What Is France in Need of in This Day and Age? Isn't It a Trump à la Française?

While Sébastien Laye believes that France’s economic collapse is inevitable and has been calling his country therefore nothing less than an Utter Merde-Show, his fellow author Nicolas Conquer — who has left his role as one of ROF's spokesmen (while remaining involved with the group) to become the founder of the Western Arc think tank — has just published a book saying that the solution is looking towards a French Trump. Or a Trump à la française, if you will.   

Subtitled "French Anger, American Mirror", Nicolas Conquer's book is described as follows by Fayard and by Amazon: 

America is not a model. It is a mirror. 

From the plains of the Midwest to the hedgerows of the Cotentin peninsula, the same anger rumbles, the same divide widens, the same yearning for a representative figure grows. Trumpism is not an American phenomenon. It is a symptom that is now ours [here in France]. 

A French-American citizen, a spokesperson for Republicans Overseas France, and a candidate in the Manche department, Nicolas Conquer has experienced the political realities on both sides of the Atlantic. He is not predicting the arrival of a "French Trump." He is proving that he is already on his way. 

Will you recognize him when he emerges? 

Fayard et Amazon :

L’Amérique n’est pas un modèle. Elle est un miroir.  

Des plaines du Midwest aux bocages du Cotentin, la même colère gronde, la même fracture s’élargit, la même attente d’incarnation monte. Le trumpisme n’est pas un phénomène américain. C’est un symptôme qui est désormais le nôtre.

Franco-américain, porte-parole de Republicans Overseas France, candidat dans la Manche, Nicolas Conquer a connu les réalités politiques des deux rives de l’Atlantique. Il ne prédit pas l’avènement d’un « Trump français ». Il prouve qu’il est en train d’arriver.

Saurez-vous le reconnaître quand il surgira ?

The book was reviewed in Valeurs Actuelles by Thomas Morel, while the founder of the Western Arc think tank appeared on the Les Français podcast (17-18 minutes).

AN UTTER MERDE-SHOW: In France, Meanwhile, Everything Is Paralyzed by "Useless Politicians" Across the Board

A couple of weeks after calling France’s economic collapse inevitable, Sebastien Laye has penned a new article on the subject of "France's descent into ungovernability" and "its useless politicians", titled An Utter Merde-Show.

While Italy, Greece and Spain have brought down their budget deficits to levels commensurate with EU rules … The exception is France, which for three years has run a huge deficit of over 5% of GDP. … France has failed even to pass a budget for 2026. It now faces the latest in a series of parliamentary battles to adopt one by the end of the month.

 … The budgetary impasse is one symptom of a deeper malady: a severe case of collective political uselessness. Emmanuel Macron is entering the last 15 months of his presidency. He can still act internationally but is a lame duck at home, viewed favourably by less than 20% of the French. His centrist coalition holds 161 of the 577 seats in the splintered National Assembly, making it virtually impossible to get anything done. The populist right and left delight in Mr Macron's paralysis. It is a dismal spectacle at a critical time, and everyone shares some of the blame.

 … France is paralysed, and … Every major actor in French politics should be ashamed. 

[Indeed,] one should not spare from blame the voters, who failed to appreciate Mr Macron's successful economic policies, refuse to accept that the welfare system needs reform and keep voting for the most irresponsible politicians.

Nonetheless, Sébastien Laye believes that, generally, the French are more fiscally conservative than generally believed. He is preparing articles for Valeurs Actuelles and l'Express this week on the economic policies of Donald Trump after his first (or his fifth) year in the White House (far from incomparable to Trump's '50 Wins in 50 Days').

Dilbert in Tears: RIP Scott Adams, the Cartoonist Who Predicted Donald Trump's First Victory

"Good-bye, friend," to Scott Adams, the Dilbert cartoonist who had been suffering from cancer and, as of today, is no longer with us.

