"capitalisme sauvage"

[Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>]

From Monday's IHT, article by the Europhile William Pfaff.



PARIS America's troubles with the rest of the world mainly involve China
and Western Europe. France, in Washington's view, is chiefly responsible
for the tension with Europe. Congress, the foreign policy bureaucracy and
most of the policy community see France as behind the European Union
policies that most upset Washington. For some, France now has become "the
enemy."

The French are the leading critics of what they call the capitalisme
sauvage of the United States. They resist the globalist deregulation
sponsored by the United States since the early 1990s. They have led the
resistance to U.S. efforts to give international business interests
priority over national law in trade agreements.

The French want regulation of international financial transactions and
promotion of developing countries' interests. They want to enlarge
compliance with international law. They want to increase the influence of
international civil society.

.......


France's ability to influence the European Union comes from its
intellectual and bureaucratic capacities and, above, all, because it knows
what it wants for Europe: European autonomy and global influence equal to
or better than (the French are not modest) that of the United States.

While some other West Europeans are nervous about these political
ambitions, they agree with France that there is a European model of society
and economy which in crucial respects is different from that of the United
States, and which they intend to defend. This has to do with social
welfare, equality, meritocracy and the importance of nonmaterialistic values.

.......


 It is chiefly a cultural clash, and for that reason it could prove a
creative one, with benefits for both sides.


[That it is not. Ultimately it is about the relative share the USA and
Europe have of aggregate total capital. - CB]

Chris Burford

London