What a delightful essay -- witty and enlightening (though being an American who doesn't follow French politics, I had to look up many of the names referenced).
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article which is, for me, an accomplishment. Generally speaking, I have no time for the class of writer called "intellectual". David Berlinski has thoroughly skewered M. Zemmour: I sincerely hope to never have to read anything more about the man in my lifetime.
"It is too late to resurrect the French nation as a factor in French life."
I have trouble empathizing with the incredible arrogance it must require, to write in this way about a country where you choose to live, but refuse to "assimilate".
And how does he judge when it's too late? Is it too late for Israel to retain its Jewish character, for example?
This is a wonderful document. Thank you for posting it. It is at once splendidly written, erudite, morally profound and bitingly humorous. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the earlier passages. And smiling grimly at some of the later passages where caustic humor is heaped upon parties who thoroughly deserve it. With apologies to W.S. Gilbert, I would say the author appears to be the very model of a modern French intellectual (or at least of what my stereotypical impression of what a French intellectual should be). In a just world, this American Jew might indeed find himself enshrined in the Pantheon. And he has clearly passed some of his better qualities on to his daughter. :-)
As an outsider, and based largely on the lenses that you, and now your father, have provided us to observe the political scene in France, it seems to me that French politics is a lot more fun than the American version, which I find utterly depressing. No doubt the combat is deadly serious to the participants (your analogy between Jean-Marie/Marine and Lear/Goneril was brilliant), and as you note in one of your earlier postings potentially terrifying in its consequences, but it possesses a certain theatre-of-the-absurd quality to those of us looking at if from afar (and with admittedly limited knowledge). I'm reminded of the old UK Monster Raving Loony party of Screaming Lord Sutch.
I look forward to your next posting on this topic, and with trepidation to the elections (both theirs and ours).
Yes, I am replying, apologetically, to my own post. I do go on and on; I can't stop myself from trying to insert more adjectives into already overstuffed sentences. I have forgotten my Pope:
"Words are like leaves, and where they most abound
I have no idea if this is accurate, but if I were French, I would be inclined to vote for somebody proposing solutions (as opposed to those accepting of the situation).
Apparently he’s going to get more votes than Le Pen. Is his being Jewish the pass Right Wingers need to be comfortable with voting for Blut und Boden (after The War and Vichy and the Vel d’Hiver and all that)?
What a delightful essay -- witty and enlightening (though being an American who doesn't follow French politics, I had to look up many of the names referenced).
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article which is, for me, an accomplishment. Generally speaking, I have no time for the class of writer called "intellectual". David Berlinski has thoroughly skewered M. Zemmour: I sincerely hope to never have to read anything more about the man in my lifetime.
"It is too late to resurrect the French nation as a factor in French life."
I have trouble empathizing with the incredible arrogance it must require, to write in this way about a country where you choose to live, but refuse to "assimilate".
And how does he judge when it's too late? Is it too late for Israel to retain its Jewish character, for example?
This is a wonderful document. Thank you for posting it. It is at once splendidly written, erudite, morally profound and bitingly humorous. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the earlier passages. And smiling grimly at some of the later passages where caustic humor is heaped upon parties who thoroughly deserve it. With apologies to W.S. Gilbert, I would say the author appears to be the very model of a modern French intellectual (or at least of what my stereotypical impression of what a French intellectual should be). In a just world, this American Jew might indeed find himself enshrined in the Pantheon. And he has clearly passed some of his better qualities on to his daughter. :-)
As an outsider, and based largely on the lenses that you, and now your father, have provided us to observe the political scene in France, it seems to me that French politics is a lot more fun than the American version, which I find utterly depressing. No doubt the combat is deadly serious to the participants (your analogy between Jean-Marie/Marine and Lear/Goneril was brilliant), and as you note in one of your earlier postings potentially terrifying in its consequences, but it possesses a certain theatre-of-the-absurd quality to those of us looking at if from afar (and with admittedly limited knowledge). I'm reminded of the old UK Monster Raving Loony party of Screaming Lord Sutch.
I look forward to your next posting on this topic, and with trepidation to the elections (both theirs and ours).
Yes, I am replying, apologetically, to my own post. I do go on and on; I can't stop myself from trying to insert more adjectives into already overstuffed sentences. I have forgotten my Pope:
"Words are like leaves, and where they most abound
Much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found." :-(
As a man of many words myself, ironically, I find myself thinking one word only: "Ouch."
I have no idea if this is accurate, but if I were French, I would be inclined to vote for somebody proposing solutions (as opposed to those accepting of the situation).
https://x.com/VividProwess/status/1804067657429160367
Apparently he’s going to get more votes than Le Pen. Is his being Jewish the pass Right Wingers need to be comfortable with voting for Blut und Boden (after The War and Vichy and the Vel d’Hiver and all that)?
Since when does the far right wait for the seal of approval from Jews? No, I suspect they're at best willing to overlook his Jewishness.