I did a search of Scott Adams on the blog, and was surprized how often I had linked his cartoons offer the years. Here are two of the best…

The White House has been among the first to react:

Michael Walsh: "war may be hell but it is often necessary"

 

From the epilogue of Michael Walsh's Last Stands (Why Men Fight When All Is Lost): Echoing the Protest Warriors' tongue-in-cheek T-shirt "War has never solved anything (except for ending Nazism, Fascism, slavery, etc…)" — thanks for the Instalink — Michael Walsh writes that

 … war may be hell but it is often necessary. This may be regrettable, but unless one is a member of a suicide cult, it does neither an individual nor a nation any good to deny. In our iconoclastioc era, in which a segment of the American population thinnks it is somehow cathartic to tear down statues of great men of the past because they lacked the foresight to see how their actions and attitudes might play out hundreds or even thousands of years in the future, there can be no disagreement with transitory orthodoxy. The animated warriors of the "social justice" movement are quite brave when confronting inanimate objects; one wonders how far this bravado would extend to an existential threat. Let's hope we never have to find out, although one suspects they would suddenly discover the joys of conscientious objection, or a "Higher loyalty" to nonviolence over their preferred goal of international, borderless brotherhood.  

… The Kellogg-Briand Pact, signed in Paris in 1928, bound its signers to renounce war. … Eleven years later, World War II broke out, rendering the treaty nugatory and resulting in the disappearance of several of the signatories. 

 … Contemporary pacifists and feminists will argue that war is the result of "toxic masculinity," and that in a female-dominated world disputes will be amicably settled by tribal councils of conciliation and jawboning. Why, then, are contemporarty feminists so adamant about women in the military? Why do they insist, against all historical and empirical evidence, that women are the equals of men in every respect, including physical strength and and the nature of their enotions? Their ideal, the now-obsolete United Nations, is a monument on the East River to the naïveté of Kellogg-Briand. What has the UN brought us? Wars that drag on forever with "peacekeepers" in blue helmets there to referee, a bloated bureaucracy occupying valuable Manhattan real estate, and outbreaks of rape and exploitation in various hot zones around the world. Winston Churchill never said anything stupider than "jaw-jaw is better than war-war" — rich coming from a man who also said (of his experience on the North-West Frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan), "Nothing on life is so exhilarating than to be shot at without result."

 … Santayana's oft-quoted aphorism, "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it," is in a way supererogatory; the past will recur whether we remember it or not. Remembering it and learning from it, however, at least gives us a fighting chance.

Related: From 10 years ago: Greatest of all warriors on earth, the American soldier is capable of fighting fiercely, loving gently, living nobly, and forgiving totally

Comparing Renee Nicole Good to Charlie Kirk

Now all we need to do is wait for Leftists across the nation to be celebrating the death of Renee Nicole Good, calling her bigoted and hateful and ranting that the bullet (or the several bullets) to her head was/were entirely deserved. Oh wait! She is not linked to the right, so… No. 

No no no — instead she gets oppressed status, also known as the poor innocent victim treatment… Of course, Charlie Kirk never tried to run over his shooter (or anybody else, for that matter) with his car, but there you have it… (Thanks to Sarah for the Instalink.)

Speaking of which: Over at Instapundit —

One thing we know for certain.

If Renee Nicole Good had been killed by an illegal alien, it would not have even made the news. pic.twitter.com/TzeOBxQrLi

— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) January 8, 2026

Update — again from Instapundit:

I don't remember any Democrats holding protests for this white woman who was killed, or calling for action to stop it from happening again. I never once heard them yell "say her name."

They are hypocrites—disgusting, two-faced POS who protect criminals. pic.twitter.com/0rWdeAShd6

— Sadie (@Sadie_NC) January 9, 2026

EUROPE'S VIAGRA — French Radio Debate: Is Donald Trump the Old Continent's "Greatest Danger" or Is He "Europe's Viagra"?

When Philippe Karsenty was invited to a 21-minute debate on SudRadio with a French socialist about Donald Trump's latest actions (notice how PK cannot help smiling when Emma Rafowicz mentions Thierry Breton), the spokesman for le Comité Trump France pointed out that far from being Europe's "greatest danger", POTUS47 was the "Viagra of Europe". 

According to Philippe Karsenty, therefore, as Jean-François Achilli reports in his article, 

Donald Trump is in fact not breaking with Europe but is seeking to awaken it. He specifically cites J.D. Vance’s February 2025 speech, in which the American vice president had attacked Europe from every angle. According to him, this break with the Old Continent was actually “a declaration of love for Europe” that meant: “Wake up, you are totally collapsing!”

