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France is not in decline and the last thing it needs is 'reform' | 103 comments (100 topical, 3 editorial, 0 hidden)
X (4.00 / 4)
There's a lot of criticism of the fact that I'm presented as a "polytechnicien" - if it had been up to me, this would never have been used, so these criticisms should really be aimed at Le Monde, who thought this was relevant. Banker is more logical.

I'd much rather have been presented as editor of ET. That said, I am a polytechnicien and certainly not ashamed of it. It is possible to be one and be able to take a critical look at the system that gives us such a privileged position, without wanting to completely destroy the system either.

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

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Tue Sep 11th, 2007 at 04:59:10 AM EST
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Re: X (4.00 / 4)
It's a mixed bag. It will make people pay attention to what you write (I'm sure it has influenced Le Monde to pay attention to you - remember their piece Jérôme Guillet Un X d'influence?), and being seen as an insider will both help add weight to your argument and open you to character assassination (both of which one can see in the comments).

Interesting that both in the personal profile and in this case they ignored the reference to European Tribune: in the first case they focused on your stature on Daily Kos, and in the second case they simply dropped it from the signature.

Oye, vatos, dees English sink todos mi ships, chinga sus madres, so escuche: el fleet es ahora refloated, OK? — The War Nerd

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Sep 11th, 2007 at 05:08:10 AM EST
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Re: X (4.00 / 3)
A sign of the times. Our president has constantly played with a poujadist anti-elite propaganda

This echoes me with the "gauche caviar" anathem or, in another domain "shameful jew"

The same people that take advantage of the system cannot stand that others that also do might want to make it better.

It is as if they were so knowingly profiting from the others that they cannot conceive that some others might want to do differently
A kind of unassumed shame

by HugoMe on Tue Sep 11th, 2007 at 07:39:57 PM EST
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Re: X (none / 1)
A number of the comments seem the be saying "France is in decline - our elites had the power - they are the cause of decline - the author is part of this (discredited) elite - thus he has no credibility and is wrong"

This is the kind of deeply ingrained thinking which is prevalent - because it has been encouraged and fed by tha dominant narrative - and which will take more than one article to move.

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

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Wed Sep 12th, 2007 at 03:58:00 AM EST
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Re: X (none / 1)
A number of the comments seem to be saying "finally a financier, and an X to boot, comes out and tells us we're being put down with propaganda! The clouds part! The sun shines!".

Oye, vatos, dees English sink todos mi ships, chinga sus madres, so escuche: el fleet es ahora refloated, OK? — The War Nerd
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Sep 12th, 2007 at 04:46:45 AM EST
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That too, of course (4.00 / 2)
I was just noting that a number of people did not seem to even have read the article, reacting only to the title (which, btw, was sadly cut in half and dropped the more relevant political point).

This simply shows how much work is needed is we want to have any chance of changing any minds.

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

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Wed Sep 12th, 2007 at 08:42:58 AM EST
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Re: X (none / 1)
Being slightly older than you are I have the feeling than there has been a evolution on this subject since the 80's: ENArques are still responsible, and X are just taking profit from their good situation.
Not a lot of X in politics in the last 15 years, and a lot in big CAC 40 management. Public opinion has grasped it, I think

However you're right that taking profit is destroying credibility in the public opinion eye

by HugoMe on Wed Sep 12th, 2007 at 06:52:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

France is not in decline and the last thing it needs is 'reform' | 103 comments (100 topical, 3 editorial, 0 hidden)
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