Macron facing a crisis that he created by baiting Trump
An arrogant politician expressing contempt for Donald Trump and his supporters experienced a surprising and humiliating defeat in late 2016 in our presidential election. A corresponding scenario seems to be playing itself out again in Paris.A year and a half ago, in the wake of President Trump leaving the Paris Climate Accord, France's President Emmanuel Macron asked for a fight on climate change, in an address delivered in English, making it clear that his target was Donald Trump and the American electorate. As Andrew Bolt, writing for the Herald-Sun in Australia, noted, he asked for a fight and "he got one" – but against his own citizens rebelling against taxation intended to drive them from their cars. His words, "France will not give up the fight," have come back to haunt him.
CBS provides a partial transcript, making it clear that Macron was sticking his nose into American politics, appealing to anti-Trump people to come to France to continue the struggle:
French President Emmanuel Macron blasted President Trump Thursday for pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement and offered a "second homeland" to those who are disappointed by the decision.
"Tonight, I wish to tell the United States: France believes in you. The world believes in you. I know that you are a great nation. I know your history, our common history," Macron said in a statement, delivered in English, posted on Twitter.
"To all scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, responsible citizens who were disappointed by the decision of the president of the United States, I want to say that they will find in France a second homeland," Macron said. "I call on them, come and work here with us to work together on concrete solutions for our climate, our environment. I can assure you France will not give up the fight."
Here is a video of his English-language address (regrettably voiced over by a translator speaking French, but you can still hear the English). (Hat tip: Andrew Bolt.)
Macron subsequently insulted President Trump in front of world leaders commemorating the hundred-years anniversary of the end of World War I by denouncing "nationalism" and making it clear he meant Trump's avowal of being a nationalist.
As anyone paying attention to Trump for the last three years knows, his policy is to hit back twice as hard when attacked. And hit back he did over the weekend, as Macron's citizenry rose in revolt in the streets of Paris.
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Comments (6)
Those revolters chanting We Want Trump - check whether that tweet still stands, or if Trump has since deleted it. Do you guys not read each other's blogs? I already gave LJ the heads-up.
Here's the video.
These knuckle-draggers are at a far-right rally in England, chanting mockingly at a cartoon Trump capering on a bus and laughing at him. Be grateful they are laughing, you don't want that kind of support.
The big clue to the video is that in France they speak French, not English. In fact they're known for not speaking English.
English police, wearing distinctively English police caps, can be seen in foreground.
You are perpetuating either your president's naivete, or his deliberate lie, you pick whichever you prefer.
The vid makes its point.
But read the comments following the vid. Dayum!
That makes more sense. Trump isn't popular generally around the world.
Has he deleted the tweet? Has he tweeted he made a mistake, it wasn't the huge riots in France shouting for him, but a small group of nutters in England instead?
It hardly matters. Those who believe it will believe it to their deaths, those who know it is fake news (fancy that, fake news, eh?) will roll their eyes just one time more.
But the riots, interestingly, were originally price-of-fuel based but continuing in part because Macron is slashing corporate tax and giving tax relief to the very rich, leaving the bulk of the tax debt on middle income (and items like fuel), which is ironically a very Trumpian thing to do. The French, far from accepting it the way the US did it, are exceedingly unimpressed.
Not that it matters. No one is listening, everyone is marching to their inner demons and the voices in their head.