Throughout the debate, of course, the left-leaning guest seems incapable of letting Karsenty speak without interrupting him constantly. (Merci à Sarah pour l'Instalien.)

Le Grand Matin | La Vérité en Face 

Par Jean-François Achilli avec Philippe Karsenty, Emma Rafowicz 

Groenland : Trump, dangereux pour l'Europe et la France ? 

Épisode du mardi 6 janvier 2026 

---

Groenland : Donald Trump est-il dangereux pour l'Europe et la France ? Débat Philippe Karsenty (Comité Trump France) x Emma Rafowicz (PS) 

Les invités

Philippe Karsenty

Porte-parole du Comité Trump France

Emma Rafowicz

Députée européenne PS

Donald Trump : « Viagra de l’Europe » ou « plus grand danger » du Vieux-Continent ? 

  “Without the United States, the war in Ukraine would be over and done with.” 

 … Philippe Karsenty, spokesperson for the Trump France Committee, asserts that the United States remains an indispensable ally for European interests. “Without the United States, the war in Ukraine would be over and done with,” he maintains. Beyond its support, Trump could even be “the last American president who loves Europe,” according to him. 

Thus, Donald Trump is not breaking with Europe but is seeking to awaken it. He specifically cites J.D. Vance’s February 2025 speech, in which the American vice president had attacked Europe from every angle. According to him, this break with the Old Continent was actually “a declaration of love for Europe” that meant: “Wake up, you are totally collapsing!”

Donald Trump : « Viagra de l’Europe » ou « plus grand danger » du Vieux-Continent ?  

« Sans les États-Unis, la guerre en Ukraine serait finie et pliée »

Face à elle, Philippe Karsenty, porte-parole du Comité Trump France, affirme que les États-Unis restent des alliés indispensables aux intérêts européens. « Sans les États-Unis, la guerre en Ukraine serait finie et pliée », estime-t-il. Au-delà de son aide, Trump pourrait même être « le dernier président américain qui aime l’Europe » d’après lui.

Ainsi, Donald Trump ne rompt pas avec l’Europe mais cherche à la réveiller. Il évoque notamment le discours de J.D. Vance en février 2025, où le vice-président américain avait enfoncé l’Europe par toutes les portes. Selon lui, cette rupture avec le Vieux continent était en réalité « une déclaration d’amour à l’Europe » qui signifiait : « Réveillez-vous, vous êtes totalement en train de vous effondrer ! ».

Related — wretchardthecat: Days after Europeans denounce US action in Venezuela they anticipate collecting debts from proceeds.

After Venezuela, How Far Will Trump Go? During a French TV Debate on the Capture of Maduro, Some Male Guests Sound like the Hysterical Ladies from "The View"

Monday, Isaac Barchichat was invited on TF1's Darius Rochebin talk show for an LCI debate on Trump's amazing capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro, but the ROF spokesman did not appear until after 57 minutes had passed, most of the other guests being partly or entirely against Donald Trump, qualified by some as an imperialist, a "gangster," and a "predator."

Regarding said guests, at least two of whom seem to be former generals or officers in the French Army, one member of Republicans Overseas France said that "the 'men' that Isaac has to debate on LCI sound more and more like the 'ladies' on The View."

LCI :

Le 22h Rochebin du lundi 5 janvier 2026 - Édition spéciale : après le Venezuela, jusqu'où ira Trump ? 

Au sommaire : Nicolas Maduro : exfiltration, hélico... les images historiques. Trump envisage une intervention en Iran (presse). Groenland : Trump va-t-il attaquer l'OTAN ? Trump : la Chine, le seul ennemi qui l'inquiète ?

TF1 : 

Jan 6, 2026 22H Rochebin

Au sommaire : Nicolas Maduro : exfiltration, hélico... les images historiques. Trump envisage une intervention en Iran (presse). Groenland : Trump va-t-il attaquer l'OTAN ? Trump : la Chine, le seul ennemi qui l'inquiète ?

LCI :

Le 22h Rochebin du lundi 5 janvier 2026 - Édition spéciale : après le Venezuela, jusqu'où ira Trump ?

Publié aujourd'hui à 0h00

Au sommaire : Nicolas Maduro : exfiltration, hélico... les images historiques. Trump envisage une intervention en Iran (presse). Groenland : Trump va-t-il attaquer l'OTAN ? Trump : la Chine, le seul ennemi qui l'inquiète ?

