Expat or Impat

Impatrié: Newish French word for those persons who decide to come back home after a few (or many) years away from their country.

Well this impat thing is no fun as so many have discovered before me.

See amongst other things the article from Le Monde on 30^th November 2012: “L’amère patrie” (the sour homeland):
http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2012/11/30/impatries-l-amere-patrie_1797400_3224.html.

I am not too sure how it is for many expats from other countries, but as a French expat, coming back home is a real nightmare! I do know some pretty horrid stories about English expats who returned to the UK after many years abroad who also faced some serious problems to fit back into a system where they have basically not existed for too long. But I cannot say if this is the case for any other nationalities, even if I suspect it is not easy at all.

I have the same problems as the Brits returning home: I am French, but I don’t fit in the French box and I don’t fit in the foreigner’s box either!

I would go even further: As far as France is concerned I could even be seen by some as a traitor… Well, if you leave the country, you become suspicious. Why did you really leave?...

Actually, I was like all the others who left. I was looking for a job, any job; a job my own country could not give me!
The mistake was in coming back.

You are French living abroad. You represent the good country; you show the rest of the world that French are the bees’ knees…

Hmm, am I being too cynical?

There are many foreigners, French or otherwise who go abroad singing their own anthem, saying how wonderful they are and how they are there to teach the people of the country they landed in, the real values of life. But not all expats are like that, fortunately. Many love to learn about their new home and its customs.

I have brought back my love of the UK with me, not just by bringing my husband with me. I defend my adopted country all the time and I actually really miss it.

But I still have a French passport and as a French person I should understand and accept the rules of my birth country. Right?

What is wrong with me?!

Sorry guys, but I do know that there is at least another way, and I simply cannot deny it.

Not everything has to be so complicated and written in triplicate. Every single government of my country adds its own layer of laws on top of the others. More bits of paper to fill up, more photocopies to provide, more laws to apply, and more pen pushers to file all this paper…

I suppose I should not have come back, or I should simply pack up and leave again. Yes - but I didn’t come back just because I was a bit tired of good old England. Nope. I came back because my dad is sick and alone and I could not really abandon him.

So here we are stuck in a place I cannot call home anymore.

And I now dream of watching Brucie presenting Strictly Come Dancing, while eating some fish and chips, or maybe a good curry…

Forget “La Marseillaise” I just prefer “God Save The Queen”!

Capitalism and Democracy, which one has really failed? / Capitalisme ou Démocratie, lequel des deux a vraiment échoué ?

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Capitalism and Democracy, which one has really failed?

Capitalism has its heroes, Steve Jobs was one of them and his work will be remembered in history like the work of Bill Gates, his “arch-enemy”. These men have shaped the world of the 21^st century like men before them have shaped the 20^th century, Henry Ford and George Eastman being just 2 of them.

These men had the visions of useful tools for the world to use, for the world to evolve with, and without capitalism they would not have succeeded.

While their names will be remembered through history for a long time to come, who will remember the names of any bankers; evil parasites without any morality, any interest in the future of the world? The only interests they have, always had and will always have, are just themselves and what they can get out of our world. Through time they have become more powerful and today they rule in the background and foreground, unchallenged. They have used capitalism and democracy to create their own despotism, holding entire nations to ransom. They have become the new religion for many too, as they do have their followers.

Well maybe it is time that the best religions can offer be used to retaliate. Forget the gods which have created wars, but bring back morality which all religions always promote. Let us point out the sinners, show them to the world. Let us prove that humans are not just self-absorbed cash lovers. We have seen what the lack of morality can do to our democracies; the lack of morality has made a farce of human rights as well as capitalism. Let us bring back some morality, let us teach it and respect it, as without it our world is just what it is today, crime ridden. Let us show the sinners that their way is not the better way. Let us applaud Steve Jobs and Ghandi and let us point out the sinners, bankers, politicians and others who destroy the lives of their fellow humans faster than some of the most deadly viruses!

Let us use morality to re-shape our law systems. Let us bring morality in democracy to better our world and to avoid more recessions. Let us give a chance to the next Steve Jobs to exist. With the current financial system, he or she will probably never be able to create the next useful tool.

Let us bring about Moralocracy, which can be the only way forward with a new capitalism where making money is good as long as it benefits more than the person making the primary money.

Thank you Dallas Darling…

Capitalisme ou Démocratie, lequel des deux a vraiment échoué ?

Le capitalisme a ses héros ; Steve Job était l’un d’eux et son travail restera a jamais inscrit dans l’histoire, tout comme le travail de son rival Bill Gates. Ces hommes ont modelé le 21eme siècle tout comme des hommes avant eux ont modelé le 20eme siècle ; Henry Ford et George Eastman étant deux d’entre eux. 

Ces hommes ont visionné et créé les outils du futur, des outils que nous utilisons aujourd’hui, des outils qui ont fait évoluer notre monde et sans le capitalisme ils n’auraient surement pas réussi.

Alors que leurs noms resteront gravés dans l’histoire pour longtemps, qui se rappellera les noms des banquiers, parasites machiavéliques, sans un grain de moralité, totalement in-intéressés par le futur du monde ? Le seul intérêt qu’ils ont, a toujours été, et sera toujours, eux même, et ce qu’ils peuvent s’approprier. A travers le temps ils sont devenus plus puissants et aujourd’hui ils règnent, incontestés, à l’arrière plan comme sur le devant de la scène. Ils ont utilisés le capitalisme et la démocratie pour créer leur propre  despotisme ; ils ont rançonné des nations entières. Ils ont même un nombre grandissant de disciples, comme une mauvaise religion.

Et bien, peut-être qu’il est temps d’utiliser ce que les vieilles religions ont de mieux à offrir pour combattre ces despotes. Oublions les dieux principalement responsables de tant de guerres. Je veux parler de moralité que toutes les religions savent promouvoir. Il est temps que les pêcheurs soient montrés du doigt, que le monde les voit pour ce qu’ils sont. Il est temps de montrer que les humains ne sont pas simplement des êtres nombrilistes, fous d’argent. Nous avons vu ce que le manque de moralité a fait de nos démocraties : les droits de l’homme ainsi que le capitalisme sont devenus de véritables farces. Il est temps de remettre la moralité au gout du jour, il est temps de l’apprendre et de la respecter, car sans moralité notre monde est simplement ce qu’il est aujourd’hui, pourri de crimes. Il faut montrer aux pécheurs qu’il y a une autre solution, une meilleure solution pour tous.

Applaudissons Steve Jobs et Ghandi, et levons le voile sur les banquiers, politiciens et toutes autres personnes qui détruisent les vies d’autres humains plus vite que certains virus mortels !

Utilisons les piliers de la moralité pour reconstruire nos systèmes judiciaires, utilisons la moralité pour reconstruire nos démocraties, pour faire de notre monde un monde meilleur et pour éviter toutes nouvelles récessions. Donnons une chance d’exister au prochain Steve Jobs. Avec le système financier actuel, il ou elle n’aura surement pas l’opportunité de créer le nouvel outil qui propulsera notre monde encore plus loin.

Il est temps de lancer la Moralocratie, l’unique vraie solution avec un capitalisme ou faire de l’argent est une bonne chose tant que le résultat apporte quelque chose d’utile à notre monde.

Merci Dallas Darling…