[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Sarkozy

[Morton K. Brussel]

For those who want to know what Sarcozy is about.

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Le Monde diplomatique <english at mondediplo.net>
> Date: October 8, 2007 9:11:47 AM CDT
> To: Le Monde diplomatique <english at mondediplo.net>
> Subject: Sarkozy
>
>
>    Le Monde diplomatique
>    -----------------------------------------------------
>
>    October 2007
>
>                                 LEADER
>
>                                Sarkozy
>
>                           by Ignacio Ramonet
>
>      Like the pied piper of Hamelin, Nicolas Sarkozy initially
>      enchanted eminent figures on all sides with his verve and
>      brio. The media were equally spellbound and joined in the
>      mass hysteria. France was virtually hypnotised by this
>      disconcertingly hyperactive president, fizzing with vague
>      plans.
>
>      The scales began to fall from everyone's eyes when the true
>      nature of the sideshow was revealed. The magician was just a
>      neo-liberal in disguise. This was clear from the first
>      economic and social measures announced: reductions in tax on
>      high incomes and death duties, a tax shield, medical
>      franchises, longer working hours - the essence of
>      neo-liberalism. And it was even clearer from Sarkozy's
>      speeches on 5 September, at the Medef (Mouvement des
>      entreprises de France) business seminar, and on 18 September,
>      the 40th anniversary of the AJIS, the association of social
>      security reporters (1).
>
>      The priority, he said, was to deal with the question of
>      special pension schemes. They must be reformed without delay
>      because, in most cases, the circumstances that justified the
>      introduction of special benefits before the second, or even
>      the first world war, no longer existed. Reforms would include
>      extending the qualifying period from 40 to 41 years.
>
>      Health service funding would also be reviewed, he said,
>      because the health insurance system could not cover
>      everything. Some costs should be met by individual insurance
>      schemes. In other words, patients must have private insurance
>      as they do in the United States, where almost 50 million
>      people have no health cover (2).
>
>      Sarkozy repeated that the 35-hour week rule would have to be
>      abolished. He also proposed to end early retirement schemes,
>      and introduce stronger and more effective procedures and
>      sanctions against unemployed people who refused two job
>      offers. Such a frontal attack on hard-won bastions of social
>      security is almost unheard of and the left is right to
>      condemn it as the greatest offensive to be mounted against
>      the social security system in 50 years (3).
>
>      The new foreign policy set out in a speech at the French
>      ambassadors' conference contains some astonishing proposals.
>      On the Middle East, it marks a revolutionary departure from
>      Paris's international position, as defined by De Gaulle in
>      1958 when the 5th Republic was established.
>
>      Sarkozy confirmed his support for President George W Bush and
>      the neo-conservative hardliners, adding that the first and
>      probably the most important challenge facing France was a
>      clash between Islam and the West. Quite apart from the
>      absurdity of stating the problem in these terms, there was
>      not a word about Washington's shortcomings or the damage
>      caused by the failure to settle the dispute between the
>      Israelis and the Palestinians.
>
>      On Iran, his position - as stated by the French foreign
>      secretary, Bernard Kouchner - is exactly the same as the
>      State Department's. War on Tehran is an option that may be
>      considered and in preparation for that contingency, the
>      defence minister, Hervé Morin, has let it be known that
>      France may resume its full place in the integrated military
>      structure of Nato.
>
>      Sarkozy is a gifted tactician and a master of manoeuvre but
>      to judge by his recent sallies into the areas of social
>      security and foreign policy, he is no strategist. He lacks
>      vision.
>        ________________________________________________________
>
>      (1) The full text of both speeches can be found on the
>      president's official website: www.elysee.fr.
>
>      (2) See Michael Moore's documentary, Sicko.
>
>      (3) Associated Press, 18 September 2007.
>
>
>
>      Translated by Barbara Wilson
>
>
>        ________________________________________________________
>
>         ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 1997-2007 Le Monde diplomatique
>
>    <http://MondeDiplo.com/2007/10/01sarkozy>

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