ROF: 

Tonight at 22H50 watch Isaac Barchichat, spokesperson Republicans Overseas France France, on LCI to debate Trumps amazing capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro. Don't miss it! Ce soir à 22h50 regardez Isaac Barchichat, porte-parole des Republicans Overseas France, sur LCI pour débattre de la capture spectaculaire du dictateur Nicolas Maduro par Trump. Ne manquez pas ça !

Fatal Mistake: China Won’t Bleed for You — Venezuela's Maduro Just Proved It

On LinkedIn, Sébastien Laye makes the following remarks:

China Won’t Bleed for You — Maduro Just Proved It.

Being China’s Partner Is a Fatal Mistake.

China spent over $100 billion propping up Venezuela — then watched as its “ironclad ally” was arrested and flown out in a flawless U.S. operation.

China’s “all-weather partnership” collapsed in real time, and the brutal lesson every regime flirting with Beijing just learned:when pressure hits, China doesn’t protect you. It exposes you.

Related: "Venezuela's Suicide" — Democrat whipsaw from one policy priority to the next: In 2018, Leftists Decried "A Failed State" Under Chavez and Maduro

• Once Again: Thanks, President Trump, for an Astounding Birthday Gift (This'll Be the Second Time…)

• From 2018: If you are wondering why you haven’t seen Venezuela's starving mobs on the news, it’s because the country is a Socialist disaster area that was once being used as a model by the left

• From 2016: Whether implemented by a mob or a single strongman, collectivism is a poverty generator, an attack on human dignity, and a destroyer of individual rights 

• From 2014: The U.S. and the Venezuelan administrations couldn’t be more similar: Chávez was the Obama of South America, and Maduro was his Biden 

• From 2013: Comparing Chávez to De Gaulle, French Government Minister Says: "The world would benefit from having many more dictators like him" 

• From 2010: Meta-capitalists are natural allies of the communists … What we have is a gigantic symbiosis of all globalist and statist forces around the world 

• From 2008: Is it safer to walk around in Baghdad than it is in Caracas? Hugo Chávez's socialist "sea of happiness" resembles a war zone 

"Venezuela's Suicide" — Democrat whipsaw from one policy priority to the next: In 2018, Leftists Decried "A Failed State" Under Chavez and Maduro

 

Duncan Hill brings us 

A reminder from 2018, Venezuela's Suicide, in Foreign Affairs, as to why action was warranted. 

Since Foreign Affairs is no friend of Trump, this article makes a good reference. 

However, typical of Foreign Affairs, the article ends with an idealistic solution (spoiler alert… just kidding… you can guess how it ends)… no military intervention. 

I suppose, if you're a magazine about diplomacy, anything else is unthinkable… even if necessary. Check out the video in [the Twitchy article] which reveals the hypocrisy of the Dems… their nonsense is getting old.

   

Duncan Hill is referring to Maduro Madness: Dems Who Condemned Trump for Not Removing the Venezuelan Dictator Are Furious When He Went Ahead and Did Exactly That by Warren Squire in addition to Maze Moore's X tweet and video at the bottom of this post. (Gracias a Sarah.)

This allows Damian Bennett a moment of glee:

What I love is the whipsaw from one policy flub priority to the next: busting wife beaters and child traffickers from CECOT, to the "your pain, our gain" "won by losing" Schumer Shutdown, to ballroom bawling, to defending massive government fraud, to "Trump said he was going to lower the price of eggs!" (not even second full day in office; oh, he and Ag Sec Brooke Rollins did that), to "You can't bomb the peaceable mullahs!", to claiming every diplomatic triumph is really part of a Biden master plan* Trump inherited, to "Release the Epstein files or else! NO! Wait!" -- dear God in Heaven, it just goes on and on and on and on. There is no rake they will not seek out and step on. I love the whipsaw because every Dem schtick has the half-life of a Steven Miller snort or a Scott Jennings eyeroll. The Dems know this. They're so desperate, everyone in the once disciplined party monolith is a free agent. The leadership may be scripted -- ridiculous, but same page ridiculosity -- but there are plenty of improv Dem jackasses jockeying for Orangeman Bad panelist slots. Essentially, the DNC has become an open mic (every) night improv venue. And Dems will say anything. ANYTHING! ANYTHING to try and throw shade on the Trump admin. It's pathetic, and what's delicious about the patheticism, is the Dems know it. They know while being maquillaged, they know it in the green room, they know it taking a seat, they know it when the red light cues them, and they especially know it when words leave their mouths -- AND! -- and a clip of those words is uploaded to the graveyard of morons, scil., the forever-everland of YouTube. 

