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It seems the post 'non' mood around Paree wasn't as gay as usual. So on Wednesday the new French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepinhead gave his subjects what we less sophisticated yanks like to call a pep talk. You can read his exhortation in it's entirety here if you're so inclined, but below I've excerpted his more salient points and then added my American translations.
"...the French people are expressing their suffering, their impatience, their anger." Only because the referendum gave them a platform to speak from, albeit ephemeral.
he wants to "get France going again" He's admitting it's mired in...elitism?
"Let us not interpret this vote as a sign of French isolation." What, you're just seeking a little quite seclusion to sip a nice Petite Sirah and nosh on a fragrant fromage/nut log?
"...globalization is not an ideal; it cannot be our destiny." I'm a little slow. Could you please explain to me again what the French definition of unionization is? I've got to get my hands on an unabridged (w/innuendos) French dictionary.
"...Europe is becoming divided, while France is slow to adapt." The other 24 countries are all over the European stage, not us. Besides haven't you heard, we're already world famous for our own follies, why should we have to get in step?
"...unemployment has reached an unacceptable level, over 10%" I'm afraid the 20% of young people who can't find work would consider that an unacceptable adjective to describe their plight.
"Of course we may be inspired, in a pragmatic way, by successful experiences in Europe or elsewhere, but we certainly won't call the basis of our social model into question." A lack of viable options may force us to adopt some of the more successful forms of British and American modus operandi. We'll just implement them in a way that no one would be able to prove they weren't our ideas to begin with.
"...requires putting on hold the lowering of income tax." Sounds like a very Democratic way to maintain palace finances while you figure out your next maneuver. (Not to be confused with laissez—faire politique.)
"It [France] will continue to pull the European adventure upwards." You'll keep pulling on something alright, but it ain't the European adventure, unless adventure is French for leg!
"...its peoples are demanding more humanity, more protection, greater job security, greater attention paid to environmental issues, a better defense of the values of respect and equal opportunities." Monsieur Villain, have you ever heard the one about appetencies turned equine and the almsmen they're forced to schlep? Cela vie!
Joe Crowley 6 8 05
