Riots in France

That's a great idea,George Ob1. May I suggest that we discuss Great Literature? I will be the first to suggest that the Great Literature from the Continent easily outstrips US literature in both quality and relevance.

Shall we begin with Shakespeare?( I know he is not strictly from the Continent)

Do you and Mr.Hinteler and Francis agree that Shakespeare is the greatest writer that ever lived?

If you do, why do you think so?

(Is that better,George Ob1?)

Do you mean French literature is a riot?

There's been a riot near the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris??

I haven't heard this on the BBC. I must have missed it.

Mais sure: Balzac, Voltaire, Zola, Verne, Stendahl, Segur, Saint-Exupery, Sand et patati et patata: seulement des communistes et révolutionnaires.

:wink:

Obviously, there's not been any riot around BNF 'cause there's no cafés...

Oh, yeah!

Johnny "yéyé" Hallyday? :wink:

Ha! Good one.

Only slightly so. You exhibit an odd lack of the ability to consider things dispassionately, to simultaneously entertain multiple interpretations of the thing in question, or a willingness to consider perspectives other than your own. Instead you personalize every issue and demand a conflict-based resolution of every point, often trivial ones. Hardly an illuminating or pleasurable prospect for one interested in ideas or other points of view. You evidently have a good deal of knowledge and understanding to offer, however these behaviors do indeed get in the way. I write this not to offend you, but in the hope that you will alter your behavior.

Geroge Ob1- When you are able and wish to do so, please re-read Cyrano DeBergerac. He does not compromise his principles. Neither do I.

My former teacher criticized another professor with this aphorism.

He has an open-mind--yes, as open as a sieve and everything falls out of it.

I know other perspectives. I have read other perspectives. I disagree strongly with some of them.

Do you know the injunction--"If I am not for myself, who will be"?

Bernard, let me say sometimes I feel sorry for the people.

Right now I feel sorry for you, prisoner of your postulates as you are, you have a long way to go till you can give up all anger and be free...

I believe that was Cyrano's fatal flaw, which, together with the other factors in Rostand's portrayal, led to his personal tragedy. Some of the 'principles' which he would not compromise were merely his angry response to the reactions of others to his disfigurement. These are not principles at all, and that was the tragedy.

Perhaps you have chosen an unfortunate model.

Trying at least to return to France (since there are no riots in France).

From today's Le Parisien (page 4, part of an report about the buying of the 'Le Fouquet's' building on the Champs-Ellysées by Lina Renault and her brothers)



So, 39% of the buildings (in Paris) priced between 1 and 2 million Euros are bought by foreigners, 47% bought those between 2 - 4 million Euros and 69% of the buildings of more than 4 million Euros are bought by foreigners.

24% of these are from Middle East, 25% from America (USA, Cananada, Brasil), 25% from Europe (Italians, Britons mainly), 18% Asians and 4% Russians.

Just thinking that France/Paris still seems to be very attractive besides the bashing done here ...

Perhaps, Walter, they are akin to all those welathy Romans going to the Gladiator games... Buying prime seats to see all the action down below

Naj.

Hmm, might well be. Paying 40 million Euros for a ticket was just beyond my grasp.

As a true intellectual, you should stand aloof of all the guts and gore action in the streets of Paris.

Well, Bernard's essays on Rostand also involved France & its literature, (although his purpose and focus was admittedly elsewhere). You did criticise that for being off-topic.

I believe there is a great deal of foreign ownership of high value properties in many of the great capitals of the world. Certainly this is true of New York and London, as well as Paris.

Francis- Anger? You have made the first joke on this thread as far as I am concerned.

Would you like me to replicate the headlines from some of the Socialist and Quasi-Communist rags called newspapers on the continent that shows "real" anger at the United States?

I have no anger--only pity at the Europeans who feel so unalloyed ENVY of the United States that they can find NOTHING good to say,but must always slam the US in their left-wing editorials.

In the meantime, decrepit nations like France are finding that their Socialist rules like " a thirty five hour week" and "people who are older cannot be fired for cause" is turning France into a second rate country.

Unlike Francis, BernardR, I don't feel sorry about you anymore:

people, who didn't take the change which was offered to update their informational standards and better like to stay in the cages of prejudices and misinformation, well .... have a good day.

You have not read Cyrano DBergerac, have you, George Ob1?

He did respond to the reactions to his disfigurement. He took time to lampoon himself( a section you do not remember--or did not read). But that was not his cause for action.



eg-

Aggressive:
"Sir, if I had such a nose I'd amputate it.

When it bleeds, what a Red Sea"

If you had read the play carefully, you would find that the plays that Cyrano wrote were heartily disliked by the powers that be and indeed, there was a proposal that the Cardinal would publish the play if only Cyrano would change a couple of lines.

Cyrano would not change his lines and neither will I>

Now, GeorgeOb1-- I have read many of your posts. Without a doubt you are a learned person who has, if a may say so, a sanguine view of the world and welcomes other views.

That's fine. God Bless You.

You speak of viewing other prespectives. I really do not think I can gain a great deal from other perspectives on threads like these which feature what I have termed(perhaps erroneously) people whose main messages are Anti-USA.

I need learn nothing from them about Socialism and Communism. I assure you that I have read writers who explain those phenomenons much better than they do.


The best and most cogent view has been the following by the brilliant Irving Kristol-

"The experience of the post-World II decades has revealed that the Old Left simply could not compete in the ideological debate on whether individual liberty or centralized planning would lead to the common good. The result has been an emergence of a New Left which seeks the death of the "economic man, because it is in the marketplace that the common good is eventially realized"

After reading about the incredible socialist work rules in France and the stagnation of the German Economy I am more convinced than ever that I need no "New perspectives", especially from posters who will never acknowledge that any part of the USA's economy is worth emulating.

Thank YOu George Ob1.

My I respecfully suggest, GeorgeOb1, that when you are in the mood, you re-read Cyrano. You may get a new perspective.