France's President of the Rich
When French President Emmanuel Macron was elected the center-left international community was ecstatic. The Democratic Party think-tank Brookings Institute said: The “Macron miracle” could transform France into a global powerhouse.
That was just one of many examples of unconditional love by the Third Way community.
Today the wealthy former banker had a slightly different message.
French President Emmanuel Macron, facing a slide in his popularity, defended his record and said he hadn’t forgotten the nation’s poor.
That's an amazing thing for a politician to have to deny. But what makes it truly amazing is where some criticism is coming from.
France’s third richest man, and the world’s 25th, has issued stern words of warning to President Emmanuel Macron: He doesn’t understand the poor.It is de rigueur in Left-wing opposition circles to accuse Mr Macron, 40, of being “the president of the rich”. Far rarer is a put-down from one of France’s most eminent captains of industry, and a self-made billionaire to boot.
Yet in an interview with M, Le Monde weekly magazine, François Pinault, 81, said: “(Mr Macron) doesn’t understand the little people.” “I’m afraid that he is leading France towards a system that forgets its least well-off.”
How out of touch can a person be that a multi-billionaire understands the poor better than the president does? This is a very big problem.
BTW, Macron's speech today, where he declared that he hadn't forgotten the poor? The speech was made in the Versailles Palace.
As if that wasn't tone-deaf enough, consider this from a couple weeks ago.
The French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife have been accused of wasting taxpayers' money after reportedly shelling out a fortune on new plates for the Élysée Palace.France's First Lady Brigitte Macron chose the 1,200-piece set that the states say cost €50,000 (£44,000).
However French satirical magazine Le Canard enchaine has claimed the set was likely to cost closer to €500,000 (£440,000).
Further controversy arose as the price of the plates was announced shortly after a video emerged showing Mr Macron discussing the "crazy amount of cash" France has put into welfare, and the apparent lack of effect it has had in helping people out of poverty.
Let them eat cake on fine china.
Macron has slashed housing benefit, and hiked taxes on pensioners. A central pillar of his agenda is privatisation, including of France’s airports and part of the national energy utility.
Thomas Piketty says Mr. Macron was guilty of a “heavy moral, economic, and historical sin.”
Macron's policies of attacking the poor and giving to the rich are not popular.
According to the poll results, Macron’s policy is considered "unjust" by supporters of French left-wing parties (98 percent of France Insoumise supporters and 78 percent of Socialist Party supporters), as well as by supporters of right-wing parties (75 percent of The Republicans supporters and 85 percent of National Rally supporters).Moreover, 65 percent of respondents consider measures taken by Macron "ineffective," the poll showed.
The approval rating of French President Emmanuel Macron has reportedly dropped by 3 percentage points in May to 40 percent, amid numerous manifestations against the government's reforms.
As of now, there is only one true voice of opposition in France, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Comments
It's very hard to rise out of poverty
when the programs meant to help people in it keep getting slashed and people have to spend more of their money instead of being able to save to create a cushion for rising out of said poverty. When so many that qualify for the programs are working 2-3 jobs that is a reflection on how low wages are in a time of increasing wealth inequality. HUD director Carson thinks that the best way to help people start rising out of poverty is to make them pay more for their subsidized housing. I wonder what Warren thinks of this?
People had to know Macron's policies before they voted for him unless he did a complete 180 once he was elected. When he had the backing of neoliberal triangulaters across the globe why did they think that he would put their interests before the rich?
This is a huge understatement ...
There were tens of thousands people in France who closed down every industry and went out on protests multiple times because of his privatization policies. Of course it wasn't covered by our main stream media because they didn't want to give people here any ideas to do that same thing here.
Austerity measures are making their way across the globe because the rich bastards are effing greedy. And cruel. Or maybe evil is a better word for them. Yeah, I'm going with evil when they know people are hurting financially and they don't do anything to help them.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
People didn’t reflect upon their choice for fear of Le Pen.
I imagine that France looks rather like the US had Clinton won.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
Ah, thanks for your explanation
This was the choice that we were offered too wasn't it? Or we are offered every time we vote. Choose the one you think is the lesser evil, but it won't matter because they both will just continue the status quo.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Same old same old the world over.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
I get the feeling Macron
was a lot like Obama in the beginning. mostly hope for the future, soon to be stillborn.
Macron was dubbed the Reagan of France before the
election. He published his entire agenda, which he is sticking with. Union busting starting with the national rail system is high on his list. French trains and the networks it runs on are great. People usually want more, not less when asked.
The DHS in Great Britain is being privatized, and the folks there don't like the service or the results. Macron wants to do the same here, when it is one of the best health care systems in the world.
He is being watched, but for five years, the occupant of the Elysée Palace is somewhat of a king.
You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again you did not know. ~ William Wiberforce
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