* CNN reports unnamed exiting Biden staffers saw it rolled up in an empty Häagen-Dazs short pint of Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle left under the Resolute Desk; easy to follow bullet points, countries involved highlighted in yellow, RTG.

Meanwhile the Trump administration goes from strength to strength. Consider this, anyone in the Trump WH at the executive level (and probably several rungs down as well) would prove more capable a president than everyone in the Dem ranks. I would love someday to have a President Karoline Leavitt. Team Trump is the party of smart achievers. The Dems are the party of stupid. Self-actualized and inescapably self-aware stupid. But credit due, boldly, courageously stupid. Cut one down, nine talking heads spring up! Take two: imagine Rocky, but instead of Rocky Balboa going 15 rounds, it's cornerman Hakeem 'Paulie' Jeffries slobbering on Sean 'Apollo Creed' Spicer's bootlaces. 

And best BEST BEST, absolute BESTEST of all -- Team Trump doesn't give a flying Boasberg F*CK about the Dems and their snark and foot stomps and incontinent rage wee-wee and weak-tea minacity or the splintered socialist broomstick up their collective bum. 

What is not to love here? Help me out. What am I missing?

Related • And from 2016: Whether implemented by a mob or a single strongman, collectivism is a poverty generator, an attack on human dignity, and a destroyer of individual rights 

• And from 2014: The U.S. and the Venezuelan administrations couldn’t be more similar: Chávez was the Obama of South America, and Maduro was his Biden 

• And from 2013: Comparing Chávez to De Gaulle, French Government Minister Says: "The world would benefit from having many more dictators like him" 

• And from 2010: Meta-capitalists are natural allies of the communists … What we have is a gigantic symbiosis of all globalist and statist forces around the world 

• And from 2008: Is it safer to walk around in Baghdad than it is in Caracas? Hugo Chávez's socialist "sea of happiness" resembles a war zone 

• And from yesterday: Once Again: Thanks, President Trump, for an Astounding Birthday Gift (This'll Be the Second Time…)

• Again, from 2018: If you are wondering why you haven’t seen Venezuela's starving mobs on the news, it’s because the country is a Socialist disaster area that was once being used as a model by the left

During Trump's first term Maduro stayed in power after an illegitimate election.

The MSM/Democrats repeatedly claimed that Maduro remaining in power was proof that Trump was "Putin's puppet."

Everyone in this video will now be condemning Trump. It's so pathetic. pic.twitter.com/EpCcOxESNP

— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 3, 2026

Once Again: Thanks, President Trump, for an Astounding Birthday Gift (This'll Be the Second Time…)

Today is the shared birthday, exactly five years apart to the day, of the two most prolific bloggers of No Pasarán (half a dozen altogether) for the past 21 — soon 22 — years (a thought for the late Joe Noussair). 

It is also the second time that a wonderful birthday gift has been given me/us by none other than President Donald J. Trump. 

On January 3, 2020, POTUS45 dropped a bomb on Iran's Qassim Suleimani. It was then that I realized that I had been waiting for a strike — any kind of strike — against the Tehran Mullahs by the American military ever since I was a teen-ager during the Carter administration when I felt so humiliated first by the hostage situation in Tehran's U.S. Embassy and second by Jimmy Carter's failed attempt to rescue them.

Six years later to the day, POTUS47 took out Nicolás Maduro in a different way, literally capturing Venezuela's leader and taking him and his wife out of the country, to an assault ship of the United States and then to New York. (At first, I wasn't quite sure whether the capture took place on January 3 or before midnight on January 2, but the Daily Mail quotes General John Daniel 'Raizin' Cane, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as saying it took place around 1:01 am (ET) or 2:01 am (Venezuela time) on the 3rd.)

Thanks for the birthday gifts, Mister President. The unforgettable birthday gifts… (A gracias también por la Señora Hoyt.)

