all these months of corresponding on websites or by email, to put a face on familiar personalities, and that very unexpected feeling of familiarity - intimacy, almost, sometimes - with apparent strangers.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 02:25:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Thanks, afew!  Love the title!  And congratulations, Jerome!!  Great article and a good picture even if it's not the cheeriest pose.  Then again, you're wearing long sleeves in Vegas?  Still, a serious pose for serious matters -- it's great!

I'll be on my best behavior for any Le Monde readers who show up. :-)

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 02:47:10 PM EST
with 3 zzz?
by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 03:02:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Oh, no.  Here among friends, I'm free of the burden of my extra z.

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes
by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 03:53:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
But Sarkozy has got two pages in the same issue... Encore un effort !

"Ce qui vient au monde pour ne rien troubler ne mérite ni égards ni patience." René Char
by Melanchthon on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 05:04:49 PM EST
Not Sarkozy. Sarkozy and his entourage.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Mon Jun 19th, 2006 at 05:46:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Wonderful! Keep up the good work!

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
by Starvid (arvid.hallen at gmail.com) on Tue Jun 20th, 2006 at 02:49:47 AM EST


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