I am still thinking about what's happening in France, which seems more consequential than the kabuki in DC. I have never been to France, but based on what I know,
this piece rings true:
Many still understand France through the lens of Vogue magazine covers: a nation of affluent, happy people who live in elegant homes, with endless holidays, wine and food.
A 24/7 utopia of chic, elegance and style.
Important to note: that France does exist. It is the world of the French ruling class, less than 1% of the population.
This small group of citizens have dominated the business, banking, legal and political scenes for decades.
So how does the ruling class perpetuate itself?
The ruling class comes from a small group of grandes ecoles, or elite colleges. There are only 3 or 4. The top of the top? L’Ecole d’Administration Nationale (ENA).
Emmanuel Macron’s journey is typical of the ruling class. He completed a Master's of Public Affairs at Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (called "Sciences Po"), the #2 elite college, before graduating from ENA in 2004, age 27. He then worked as a senior civil servant at the Inspectorate General of Finances (The Treasury), before getting a high paid gig ad an investment banker at Rothschild & Cie Banque.
See how fast Macron worked his way into the senior civil servant position in the Treasury, before flipping into an exclusive investment bank? That is normal in France. It's a never-ending protected cycle of patronage, promotion, favors and cronyism.
A technocratic Ivy League. There's more:
The French elites are young men and women who have been told that they are not just the intellectual creme de la creme, but morally superior. Better human beings than their inferiors.
These people are arrogant. But they are also ignorant. Raised in very wealthy families and cosseted in the networks those families are part of, they have no understanding of ordinary people and their real lives.
Arrogance and ignorance is a very toxic mix. Macron’s tone-deaf appeal to climate change to justify the rise in diesel taxes, as well as his outrageous suggestion that ordinary French folk must drive less, is a classic example of the problem.
Does this sound familiar to you? I'm certain it does. Read the whole thing.
7 comments:
We might be glad that our elite schools graduate a much larger number of people who might have somewhat broader experiences.....and it strikes me as well that "parachuting" is alive and well here in the U.S., too.
I do hope, along these lines, that one good thing to come out of Trump's Presidency is that the GOP would finally learn how to talk to blue collar workers. I'm reminded of learning that very often, the answers companies and organizations need can be found around the water cooler and at the smoke shack.
the wisest President of my lifetime graduated from some podunk collage in IL... we need more of that, and a lot less Harvard grads.
short: we have become Europe. where a ruling class rules us. This is not the vision of our founders. it will not end well, and it will end.
They sound like the marxist/atheist people that I know. They've never known true struggle. They're either unaware of or unable to relate to a more common man. I remember when they were all talking about how 2016 was the worst year of their lives. I mentioned how 2017 wasn't going to be any better, 2015 wasn't so grand, and that for most of us 2016 is every year. They didn't understand then and I doubt that they ever will do so.
They didn't understand then and I doubt that they ever will do so.
Still they look to find a reason to believe.
Is something happening in France? I don't see anything in my newspaper.
I sometimes toy with the idea of a compulsory 2-year Reality Check requirement for all citizens at age 18. That is, as in some countries, you put in two years with the military before college, or in my twist, 2 years of living on a minimum wage job with no cushy "internships", parental support and only two visits home to Mummy and Daddy per year. Severe fines and/or sanctions for helicopter parents, including being sentenced to the same conditions as the child.
I'm not so sure that the military needs that many fops cycling through, but ultimately everyone should have some real world experience in living on a budget or being in service to others, before they go on to college and their bright careers. I wonder how that might affect the culture on campus and in Congress when it comes time to set policies or start wars.
RA, a friend of mine--USMA class of 1985--dealt with German conscripts when he was serving as a speed bump for the Soviets in the Fulda Gap. Suffice it to say that the capability of the Bundeswehr was one of his chief concerns while over there.
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