Be sure to read Instapundit's list of memes and hard truths regarding CONFUSION TO OUR ENEMIES, especially Kurt Schlichter's The 10 Best Things About Trump’s Venezuela Victory.

I Want to Live in Wyoming!

Over in Virginia, a man dreams of living in Wyoming. Why in Wyoming, of all places?! Well, in Wyoming, there is 0% individual income tax and 0% corporate income tax. More to the point, perhaps, says Damian Bennett, is the fact that

It has the second lowest state population density, only 5.97 folk per square mile. [Pause…] Imagine the quiet!

Also check out his half a dozen postcards of the Cowboy State and be sure to download those while hitting the Like button (and perhaps leaving a message).  Far from incidentally, Damian Bennett is also a fan of

Wyoming photographer Lora Webb Nichols (1883-1962); more of her work can be found at Wyoming History Day.​​​​​​​

Conflating Sovereignty with Overregulation: Why is France’s economic collapse inevitable?

The future for the French economy is not looking good, predicts Sebastien Laye, far from it (merci à Sarah pour l'Instalien), as he recommends a video from "the channel that explains you the most fascinating stories of the economy!"

France's economy is on a precarious trajectory, marked by nearly two decades of stagnation in GDP per capita since 2008, coupled with soaring public debt that has risen from 70% to 116% of GDP. Projections indicate it could climb to 125% by 2030. This crisis is exacerbated by chronic budget deficits, the highest public spending among OECD nations, and profound political fragmentation in the National Assembly, where no coalition holds a majority. 

 Key challenges include resistance to fiscal reforms, driven by societal demands for increased state aid without corresponding tax hikes, alongside demographic shifts that intensify spending on an aging population. 

Addressing this requires decisive structural reforms, including spending cuts and revenue enhancements, though political instability and public protests render such measures exceedingly difficult. Without urgent action, France faces deepening economic decline and instability. 

 For a comprehensive analysis, view this insightful video from VisualEconomik EN.

In related news, concerning Trump's (or Rubio's) banning of a handful of EU honchos to the United States, Sebastien Laye goes on to point out that,

Regarding T. Breton: the real problem has nothing to do with the EU/US relationship.

The true problem is that a former executive like Thierry Breton—with a record of significant industrial failures—has emerged as the face of French and European digital power, spending his days on television lecturing everyone.

By conflating sovereignty with overregulation, Europe has not strengthened itself; on the contrary, it has isolated itself.

Thierry Breton has been featured on No Pasarán since 2005, i.e., for the past 20 years. The coverage was rarely positive, and last summer he was fiercely criticized (to his face!) on BFMTV by Philippe Karsenty, who echoes Sébastien, pointedly asking why should we (we Europeans, we Americans, anybody) listen to him criticize Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, when the French critic is known for running his own companies (Athos, Orange) into the ground?… 

France's economy is on a precarious trajectory, marked by nearly two decades of stagnation in GDP per capita since 2008, coupled with soaring public debt that has risen from 70% to 116% of GDP. Projections indicate it could climb to 125% by 2030. This crisis is exacerbated by chronic budget deficits, the highest public spending among OECD nations, and profound political fragmentation in the National Assembly, where no coalition holds a majority. Key challenges include resistance to fiscal reforms, driven by societal demands for increased state aid without corresponding tax hikes, alongside demographic shifts that intensify spending on an aging population. Addressing this requires decisive structural reforms, including spending cuts and revenue enhancements, though political instability and public protests render such measures exceedingly difficult. Without urgent action, France faces deepening economic decline and instability. For a comprehensive analysis, view this insightful video from VisualEconomik EN.

The New Trend in Global Tech: AI Move Signals a Geoeconomic Shift — "Singapore as the West's entry point to siphon talent stifled by China's authoritarianism"

In the New York Times, Sal Khan warns that A.I. will displace workers at a scale not fully realized while Cecilia Kang seems horrified to discover that From A.I. to Chips, Big Tech Is Getting What It Wants From Trump. 

