President Chirac of France, trying to persuade his countrymen to ratify the draft EU Constitution, tells them that voting non will perpetuate the "Anglo-Saxon" despoliation of the French way of life, business, and government. (It goes without saying that, whether or not they agree with his curious claim, most French voters would see this as a distinctly mauvaise chose.)
These are bad days to be an Anglo-Saxon or indeed a capitalist in Europe, under sustained fire from the political mainstream, both left and right.
Earlier this week, the leader of Germany's ruling SDP party (left) said that "capitalist greed" caused unemployment and was a menace to democracy. Lord, how we laughed in Esens, to hear that from the mouth of such a redoubtable socialist. Now Chirac (right), almost en passant, gives Anglo-Saxons, and their market-led approach, a big Gallic cuff around the ears.
The thing that irks the blog most is the fact that these outrageous claims are made in the full expectation that they will be swallowed whole. Admittedly both men are electioneering right now, and should be allowed some leeway in the matter of strict accuracy. But both of them clearly think there's votes in knocking les Anglo-Saxons and capitalism.
It is all rather depressing, the blog thinks. Maybe it's time to turn our back on Esens and move to Moscow, where we won't feel quite so out of place.
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