Re: Expat Destinations

[Laurent Brondel <laurentbrondel@earthlink.net>]

I have to agree with Stuart, France is not a good destination for a 
bohemian
kind of life, and finding a place to live or a job in Paris is toughŠ But
what destination would be ideal? Practically none.
One thing that I really appreciate here, in the USA, is the relative 
absence
of barriers between classes, I mean a CEO is not addressed to with more
deference than a plumber, generally. It is totally different in Europe,
where social classes are much more defined and noticeable. These are the
remains of very old feudal systems.
One could argue, though, that it is exactly what is brewing in the USAŠ
But at large, life and politics are not really different in Europe, same 
old
deceits and liesŠ
I feel that, in spite of the odds, there is much more hope here, this 
sudden
political debate on a music list is a perfect example. Things start to
change when people see that they're not alone and powerless, so moving to
another destination is just accepting more of the same, and giving in.
People are generally more blasé and apathetic in Europe, a single glance at
the last French presidential elections is illuminatingŠ
Although I'm thinking now of the Florida sham and how the Supreme Court
handed the presidency to GW.Bush and I'm not so sureŠ Anyhow, I think there
are roughly 1.5 millions US soldiers stationed around the world, and the
Pentagon budget is about $500 billions/year and constantly increasingŠ

-- 
Laurent
"The most powerful weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the
oppressed."
Steven Biko



> From: Stuart Wyatt (Solo String Project) <loopers-delight@solostring.com>
> Date: Sat, 4 Jan 2003 18:31:49 +0100
> To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
> Subject: Re: France? (was Expat Destinations)
> 
> Re: France, let me just say that for music, it is very hard to make a
> living. The venues pay badly, and all the good gigs are 'white work',
> which means that you have to go through all the cost and beaurocracy
> trying to get the right papers... This is France....