In the meantime, Tech expert Sebastien Laye reads the (I)T leaves and finds them in Singapore: 

Meta's $2B acquisition of Manus—an AI startup with Chinese roots now based in Singapore—signals a geoeconomic shift: Singapore as the West's entry point to siphon talent stifled by China's authoritarianism. It's the ideal US-Asia bridge—China hostile, India chaotic, Japan/Korea integrated. Watch Malaysia/Thailand next; Indochina too China-linked, except French angles. A trend in global tech flows. #Geoeconomics #MetaAcquisition

Meta's $2B acquisition of Manus—an AI startup with Chinese roots now based in Singapore—signals a geoeconomic shift: Singapore as the West's entry point to siphon talent stifled by China's authoritarianism. It's the ideal US-Asia bridge—China hostile, India chaotic, Japan/Korea integrated. Watch Malaysia/Thailand next; Indochina too China-linked, except French angles. A trend in global tech flows. #Geoeconomics #MetaAcquisition

Trump-Zelensky Summit: Republican Educates French TV Panel on the Fact that Europe Is Leaderless While Only Trump Can Advance Towards a Plan for Ukraine Peace

Sunday, Isaac Barchichat was invited on TF1's Darius Rochebin talk show for an LCI debate around the Trump-Zelensky meeting in Mar-a-Lago to bring Putin's Ukraine war to a halt (merci à Madame Hoyt pour l'Instalien).

As Paul Reen put it, the ROF vice-president 

did an excellent job maintaining his calm and educating the other guests on the panel — some of whom had called Charlie Kirk hateful and dangerous — on the fact that Europe is leaderless in finding a solution to the war and demonstrating that only Trump is creating the communication necessary to at least advance toward a settlement albeit slow and painful with the crazy Putin. Bravo Isaac!

LCI:

Edition spéciale du dimanche 28 décembre 2025 -Trump-Zelensky, la rencontre

Au sommaire : Avec Poutine, une conversation "productivité" (Trump). Rencontre Trump-Zelensky, la paix, à quel prix ? Garanties, concessions, l'heure des choix pour Kiev. 

1h42

28 déc. 2025 à 18:20

       

And God… Called Woman Back to Him: RIP BB

 

Et Dieu rappela la femme

FRANÇOIS-GUILLAUME LORRAIN has an in-depth article in the Le Point weekly, which is unusual for not being entirely adulatory (adieulatory?), but which does betray a leftist bent (notably in the second sentence). (Merci pour les Instaliens, Monsieur Driscoll et Madame Hoyt.) 

   

Le Point: 

Bardot has just died. Hadn't she already died a little? It's difficult to survive one's myth, even by remaining reclusive, except to resurface for outbursts that reeked of the far right. The "outrageous" sex symbol had become an indignant old woman. Sunset Boulevard in La Madrague [the name of BB's fisherman cottage]. For women, fame is the tunic of Nessus: the great stars—Garbo, Dietrich, Callas—ended up alone, hidden away, or committed suicide, Marilyn, Romy… 

 When did she begin to die? Perhaps as early as that day in 1958: after yet another Paris Match cover where she was seen on all fours or walking barefoot in minishorts, ogled by hundreds of onlookers in front of the Vachon haberdashery in Saint-Tropez. There she was! Accessible. Because she was the first accessible star in the age of mass culture and mass media. She looked almost like everyone else, or at least like a pretty girl from a wealthy neighborhood. The metal shutter was lowered, the police were called, and she was whisked away amidst insults: trash, slut…

If you don't feel like cutting and pasting lots of French text (especially if it is leftist, unabashedly or otherwise), you can find lots — eighty+ years' worth — of photos of the Sex Kitten at The Daily Mail. Plus check out a couple of short AI videos on Brigitte Bardot's life and career.

Besides her private life, Le Point also presents the movie star's singing career and the icon BB's five unforgettable films with as many trailers. Incidentally, as a kid I watched Viva Maria! on television, expecting the revolutionary movie in Central America to be nothing more than a fun politics-free Western-type action romp (American trailer: Viva Fun! Viva Love! Via Suspense! Viva Striptease! Viva Adventure! Viva Don't Miss It!), and was severely disillusioned when one of the characters — none other than Bardot herself — shouted "private property is theft!" (Later, the other of the two Maria characters in the Louis Malle movie — Moreau, as can be seen in the French trailer — mocks U.S. anti-communism: No, of course "We have no intention of attacking the United States.") Still, that had nothing to do with my not being as attracted to BB as to Raquel Welch.