A mounting fear abroad: Trump as God's chosen … Immigration: Biden's problems … and Macron's 2 quagmires … Where'd all those Chinese students go? … cartoonist Stellina draws Bethlehem
No man is an island and no country of 9.5 million people (7 million of them Jewish) can aspire to a sovereign future without affiliating and integrating with the states of its region. Israel must be advancing a three-state solution (Israel, West Bank, Gaza) or risk becoming the Isolated State.
American economic and military support has been "drip" for a fatally bad idea in Israel -- that an irredentist state based on blood-and-soil nationalism has a viable future in its region. Time to seriously think through what a better future really means.
I can't tell you how much I agree ... and two (three...perhaps) state solution is the only viable one for the region, for Israel, for the Jewish people near or far. Sadly, all too many have failed to recognize this and where I have made a valiant effort to defend this concept have all too often been vilified.
Sad but true!
Clearly, you are a longstanding and valued member of the Unleashed family....spread the word!!
Interesting compilation. If I had any comment, I'd start with something banal, the Macron response to the Depardieu kerfuffle. Through no fault of his own, David has picked up mis-translations of key words in this reported French dialogue. First, the word 'shocked' is never used. The French verb choquer in the original, is 'je suis choqué'. The verb means to 'disturb' or 'upset'. To translate choquer as 'to shock' is what linguists call a false transference, or as they say in French 'un faux ami'.
This means that Macron, questioned on a TV panel, said, 'Sure, I was disturbed by the reports of his behavior'... and Macron's minister of Culture said 'j'ai été très choquée par...', meaning 'I was very disturbed'. The English verb 'to shock' most often implies surprise and even admiration: 'He looks shockingly fit for his age'. However, nobody in France is ever 'shocked' by anything Depardieu does or says. Is that a quibble? Not really; in politics the nuance is critical.
Secondly, Macron was admirably republican (generic term) in his 'defense' of Depardieu; all he said was 'We don't rescind Legion of Honor medallions given to artists, who may say scandalous things, as many artists tend to do'.
Incidentally, the Légion d'honneur, in addition to its very distinguished ranks, includes many ward heelers and shady figures like sports team moguls. I refer people to the 1894 farce by Georges Feydeau entitled 'The Ribbon', where a fictional Dr. Paginet connives for a Legion of Honor by marrying off his niece to man connected to a State Minister, all in recognition of Paginet's research on 'the non-existence of biological microbes'. (Shades of Trump's Kung-Flu line!) In the end he is going to get it, but there's a twist.
Thanks ever so much, Walter...I do always try for an 'interesting compilation' ... and always very much appreciate every attentive reader !
A few comments on your commentary, however ... I am not a linguist, but I have spoken French and lived in France off and on for more than half a century. Larousse, however (the ultimate authority, after the dictionary of the Immortels of the Académie Française ) does translate in both directions 'shocked' and 'choqué' ...and knowing Macron quite well (he did award me my Légion d'honneur two years ago), I am confident that he would use 'shocked' if he were discussing this in English...sorry, Walter.
As for views of Depardieu I must respectfully disagree.....many of my younger and especially younger French friends HAVE been quite SHOCKED by this ugliness of Depardieu who has lost (perdu!) much of his allure.
Indeed, Légions d'honneur have been rescinded for far less in the course of its long history since Napoleon awarded the first.
I am sorry no one has seen fit to award you the Légion d'Honneur. I am, however, most proud to wear my red ribbon on each of my vestes.
Heureusement, whatever Americans do with respect to Donald Trump next year, I remain quite confident he will never be awarded that decoration!
I was questioning the particular translation of this particular set of quotes, not the dictionary offerings.
Yes, formally speaking choquer can mean 'to shock'. However, it's not the first word for shock in idiomatic French (compared to bouleverser, secouer, scandaliser, even estomaquer); and secondly, in contextual politics, it almost always means 'I was disturbed'. Even 'ça ne me choque pas' usually means That's OK by me.
That's my only quibble. I won't go into my French qualifications, but would never aim at disrespecting the distinction per se, even if it was once called the Jerry Lewis Award. Give my regards to the Ordre national!
No man is an island and no country of 9.5 million people (7 million of them Jewish) can aspire to a sovereign future without affiliating and integrating with the states of its region. Israel must be advancing a three-state solution (Israel, West Bank, Gaza) or risk becoming the Isolated State.
American economic and military support has been "drip" for a fatally bad idea in Israel -- that an irredentist state based on blood-and-soil nationalism has a viable future in its region. Time to seriously think through what a better future really means.
