Au Cochonnet Marin

 

Once you choose hope, anything’s possible. ~Christopher Reeve

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Is it just me or did I really hear a universal sigh of relief when it became officially known that Emmanuel Macron had just been chosen by the French voters to become the next president of France?

It was a decisive rejection (65% vs. 35%) of extremes in favor of moderation. It was also an oblique rebuff to Trumpism and its ill-thought-out policies. The pathetic Utopists of the Left and the rabble-rousers of the Extreme Right were convincingly turned down by the French Electorate.
Nobody is quite sure if the vote was more a rejection of the malodorous National Front or a seal of approval for the newcomer, but this is totally immaterial. He won the Presidency fair and square.

The French have been an unhappy lot for quite sometime. High unemployment (up to 13% in some areas) high cost of living and insecurity have significantly dimmed their vaunted “joie de vivre”.

They (like anybody else in the world) aspire to basic necessities: full-time employment, decent wages, reasonably priced housing and affordable healthcare. None of those are a reality today. The main culprit is thought to be unemployment.

Due to its ridiculously litigious labor code, it has become extremely difficult for any Frenchman to secure a permanent job. No job translates into unhappiness, restlessness and ultimately, lawlessness.

The main obstacle to reforms have been the unions but “Earlier this year, the moderate CFDT overtook the militant CGT as the strongest union in the private sector. For the first time there is a possibility of a reformist majority within the French unions,” said Moec of Bank of America Merrill Lynch.”

 If Macron can convince the unions to loosen up their headlock on labor laws, everything is possible. Macron’s style is a gradual approach to solving problems but without quick results on the economy, he could struggle to deliver.

To his credit Macron is also a proponent of “equal pay for equal work” (requirement that men and women be paid the same if performing the same job in the same organization).
He also promised to have an equal number of men and women in his cabinet. This is refreshing, especially in notoriously macho French politics.

Some people have been wondering about his marriage to his wife Brigitte who is 24 years older than he is. In my opinion this was an extremely gutsy decision for both of them, for not everyone was so accepting of their relationship. And guts are what are needed for the extremely difficult task of managing the French presidency.

Best wishes to a daring young man and his equally daring and stylish missus!

Alain

 

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” — George Jean Nathan

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When I vote, I vote for my candidate… or for the lesser of two evils.
I never abstain. To me, abstaining is not an indication of protest; it is more a sign of “laissez-faire”, letting things take their own course.
Basically, it means abdicating responsibilities and giving free rein to extremists.

As you may know, this weekend the French will vote again in the second round of the presidential election.
The two finalists are Far Right Marine Le Pen (National Front) and centrist Emmanuel Macron (Onward).

Macron is thought to prevail. If he does, he will be the youngest president ever in the French history. But, “les jeux ne sont pas faits. »
If I had to define a Frenchman by a single word, I would call him “cabochard” (pigheaded), one who will do as he pleases. And a cabochard is more inclined to let feelings prevail over rationality.

Marine Le Pen (48) succeeded her father Jean-Marie Le Pen who founded the National Front in 1972. Over the years she has struggled to bring respectability to a party that was mainly known for its thuggish, fascist ways.
She partly succeeded, mainly by tapping the anger of the unemployed and a general fear of immigration and terrorism. If elected she vowed to pull out of the euro currency and apply major restrictions to the Schengen Agreement (free movement across European borders).

Emmanuel Macron (39), a former investment banker appeals to many by a moderate rhetoric, plans to lower taxes, reform work laws and expand health care. He also supports the open-door policy toward immigrants and tolerance towards Muslims.
In a France polarized by the fear of immigration, this could be his undoing.

He was briefly Minister of the Economy under Francois Hollande, where he pushed through business-friendly reforms, notably the right to work on weekends. He showed early grit by vowing at 17 to marry his schoolteacher (who was 24 older than he is) and by going through with his promise.

The results of this vote are extremely important because they will determine the fate of the European Union. If the candidate of the Far Right succeeds, it could spell the end of the Union, a renewal of divisive Extreme Right policies all over Europe and have worldwide implications.

It is hoped by many that this weekend won’t be a replay of the 2016 American elections scenario.

Alain

“Since the people vote against the government, the people must be dissolved.” Bertold Brecht.

 

 

“The club expects that every man will do his duty.”

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With the re-apparition of long-awaited sunny days, I will never stress enough the importance of the “pointer” in the game of Pétanque. I know that I have talked about this before, but after losing countless encounters, I want to reiterate my belief in the value of the pointer.

In the game of pétanque players are basically divided in two very distinct categories. There are “pointers” (the worker bees, the skilled craftsmen) and the ”shooters” (the muscle, the gorillas, the gunslingers).
A gunslinger though, without the assistance of a skilled pointer is very vulnerable. With only 2 or 3 bullets at his disposition, he has to fire (accurately) and only as a last resort. Once disarmed, he is as harmless as a defanged cobra.

The first boule thrown by the pointer often determines the outcome of a game. A successful placement is both strategically and psychologically important. It forces the shooter to either fire a precious bullet or pressure the pointer to do better.
Psychologically, it is also subtly undermines the confidence of the other team.

Even when the pointer eventually manages to put a boule in the close vicinity of the “cochonnet”, not doing well with the first boule immediately tips the balance in favor of the opposite team. Each player has a limited amount of ammunition that needs to be used very judiciously. Each failed attempt to score is a wasted bullet and an added advantage for the opponent/s.

Women generally excel at pointing, and proficient players are sought and wooed for important tournaments. If I were in such a position, I would play coy and go with the highest bidder (cash or an all paid vacation to some swank resort).

I am not saying that pointing is the exclusive domain of women; they can also be excellent shooters. Last night for instance I had the pleasure to play with against Honor W. for the first time and she really impressed me with her shooting ability. Like a born shooter she throws her boule “au fer” and her batting average is more than respectable.
A real pleasure to compete with such a cool, elegant, accomplished player.

To sum it up, the shooter solely does not win a game. Without a good pointer, he is like a tank without infantry support. Very vulnerable to anti-tank fire.
Don’t forget that some shooters also have a very thin skin. After missing a few times they lose heart and fall apart. This is when pointers should take advantage of their disarray and point more exquisitely than ever.

Hail to all pointers! May they arm-wrestle petanque gorillas into submission every chance they get!

Alain