Like so many other national politicians Macron maces the classic mistake of thinking “Le Planet, c’est moi.” What matters is not what France or Germany or Canada or even the US does alone. What matters is what China and India do. And those two countries pledged as part of the Paris accord to INCREASE their CO2 emissions, not decrease them.
China alone will increase by more in the next 10 years than France could decrease if the entire country disappeared from the Earth. Planetary concerns require planetary, not local solutions. The local efforts are futile efforts at feeling good rather than doing good.
Nick Whitehouse
3 years ago
If he was really honest about going green, he would be building nuclear power plants, rather than closing them.
sheybby
3 years ago
Macron’s strategy to appeal to left-wing and right-wing voters will end up alienating both groups.
On the one hand, leftist eco-friendly voters would rather vote for a blind dog than cast a ballot for Macron. He might have been elected on a centrist platform but for many leftist and centrist voters he showed his true right-wing colours when confronted with massive protests such as the Yellow Vest movement.
On the other hand, right-wing voters have become nauseous with the Woke-led witch hunting hysteria and in their views, Macron is not doing enough to counter the ‘Identity Politics’ madness and preserve France’s national identity.
The rise of populist movements in Europe is fuelled by voters who are mostly centrist or left-leaning on economics but socially conservative and very attached to the notion of nationhood. In the same vein, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial meltdown, European populations have become more progressive economically but more conservative when it comes to identity values. This is especially prevalent in countries which host large shares of non-europeans immigrants, even more so when they hail from the Islamic World.
At a time when Western Nations are developing an allergic reaction to multiculturalism and neoliberalism, Macron has enacted policies that undermine the French Welfare State while showing a disturbing leniency towards Identity Politics and radical racialist movements.
Locked in his Ivory Tower, Macron remains oblivious to the existence of economically left-leaning and socially conservative voters like myself who have become increasingly detached from mainstream political parties.
To remain in power, Macron is betting on a repeat of the 2017 presidential elections scenario, hoping to once again face Marine Le Pen in the second round. However, this time, his appeal to ‘oppose extremism’ will most likely fall on deaf ears as many centrist and leftist voters will not reelect a President they despise from the bottom of their heart.
David Simpson
3 years ago
Brilliant
Greg C.
3 years ago
Macron’s only trump card was Marine Le Pen. Next time she won’t be there to make him look electable.
Why won’t Marine Le Pen be there next time? My understanding is that National Rally continues to perform very well in rural areas and that she will lead them in to the next election. Or do you think her younger and perhaps more articulate and – choosing my words carefully – ‘voter-friendly’ cousin (I think she’s a cousin) will take her place?
sharib01
3 years ago
Extraordinary opinion, obviously based on the myopic assumption that business can carry on unimpeded by runaway climate change, ecological destruction, food insecurity and massive social disruption. Well done to the author for displaying heroic ignorance of our one, fundamental, existential problem facing humanity. Keep your foot on the accelerator! Full speed ahead!
Unfortunately, it seems clear that “our one fundamental, existential problem facing humanity” or much more importantly, the natural world, is plastics and synchems that nature can’t deal with, not the wonderful, natural CO2 molecule that has been essential for life for billions of years. Vegans of course love plastic and synchems, but the French appear to be now responsible for even more plastic and synchem pollution due to CV19 (as confirmed by a quick transit of CDG the other day, where disposable synchem masks are essential and Bio Hazard suits merely de rigeur) than hot air. The bright sparks in the “Public Health” sector have a lot to answer for, it seems.
In reality modern human life and development is just not sustainable. And it should be clear to anyone who’s lived through the last 4 months of lockdown that the future is more chilling than worrying about so-called AGW!
Like so many other national politicians Macron maces the classic mistake of thinking “Le Planet, c’est moi.” What matters is not what France or Germany or Canada or even the US does alone. What matters is what China and India do. And those two countries pledged as part of the Paris accord to INCREASE their CO2 emissions, not decrease them.
China alone will increase by more in the next 10 years than France could decrease if the entire country disappeared from the Earth. Planetary concerns require planetary, not local solutions. The local efforts are futile efforts at feeling good rather than doing good.
If he was really honest about going green, he would be building nuclear power plants, rather than closing them.
Macron’s strategy to appeal to left-wing and right-wing voters will end up alienating both groups.
On the one hand, leftist eco-friendly voters would rather vote for a blind dog than cast a ballot for Macron. He might have been elected on a centrist platform but for many leftist and centrist voters he showed his true right-wing colours when confronted with massive protests such as the Yellow Vest movement.
On the other hand, right-wing voters have become nauseous with the Woke-led witch hunting hysteria and in their views, Macron is not doing enough to counter the ‘Identity Politics’ madness and preserve France’s national identity.
The rise of populist movements in Europe is fuelled by voters who are mostly centrist or left-leaning on economics but socially conservative and very attached to the notion of nationhood. In the same vein, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial meltdown, European populations have become more progressive economically but more conservative when it comes to identity values. This is especially prevalent in countries which host large shares of non-europeans immigrants, even more so when they hail from the Islamic World.
At a time when Western Nations are developing an allergic reaction to multiculturalism and neoliberalism, Macron has enacted policies that undermine the French Welfare State while showing a disturbing leniency towards Identity Politics and radical racialist movements.
Locked in his Ivory Tower, Macron remains oblivious to the existence of economically left-leaning and socially conservative voters like myself who have become increasingly detached from mainstream political parties.
To remain in power, Macron is betting on a repeat of the 2017 presidential elections scenario, hoping to once again face Marine Le Pen in the second round. However, this time, his appeal to ‘oppose extremism’ will most likely fall on deaf ears as many centrist and leftist voters will not reelect a President they despise from the bottom of their heart.
Brilliant
Macron’s only trump card was Marine Le Pen. Next time she won’t be there to make him look electable.
Why won’t Marine Le Pen be there next time? My understanding is that National Rally continues to perform very well in rural areas and that she will lead them in to the next election. Or do you think her younger and perhaps more articulate and – choosing my words carefully – ‘voter-friendly’ cousin (I think she’s a cousin) will take her place?
Extraordinary opinion, obviously based on the myopic assumption that business can carry on unimpeded by runaway climate change, ecological destruction, food insecurity and massive social disruption. Well done to the author for displaying heroic ignorance of our one, fundamental, existential problem facing humanity. Keep your foot on the accelerator! Full speed ahead!
You’re quite correct. Let’s all go back to living in CAVES.
And live on pie in the sky.
Unfortunately, it seems clear that “our one fundamental, existential problem facing humanity” or much more importantly, the natural world, is plastics and synchems that nature can’t deal with, not the wonderful, natural CO2 molecule that has been essential for life for billions of years. Vegans of course love plastic and synchems, but the French appear to be now responsible for even more plastic and synchem pollution due to CV19 (as confirmed by a quick transit of CDG the other day, where disposable synchem masks are essential and Bio Hazard suits merely de rigeur) than hot air. The bright sparks in the “Public Health” sector have a lot to answer for, it seems.
In reality modern human life and development is just not sustainable. And it should be clear to anyone who’s lived through the last 4 months of lockdown that the future is more chilling than worrying about so-called AGW!