I can't tell you how much I agree ... and two (three...perhaps) state solution is the only viable one for the region, for Israel, for the Jewish people near or far. Sadly, all too many have failed to recognize this and where I have made a valiant effort to defend this concept have all too often been vilified.
Sad but true!
Clearly, you are a longstanding and valued member of the Unleashed family....spread the word!!
;-))
You are SO kind, Ms. Morgan !!
I do work hard on all these .... ;-)
Don't hesitate to spread the word !!!
;-)))
en route (imprimé) :
Two English Girls and the Continent
dejà là (voie: Kindle!)
A Head in Bad Times
!!!!
Ma parole!
If any of it strikes a chord, consider the play titled 'Asterisk' on that larger list.
bonne et prospère année
Of course ... BUT remember, I am highlighting what all of Germany will be reading !!!!
(i make no claim to ACCEPT any of these canards !!!)
;-))
Great to SEE you at CFR btw !!
That quote within a quote from "journalist Pablo Manríquez" is arrant nonsense.
Eye-opening. Enlightening to see how the U.S. fits into this puzzle of change...and it's seems constant these days.
Interesting compilation. If I had any comment, I'd start with something banal, the Macron response to the Depardieu kerfuffle. Through no fault of his own, David has picked up mis-translations of key words in this reported French dialogue. First, the word 'shocked' is never used. The French verb choquer in the original, is 'je suis choqué'. The verb means to 'disturb' or 'upset'. To translate choquer as 'to shock' is what linguists call a false transference, or as they say in French 'un faux ami'.
This means that Macron, questioned on a TV panel, said, 'Sure, I was disturbed by the reports of his behavior'... and Macron's minister of Culture said 'j'ai été très choquée par...', meaning 'I was very disturbed'. The English verb 'to shock' most often implies surprise and even admiration: 'He looks shockingly fit for his age'. However, nobody in France is ever 'shocked' by anything Depardieu does or says. Is that a quibble? Not really; in politics the nuance is critical.
Secondly, Macron was admirably republican (generic term) in his 'defense' of Depardieu; all he said was 'We don't rescind Legion of Honor medallions given to artists, who may say scandalous things, as many artists tend to do'.
Incidentally, the Légion d'honneur, in addition to its very distinguished ranks, includes many ward heelers and shady figures like sports team moguls. I refer people to the 1894 farce by Georges Feydeau entitled 'The Ribbon', where a fictional Dr. Paginet connives for a Legion of Honor by marrying off his niece to man connected to a State Minister, all in recognition of Paginet's research on 'the non-existence of biological microbes'. (Shades of Trump's Kung-Flu line!) In the end he is going to get it, but there's a twist.
Thanks ever so much, Walter...I do always try for an 'interesting compilation' ... and always very much appreciate every attentive reader !
A few comments on your commentary, however ... I am not a linguist, but I have spoken French and lived in France off and on for more than half a century. Larousse, however (the ultimate authority, after the dictionary of the Immortels of the Académie Française ) does translate in both directions 'shocked' and 'choqué' ...and knowing Macron quite well (he did award me my Légion d'honneur two years ago), I am confident that he would use 'shocked' if he were discussing this in English...sorry, Walter.
As for views of Depardieu I must respectfully disagree.....many of my younger and especially younger French friends HAVE been quite SHOCKED by this ugliness of Depardieu who has lost (perdu!) much of his allure.
Indeed, Légions d'honneur have been rescinded for far less in the course of its long history since Napoleon awarded the first.
I am sorry no one has seen fit to award you the Légion d'Honneur. I am, however, most proud to wear my red ribbon on each of my vestes.
Heureusement, whatever Americans do with respect to Donald Trump next year, I remain quite confident he will never be awarded that decoration!
I appreciate your reply!
I was questioning the particular translation of this particular set of quotes, not the dictionary offerings.
Yes, formally speaking choquer can mean 'to shock'. However, it's not the first word for shock in idiomatic French (compared to bouleverser, secouer, scandaliser, even estomaquer); and secondly, in contextual politics, it almost always means 'I was disturbed'. Even 'ça ne me choque pas' usually means That's OK by me.
That's my only quibble. I won't go into my French qualifications, but would never aim at disrespecting the distinction per se, even if it was once called the Jerry Lewis Award. Give my regards to the Ordre national!
Bravo tous les Ordres !!
Je dis pas le contraire!
Et joyeuse fêtes à vous et à vos bien-aimés.
INCIDENTALLY ... your works look fabuleux ...
https://www.independentauthornetwork.com/walter-bruno.html
I shall order a couple and dip in!!! Merci mille fois !!
d.
Là je suis comble!
Le monsieur est bien trop bon pour moi.