Macron offers US academics, scientists, and entrepreneurs refuge

[FaxModem1]

Reuters

Macron offers refuge in France to U.S. scientists, entrepreneurs
Emmanuel Macron, head of the political movement En Marche !, or Onwards !, and candidate for the 2017 presidential election, attends a campaign rally in Lyon, France, February 4, 2017. REUTERS/Robert Pratta -
Emmanuel Macron, head of the political movement En Marche !, or Onwards !, and candidate for the 2017 presidential election, attends a campaign rally in Lyon, France, February 4, 2017. REUTERS/Robert Pratta -
French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called on U.S. scientists, academics and entrepreneurs at odds with Donald Trump's administration to move to France.

The former economy minister, one of the frontrunners in the upcoming presidential election, urged U.S.-based scientists working on climate change, renewable energy or health issues who were wary of the new political situation to seek refuge across the Atlantic.

"I want all those who today embody innovation and excellence in the United States to hear what we say: from now on, from next May, you will have a new homeland, France," he said.

Rogue Twitter feeds voicing employee concerns at more than a dozen U.S. government agencies have been launched in defiance of what they say are Trump's attempts to muzzle federal climate change research and other science.

Representing scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA and other bureaus, either directly or through friends and supporters, the accounts protest restrictions they view as censorship since Trump took office on Jan. 20.

Without naming Trump in his campaign speech in the southeastern city of Lyon, Macron, a former investment banker, said his "solemn call" was meant to all "researchers, academics and companies in the United States fighting obscurantism and who are afraid today", to join the land of innovation he wants France to be.

Macron's campaign for the Elysee palace has been given a fillip by a scandal over fake pay embroiling his main rival, conservative Francois Fillon, and the nomination of a hard-left candidate to represent the ruling Socialist party.

Macron also had a thinly veiled dig at Trump's intention to build a wall along the Mexico border, comparing it to France's Maginot Line, which in 1940 failed to keep Nazi invaders out of France.

"I don't want to build a wall. I can assure you there's no wall in my program," he told about 8,000 cheering supporters. "Can you remember the Maginot Line?"

(Reporting by Michel Rose, Emmanuel Jarry and Catherine Lagrange, editing by Louise Heavens)

Any takers?

[The Romulan Republic]

I'm glad to see that Macron (who's name I unfortunately mixed up with fictional gangster Marcone, from The Dresden Files ), having won election by defeating one fascist tool of Putin, is starting his term by challenging and contrasting himself with the biggest scumbag of them all. A good start.

Could Macron be setting himself up to emerge as the symbolic leader of global anti-fascism, as Trump has emerged as a figurehead of global neo-fascism (with Big Brother Vladimir pulling the strings)?

[LaCroix]

Possible, but it's also a very good chance to grab a lot of very clever people.

[K. A. Pital]

Macron the benevolent pro-science technocrat! Smart.

[Alyrium Denryle]

It is a nice gesture, but unless it translates into policy I am not sure how useful it is. That article is from February.

[ray245]

There is no certainty that Macron will win the reelection 5 years later.

[General Zod]

Translation: feel free to come here if you're rich or a genius. Otherwise fuck you.

[Ace Pace]

Translation: feel free to come here if you're rich or a genius. Otherwise fuck you.

What would you expect a nation to say? "Yeah, everyone, come on over, we don't have it hard enough".

Every nation prioritises immigration and most countries prioritise immigrants who can contribute to their economy.

[General Zod]

Translation: feel free to come here if you're rich or a genius. Otherwise fuck you.

What would you expect a nation to say? "Yeah, everyone, come on over, we don't have it hard enough".

Every nation prioritises immigration and most countries prioritise immigrants who can contribute to their economy.

That's kind of the thing though. It's basically pandering and doesn't seem to have any meaningful implications.

[Simon_Jester]

There is no certainty that Macron will win the reelection 5 years later.

I bet Macron has a very high likelihood of remaining in office longer than Trump, though...

[General Zod]

There is no certainty that Macron will win the reelection 5 years later.

I bet Macron has a very high likelihood of remaining in office longer than Trump, though...

Honestly a boiled potato could remain in office longer than Trump.

[Elheru Aran]

As far as I'm concerned it's another pointless political gesture. His constituents aren't really going to give much of a shit about the US beyond "oh, look, it's terrible over there, isn't it, our President is such a nice guy he said some of them could come over here if they were in a pinch".

Now if he offered actual benefits and something to motivate people to uproot themselves and move overseas that'd be another story, but I don't see that happening...

[The Romulan Republic]

There is no certainty that Macron will win the reelection 5 years later.

I bet Macron has a very high likelihood of remaining in office longer than Trump, though...

This may very well be true, and I hope it is, but I would warn against overconfidence and complacency. He is still President, he does not yet (appalling though it is) have enough Republican opposition to impeach, and a lot of voter restriction laws or even outright vote tampering can be attempted between now and 2020.

