Unknown inventor running the world: Roland Moreno epitomises my last week?s article that non-aggressive French inventors donate their inventions to charity for others to exploit. In 1974, Egypt-born Frenchman Moreno invented the computer chip that?s used in smart cards. France pioneered smart card usage, France T?l?com in 1983, French banks in 1992. American Express didn?t use it until 1999, and British banks and transport systems later.
Just verify in your own pocket how many chips you use, for banking, shopping, commuting, in your passport, your mobile phone SIM card, among others. Yet when Moreno died last week (April 29), his company Innovatron had only made 150 million euros from an invention that?s touching almost everyone on the planet today. Without Moreno, where would Job?s iPad, iPhone, Samsung?s Galaxy or Nokia be? Or world?s top billionaire Carlos Slim Helu make his $69 billion from Telmex or Airtel?s Sunil Mittal make his $8 billion? Moreno?s chip is converging billions of business dollars where France or Moreno has no role to play. Wasn?t this invention for charity? It shows how un-smart France has become, from being inventive through past centuries to currently losing its AAA Standard & Poor rating and recording the highest unemployment at 10%. Yet French politicians are honouring workers in May Day rallies to woo votes in presidential elections today.
Born in Chicago 1886, May Day reverberates worldwide: Every May Day France?s extreme right National Front holds a rally to honour Joan of Arc. This teenage warrior born 600 years ago symbolises patriotism, she fought to oust the English from France. This year Marine Le Pen, leader of France?s resurgent, anti-mostly Muslim immigrants FN party invoked Joan of Arc?s memory by firmly opposing Anglo-Saxon domination of French politics through NATO and USA that sent French troops to Afghanistan. Actually 1st May commemorates a general strike at Chicago?s Haymarket 1886 demanding an eight-hour workday, where violence broke out killing dozens of workers and policemen. Subsequently, across the world, socialist and communist trade unions recognise May Day for working class rights. Except, ironically, in the US where to avoid any revolutionary character Labour Day is in September. French trade unions in presidential election year highlighting their woes in May Day rallies. Buoyed up by her record high 18% score in the first presidential election round, Marine told her FN followers that she?ll not endorse either presidential candidate. Which has left a big question mark on who will get her party?s 6.4 million votes in today?s election.
Scandals rock French electioneering: Tom and Jerry mudslinging and insult trading are dominating France?s presidential race. Their only TV debate on 2nd May turned into a scrap-fight. Socialist challenger Francois Hollande said President Nicolas Sarkozy was irresponsible, using the global economic crisis as an excuse for broken promises. ?You lie, you little slanderer!? retorted Sarkozy, saying France is Europe?s only country with no recession since 2009. Both rivals are plagued with scandals. Investigative news website Mediapart, founded by left-leaning journalists, published an internal Libyan regime document recording an alleged 2006 illegal funding deal of 50 million euros from Muammar Gaddafi to Sarkozy?s 2007 campaign. Sarkozy dismissed it as ?crude forgery? and sued them. Mediapart?s counter-sued him.
Scandal erupted among Socialists at lawmaker Julien Dray?s birthday bash at a bar in Paris? Rue St Denis, historically associated with prostitution, had invitees including senior party campaign members and Hollande?s former partner Segolene Royal. Segolene furiously walked out when she discovered the guest list had former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, accused of sexual assault in New York and currently under investigation for alleged ties to a vice ring. Hollande categorically declared that DSK, earlier slated to be the Socialist party candidate, now ?no longer has a role in political life?? DSK on his part has allegedly said that for political gain, agents loyal to Sarkozy had a hand in politicizing a sex scandal in May 2011, that cost him his job and political future, as per extracts from Edward Epstein?s upcoming book released to British daily The Guardian.
It seems political disgrace is not new in France. President Val?ry Giscard d’Estaing in 1975 declared president Jean-B?del Bokassa of Central African Republic is ?friend and family member.? France supported him with financial and military backing as he declared himself Emperor 1977. When his empire fell in 1979, Bokassa went into exile and wrote his memoirs. He claimed he?d shared women with Giscard d’Estaing, and gifted him diamonds worth a quarter million dollars in 1973 when he was finance minister. Giscard lost his 1981reelection bid when the scandal broke.
Is the Indian President PRO or priest? India?s also undergoing presidential election in July 2012, but of a very different kind. There?s no direct people?s representation here, the process seems more a monarchical remnant from our colonial past. The difference? Whereas the British monarch comes from family tradition, here, the more puppet-like a candidate appears for the ruling party and its allies, the better his/her chances of getting selected to live in luxury?s lap in the world?s largest presidential palace. Indian politics veers around a few intellectuals in the metros pandering to 20% of the population, while 80% of the country?s poor struggling for a livelihood has no time, inclination or choice to protest against what?s meted out to them in the name of democracy. They come into the picture only when some political party herds them into trucks and buses to show its ?numbers strength? in processions in the metros. Politicians are flying back and forth nowadays touting presidential names, confusing people as to whether they?re selecting an actor for Bollywood films or the president. The semantic is president, but the activity is public relations as India?s brand ambassador, or as a priest who?s required only for officiating ritual maneuvers for upholding people?s mental satisfaction in a belief system.
As French and Indian presidential symphonies pan out, let?s hope people in the two nations benefit economically and in stature, in spite of political rumblings.
Shombit Sengupta is an international Creative Business Strategy consultant to top management. Reach him at http://www.shiningconsulting.com
