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If you want an easy way to go long (or short) increased global economic inequality (Gini index) that seems to be the most liquid option. It also speaks volumes

If you want an easy way to go long (or short) increased global economic inequality (Gini index) that seems to be the most liquid option. It also speaks volumes about the true role of Europe in today's global economic landscape: recycling its long tradition of aristocratic affluence and "bon viveur" know-how to feed the needs of the global nouveau riche.

samhuk 4y ago
The country I currently live in - the United Kingdom - even got a nickname because of this: The World's Butler. The reasoning, as far as I understand it, is that the UK gained a notoriety in the 1900's and blair era for always doing (often dirty) favours for the countries that actually do stuff, just like a butler.
- melesian 4y ago
  Just read Moneyland and Butler to the World by Oliver Bullough. Nothing to do with the Blair era -- watch the The Spider's Web on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYfnkLurLA8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYfnkLurLA8
- hollerith 4y ago
  The butler that led the industrial revolution and hosted the 2 most important scientists of all time (Newton and Darwin).
  - FredPret 4y ago
    And Turing!
justeleblanc 4y ago
Using foreign language phrases to show off your knowledge and savvy would work a lot better if you had them right. It's "bon vivant", not "bon viveur".
- agurk 4y ago
  > It's "bon vivant", not "bon viveur" According to Wiktionary bon viveur is a valid [English] synonym of bon vivant[0] although noted as "pseudo French" in wiki[1]. [0] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bon_viveur https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bon_viveur [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_viveur https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_viveur Edit: Clarified that this is an English Language synonym after astute observations from Francophone commenters
  - bionsystem 4y ago
    French here, never heard someone say "bon viveur", pretty sure if you said that in a conversation you would be corrected. "bon vivant" is very common.
  - justeleblanc 4y ago
    The only reference in that wiktionary article is a Polish dictionary. The Wikipedia one has no references. I'm French, and I can tell you with confidence that someone saying "bon viveur" would be met with laughter and contempt. The GP is bashing Europe for "recycling its long tradition of aristocratic affluence" but is at the same time using fancy foreign phrases -- "bon viveur", "nouveau riche"... What is be the reason? Well, to show off and lend credibility to the bashing: "see, I'm part of the circle too, I know the shibboleths; my criticism has more weight because it comes from an insider", is the subliminal message. Using the phrase wrong just looks foolish in these circumstances. Like a child who learned a complicated word and tries to impress with it, but uses it wrong.
    - agurk 4y ago
      I can't comment to how one would use that phrase in French, but in English it does seem to be a correct synonym of the French loan-phrase [0][1] - especially in British English. Looking on n-grams it seems to have been used since the mid 19th century. Interestingly in en-GB it was even more popular than bon vivant in the 70s and 80s[2]. I have no opinion on the GP's original use of the phrase, but I don't think noting that a phrase which evolved in a different language to its origin is now different to the original shows too much. [0] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bon%20viveur https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bon%20viveur [1] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bon-viveur https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bon-viv... [2] https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=bon+viveur%2Cbon+vivant&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=en-GB-2019&smoothing=3 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=bon+viveur%2Cb...

samhuk 4y ago

The country I currently live in - the United Kingdom - even got a nickname because of this: The World's Butler. The reasoning, as far as I understand it, is that the UK gained a notoriety in the 1900's and blair era for always doing (often dirty) favours for the countries that actually do stuff, just like a butler.

melesian 4y ago
Just read Moneyland and Butler to the World by Oliver Bullough. Nothing to do with the Blair era -- watch the The Spider's Web on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYfnkLurLA8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYfnkLurLA8
hollerith 4y ago
The butler that led the industrial revolution and hosted the 2 most important scientists of all time (Newton and Darwin).
- FredPret 4y ago
  And Turing!

justeleblanc 4y ago

Using foreign language phrases to show off your knowledge and savvy would work a lot better if you had them right. It's "bon vivant", not "bon viveur".

agurk 4y ago
> It's "bon vivant", not "bon viveur" According to Wiktionary bon viveur is a valid [English] synonym of bon vivant[0] although noted as "pseudo French" in wiki[1]. [0] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bon_viveur https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bon_viveur [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_viveur https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_viveur Edit: Clarified that this is an English Language synonym after astute observations from Francophone commenters
- bionsystem 4y ago
  French here, never heard someone say "bon viveur", pretty sure if you said that in a conversation you would be corrected. "bon vivant" is very common.
- justeleblanc 4y ago
  The only reference in that wiktionary article is a Polish dictionary. The Wikipedia one has no references. I'm French, and I can tell you with confidence that someone saying "bon viveur" would be met with laughter and contempt. The GP is bashing Europe for "recycling its long tradition of aristocratic affluence" but is at the same time using fancy foreign phrases -- "bon viveur", "nouveau riche"... What is be the reason? Well, to show off and lend credibility to the bashing: "see, I'm part of the circle too, I know the shibboleths; my criticism has more weight because it comes from an insider", is the subliminal message. Using the phrase wrong just looks foolish in these circumstances. Like a child who learned a complicated word and tries to impress with it, but uses it wrong.
  - agurk 4y ago
    I can't comment to how one would use that phrase in French, but in English it does seem to be a correct synonym of the French loan-phrase [0][1] - especially in British English. Looking on n-grams it seems to have been used since the mid 19th century. Interestingly in en-GB it was even more popular than bon vivant in the 70s and 80s[2]. I have no opinion on the GP's original use of the phrase, but I don't think noting that a phrase which evolved in a different language to its origin is now different to the original shows too much. [0] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bon%20viveur https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bon%20viveur [1] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bon-viveur https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bon-viv... [2] https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=bon+viveur%2Cbon+vivant&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=en-GB-2019&smoothing=3 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=bon+viveur%2Cb...