And when I hear people saying how he's going to be gone soon, I can't help but be reminded of all the people (some of them here) saying he couldn't possibly win the election. Just like they said he couldn't possibly win the primary.

Its over when he's convicted and in prison, and not before.

[ray245]

This may very well be true, and I hope it is, but I would warn against overconfidence and complacency. He is still President, he does not yet (appalling though it is) have enough Republican opposition to impeach, and a lot of voter restriction laws or even outright vote tampering can be attempted between now and 2020.

And when I hear people saying how he's going to be gone soon, I can't help but be reminded of all the people (some of them here) saying he couldn't possibly win the election. Just like they said he couldn't possibly win the primary.

Its over when he's convicted and in prison, and not before.

There is an urgent need to really reform the French political system in a really short space of time. He needs to get unemployment down as fast as possible. Failure to do so will cause more people to see him as another Hollande. I don't think this can be achieved in 5 years.

Neither does Macron seem like a person that have a serious interest in really reforming the French system.

[The Romulan Republic]

This may very well be true, and I hope it is, but I would warn against overconfidence and complacency. He is still President, he does not yet (appalling though it is) have enough Republican opposition to impeach, and a lot of voter restriction laws or even outright vote tampering can be attempted between now and 2020.

And when I hear people saying how he's going to be gone soon, I can't help but be reminded of all the people (some of them here) saying he couldn't possibly win the election. Just like they said he couldn't possibly win the primary.

Its over when he's convicted and in prison, and not before.

There is an urgent need to really reform the French political system in a really short space of time. He needs to get unemployment down as fast as possible. Failure to do so will cause more people to see him as another Hollande.

Eh, I'm not sure how that's really a response to what I said, but I'd agree- demagogues win (often by blaming minorities) when their is chronic, large-scale unemployment. La Pen tried that play and failed, but she came second place, and its certainly a valid fear that she will try again if Macron fails to significantly improve things.

On the other hand, I think the US is providing the entire world with a graphic daily demonstration of why electing people like that is a bad idea.

[ray245]

Eh, I'm not sure how that's really a response to what I said, but I'd agree- demagogues win (often by blaming minorities) when their is chronic, large-scale unemployment. La Pen tried that play and failed, but she came second place, and its certainly a valid fear that she will try again if Macron fails to significantly improve things.

On the other hand, I think the US is providing the entire world with a graphic daily demonstration of why electing people like that is a bad idea.

The problem is French population had already rejected the standard options they had by naming Macron and Le Pen as the front-runners. The French voted for Macron because he's pretty much the least worse option of the two.

If Macron fails ( which is highly likely) to make any major reform, there will be enough frustrated and jobless people that would be willing to vote for Le Pen. I've yet to see anything that indicates Macron would command enough influence to actually shake things up in France. He's already having problems finding enough candidates for his party in the upcoming parliament elections.

[The Romulan Republic]

Well, if he lacks the support to change much himself, he's just going to have to hope that a) Trump continues to show the world how bad electing demagogues can get, and b) that events outside of his control lead to improved economic conditions.

Edit: Of course, if the other parties are smart, they'll cooperate as much as they can with Macron, rather than risk giving fuel to the fascists.

[ray245]

Well, if he lacks the support to change much himself, he's just going to have to hope that a) Trump continues to show the world how bad electing demagogues can get, and b) that events outside of his control lead to improved economic conditions.

Edit: Of course, if the other parties are smart, they'll cooperate as much as they can with Macron, rather than risk giving fuel to the fascists.

Assuming the other parties are smart. That's a really big ask. Also, I doubt what is going on in America would make the French stop considering Le Pen as a serious choice. If youth unemployment stays where it is, there will be enough angry unemployed young people to basically vote for a "fuck the world" option.

Human patience has its limits before people go insane with anger.

[Gandalf]

Well, if he lacks the support to change much himself, he's just going to have to hope that a) Trump continues to show the world how bad electing demagogues can get, and b) that events outside of his control lead to improved economic conditions.

Edit: Of course, if the other parties are smart, they'll cooperate as much as they can with Macron, rather than risk giving fuel to the fascists.

I've read people speculating that Trump and his visible buffoonery have made it easier for other countries to reject their own angry right wing populists, because Trump has become the face of the "movement."

[The Romulan Republic]

Well, if he lacks the support to change much himself, he's just going to have to hope that a) Trump continues to show the world how bad electing demagogues can get, and b) that events outside of his control lead to improved economic conditions.

Edit: Of course, if the other parties are smart, they'll cooperate as much as they can with Macron, rather than risk giving fuel to the fascists.

I've read people speculating that Trump and his visible buffoonery have made it easier for other countries to reject their own angry right wing populists, because Trump has become the face of the "movement."

Exactly my point, and I hope the effect has some staying power. Though to really make it stick, the progressive Left needs to offer stronger economic alternatives.

Edit: Its the old "carrot and stick" approach, I guess. On the one hand, we can point to Trump and say "Do you really want that?" On the other hand, though, we need that incentive to actually vote for us to be sure to seal the deal.