{"id":133,"date":"2012-11-06T14:14:00","date_gmt":"2012-11-06T13:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/?p=133"},"modified":"2021-01-14T21:13:23","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T20:13:23","slug":"quoted-by-helen-szamuely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/en\/quoted-by-helen-szamuely\/","title":{"rendered":"Quoted by Helen Szamuely"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><\/p>\n<p>Helen Szamuely from London quotes me too..<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><style type=&quot;text\/css&quot;>\n<!--\n \/* Font Definitions *\/\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Cambria;\n\tpanose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Baskerville;\n\tpanose-1:2 2 5 2 7 4 1 2 3 3;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\np.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n\t{mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;\n\tmargin:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\n\tmso-fareast-language:EN-US;}\na:link, span.MsoHyperlink\n\t{color:blue;\n\ttext-decoration:underline;\n\ttext-underline:single;}\na:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed\n\t{mso-style-noshow:yes;\n\tcolor:purple;\n\ttext-decoration:underline;\n\ttext-underline:single;}\n@page Section1\n\t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;\n\tmargin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt;\n\tmso-header-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.Section1\n\t{page:Section1;}\n-->\n<\/style>\n<\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight:\nnormal&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\nmso-fareast-language:FR&quot;>Here is what Helen Szamuely wrote today in her blog, <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>Your Freedom And Ours<\/em> (<a href=&quot;http:\/\/yourfreedomandours.blogpost.co.uk&quot;>http:\/\/yourfreedomandours.blogpost.co.uk<\/a>) :<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:\n10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-language:FR&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:2.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:\n10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;mso-fareast-language:FR&quot;>I promise not to write about the American elections throughout Tuesday. No point, really, Over here we shall have no results before Wednesday, in any case, and if predictions are correct, we might carry on chewing our fingernails till well into Thursday or, God forbid, even after.<\/p>\n<p>However, let me leave you with a few thoughts about the way news have been handled on this side of the Pond, which includes Britain and Europe. <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:normal&quot;>Der Spiegel<\/em> is tying itself into knots, which is very pleasant to watch. No matter who wins, America will lose, <\/span><span style=&quot;font-family:Baskerville&quot;><a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.spiegel.de\/international\/world\/commentary-total-capitalism-and-the-downfall-of-america-a-865437.html&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-language:FR&quot;>they cry<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;mso-fareast-language:\nFR&quot;>, as it has been destroyed by &quot;total capitalism&quot;. One could say that even in its bleak hours, America is doing better than Europe that does not have &quot;total capitalism&quot; but I suspect <em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;>Der Spiegel<\/em> knows that.<\/p>\n<p><\/span><span style=&quot;font-family:Baskerville&quot;><a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.spiegel.de\/international\/world\/divided-states-of-america-notes-on-the-decline-of-a-great-nation-a-865295.html&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:FR;\ntext-decoration:none;text-underline:none&quot;>American power had declined<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;mso-fareast-language:\nFR&quot;>, they add in another article though why it should have done so under the great and wonderful President Obama is hard to tell. But, never fear, their coverage is even-handed. Why they even have an article about what Romney&apos;s foreign policy might be. Of course, <\/span><span style=&quot;font-family:Baskerville&quot;><a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.spiegel.de\/international\/world\/interview-with-former-us-secretary-of-state-madeleine-albright-a-865308.html&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:FR;\ntext-decoration:none;text-underline:none&quot;>it is really an interview<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;mso-fareast-language:\nFR&quot;> with President Clinton&apos;s less than successful Secretary of State, Madeleine Allbright, but one can&apos;t have everything. Specifically, one can&apos;t have an interview with Condi Rice about Obama&apos;s existing foreign policy. <\/p>\n<p>Interestingly enough, my friend Michel Gurfinkiel writes about <\/span><span style=&quot;font-family:Baskerville&quot;><a href=&quot;http:\/\/pjmedia.com\/blog\/first-amendment-french-style\/&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:FR;\ntext-decoration:none;text-underline:none&quot;>exactly that<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;mso-fareast-language:\nFR&quot;>, though with reference to the French media&nbsp;:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:2.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:\n10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;mso-fareast-language:FR&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:2.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;\nmso-fareast-language:FR&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;Yesterday, we followed Barack Obama&rsquo;s campaign,&rdquo; a young woman [on RTL, one of France&apos;s main radio channels] said. &ldquo;Today we turn to Mitt Romney&rsquo;s campaign.&rdquo; All right. Except that &ldquo;following Romney&rsquo;s campaign&rdquo; amounted, incredibly, to an interview with a certain Dr. Gordon, who explained that most Americans were grateful to President Obama for having introduced Obamacare. Especially those women who otherwise would have been deprived of any access to birth control. Some journalist at RTL then explained that Romney would abolish Obamacare. And the report was over.&nbsp;&raquo;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:2.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;\nmso-fareast-language:FR&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:2.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;\nmso-fareast-language:FR&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;They don&apos;t even notice&nbsp;&raquo;, <\/span><\/em><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;mso-fareast-language:\nFR&quot;>he adds and neither does the public. (I may say the same thing about the British media and the British public who are astonished that anyone could be so mad, insane and evil as to support a challenger to Obama.) Gurfinkiel gives an interesting and accurate analysis for this ridiculous adoration of a highly incompetent incumbent:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:2.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:\n10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;mso-fareast-language:FR&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:2.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><em style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;\nmso-fareast-language:FR&quot;>&laquo;&nbsp;Sympathy for Obama is rooted in the deepest layers of the French collective psyche, right and left. He is supposed to stand for a tame, less dominant, less assertive America; and France, like many other former great powers &mdash; from Russia to China, from the Hispanic realms to the Islamic Umma &mdash; is driven by resentment against Anglo-Saxon dominance at large, and American great power in particular. That was, after all, Charles de Gaulle&rsquo;s core political legacy (much more than the need to tame Germany) and the not-so-secret rationale for his Faustian alliance with both communism (Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese) and Islam. In the 1960s, when de Gaulle actually presided over France, a sizable part of the French opinion understood that a powerful America had in fact helped France to be reborn, to remain free in the face of communism, and even to become a great power again (just like Germany or Japan). That current never materialized into a sustaining political force, however, and it gradually ebbed away.&nbsp;&raquo;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:2.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size:\n10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;mso-fareast-language:FR&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span>           <\/p>\n<style type=&quot;text\/css&quot;>\n<!--\n \/* Font Definitions *\/\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Cambria;\n\tpanose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Baskerville;\n\tpanose-1:2 2 5 2 7 4 1 2 3 3;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\np.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n\t{mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;\n\tmargin:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\n\tmso-fareast-language:EN-US;}\n@page Section1\n\t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;\n\tmargin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt;\n\tmso-header-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.Section1\n\t{page:Section1;}\n-->\n<\/style>\n<\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:2.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;>He then explains what exactly motivates this French psyche, how journalists abide by it and why it has become so all-encompassing. Read the whole piece. <\/p>\n<p><span style=&quot;font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Baskerville;\nmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:\n&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:FR;\nmso-fareast-language:FR&quot;> <br style=&quot;mso-special-character:line-break&quot; \/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<p>Helen Szamuely from London quotes me too..<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/en\/quoted-by-helen-szamuely\/\">&nbsp;&raquo;&nbsp;Read more about: Quoted by Helen Szamuely &nbsp;&raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[655],"tags":[837],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1612,"href":"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133\/revisions\/1612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}