Geopolitics
There are arguments about who first said Après moi, le déluge (“After me, the Flood.”) and whether is was meant prophetically (“Things are going to get bad once I’m gone”) or dismissively (“I really don’t care if things go to hell once I’m gone.”). I’m not sure it matters. I think both apply to the [...]
Continue reading about Euroarmageddon Tour — here comes the flood
I did indeed crash. Probably just as well, since it appeared to have been raining durng the afternoon, which pretty much ruled out putting up the new signs, etc. Instead, once I was sufficiently conscious, Sandra and I headed down to the Christmas Market on the lower part of the Champs-Elysees, both to grab something [...]
Continue reading about Euroarmageddon Tour — last night in Paris
France’s future is cloudy. OK, OK, cheap symbolism, but that’s the best kind, for reasons that I’ll come with eventually. Meanwhile, in case you’re wondering about the strange post name, “Tour Eiffel” is French for “Eiffel Tower”, and yes, we went on a tour of the Eiffel Tower this morning. We had gone last year [...]
Continue reading about Euroarmaggedon Tour — Tour Eiffel Tour
OK, as mentioned below, I got a grand total of two man-on-the-street interviews today. I was probably lucky to get that, all things considered. Sometime early this morning, while thinking about my goals for this trip, I came to the conclusion that my probability of success was pretty low in doing cold approaches on strangers [...]
Continue reading about Euroarmaggedon Tour — Saturday backstory
I did get two interviews. In two hours. Plus one bit of pungent walk-by commentary. I’ll chronicle the whole effort later, but here’s the feedback from today. Thomas — in his 30s, and looking like a classic clean-cut-with-stubble French professional — described himself as ‘not a typical Parisian’, though he never quite explained what that [...]
And I’m awake at 0400 Paris time. On the other hand, I can hardly be surprised, since I not only crashed for about 4 hours yestreday afternoon, but I went to be relatively early (2200 Paris time) last night as well. Our hotel room (acquired using some of the bazillion frequent-stayer points I’ve accumulated at [...]
Continue reading about Euroarmageddon Tour – late night edition
Tocqueville, we have arrived! I’m not sure what Tocqueville would have made of the Euromess, but I think it’s pretty easy to guess. On the other hand, I think I may have discovered part of the core financial problem here in France. Sitting in the lobby of our hotel, waiting for a room to become [...]
Continue reading about Euroarmageddon Tour — the Eagle has landed
OK, so we’re on the first leg of our flight to Paris, where I’ve found that my two French phrase books (the aptly-titled French Phrase Book as well as Just Enough French) don’t contain such handy questions as “What do you think are the possible sovereign consequences of replacing the European Financial Stability Facility with [...]
Continue reading about Euroarmageddon Tour: questions to ask
Important events and circumstances have combined in such a way that in a few short hours I will be boarding an airliner on my way to the Continent, to witness first-hand the turmoil of fiscal and sovereign upheaval caused by the ever-imminent collapse of the Eurozone, and to report on it here to you. OK, [...]
At least, I think it’s day 4. The days are all starting to blur a bit; I’m grateful the ship changes the carpets in the elevators every day to let you know which day it is, or I’d be even more blurred. Great times, great sessions. Andrew McCarthy and John Yoo; Bernard Lewis and Victor [...]