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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Fri May 5, 2017, 09:04 AM May 2017

What's the Matter With Europe? - By Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman MAY 5, 2017

On Sunday France will hold its presidential runoff. Most observers expect Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, to defeat Marine Le Pen, the white nationalist — please, let’s stop dignifying this stuff by calling it “populism.” And I’m pretty sure that Times rules allow me to state directly that I very much hope the conventional wisdom is right. A Le Pen victory would be a disaster for Europe and the world.

Yet I also think it’s fair to ask a couple of questions about what’s going on. First, how did things get to this point? Second, would a Le Pen defeat be anything more than a temporary reprieve from the ongoing European crisis?

Some background: Like everyone on this side of the Atlantic, I can’t help seeing France in part through Trump-colored glasses. But it’s important to realize that the parallels between French and American politics exist despite big differences in underlying economic and social trends.

To begin, while France gets an amazing amount of bad press — much of it coming from ideologues who insist that generous welfare states must have disastrous effects — it’s actually a fairly successful economy. Believe it or not, French adults in their prime working years (25 to 54) are substantially more likely than their U.S. counterparts to be gainfully employed.

more
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/05/opinion/european-union-france-election.html?emc=edit_th_20170505&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=57435284

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What's the Matter With Europe? - By Paul Krugman (Original Post) DonViejo May 2017 OP
Yes, please, lets stop dignifying this stuff by calling it "populism." SunSeeker May 2017 #1
"Believe it or not" ... um, I have no trouble believing it. eppur_se_muova May 2017 #2

SunSeeker

(51,367 posts)
1. Yes, please, lets stop dignifying this stuff by calling it "populism."
Fri May 5, 2017, 02:17 PM
May 2017

It does not pursue policies favored by the whole populace, just a small slice of the populace: racist white men. It is White Nationalism. Even "Nationalism" is a euphemism.

eppur_se_muova

(36,227 posts)
2. "Believe it or not" ... um, I have no trouble believing it.
Sat May 6, 2017, 03:26 AM
May 2017

And post-54, it's probably even more true. Try being unemployed at that age. If you live in the US, it's now a permanent condition.

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