Trump and the lessons of history
Michel Lafont, Saint-Etienne-des-Oullières (Rhône)
I am 77 years old and I helplessly witness the collapse of our 21st century. The coming to power of two “fictional” characters, Donald Trump and Elon Musk, in the most powerful country in the world, portends future global, commercial or armed conflicts. As if no lessons had been learned from the two world wars of the 20th century. (“ Donald Trump or the imperialist temptation », L’Express of January 23.)
Happiness according to Comte-Sponville…
François de La Vaissière, Vernon (Eure)
What a joy to have invited André Comte-Sponville to present his vision of the world. In a society gone mad, where deputies are vociferous, where rulers are sadly inactive, where great empires are falling into imperialism, where the French no longer have a taste for work, where thugcracy proliferates, here is a wise man who dares speaking in a gentle and peaceful way about death, religion, spirituality, and who presents his political preferences without passion or proselytizing. May L’Express continue on this path by raising philosophy to the level of things vital for the spirit and saving for our decay. (“ André Comte-Sponville: his last lesson in wisdom », L’Express of January 16.)
…is not unanimous
Christian Lavialle, Toulouse (Haute-Garonne)
The interview with André Comte-Sponville is well conducted, rich and therefore very interesting. However, I do not agree with him when he says that life has an end that we should be able to choose when the time comes… unless we prefer death to life and not the other way around. To finally think, following Freud, that the evangelical message was designed to satisfy “our strongest desires” seems ridiculous to me. In reality, this message, which comes through the cross that each person carries, is demanding, something that few humans spontaneously desire. Paradise therefore does not come from the order of desire, but from effort. (“ André Comte-Sponville: his last lesson of wisdom », L’Express of January 16.)
The drop in births is good news!
Marian Ion, Paris
I deplore the somewhat catastrophic tone of Maxime Sbaihi’s remarks about the drop in births. For a long time, in fact, cries of alarm focused on the risks linked to overpopulation and a lack of resources. Why would demographic decline have become harmful, especially in a context of ecological crisis? (“ Maxime Sbaihi: “France is sinking down the slope of the birth rate“, L’Express of January 9.)
Socialists and Equity
Patrick Durix, Pouilly-les-Nonnains (Loire)
François Bayrou’s concessions to the Socialist Party to avoid a motion of censure take us further away from fairness. In fact, the number of waiting days in the event of work stoppage in the public sector was finally kept at one while it rose to three in the private sector. It certainly happens that large companies take this difference into account. But what about employees in crafts and SMEs in construction, commerce or crafts? This is a fragmented electorate which, obviously, does not interest many people… (“ Waiting days: Anne Genetet defends “equal treatment” between public and private », on Lexpress.fr).
Impressive Russian spies
Louis Causero, Essey-lès-Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle)
I read with interest – and great surprise – your investigations into Russian spies in France. How could supposedly exemplary elected officials act against their country? The interview with Thierry Wolton demonstrates the genius of Soviet espionage and also our weakness. Let us hope that our Republic mobilizes its counter-espionage services to improve their effectiveness; the articles from L’Express should contribute to raising awareness. (“ Russian spies at the heart of the Elysée », L’Express of December 19.)
Explore our Infographics section
What economic situation is Syria in after the fall of Bashar al-Assad? Why is Donald Trump accusing Canada of allowing fentanyl to enter the United States? And what are the latest figures for the seasonal flu epidemic raging in France? To answer these questions, the entire magazine team is working together to help you decipher the news using interactive data visualizations. This fall, L’Express has indeed acquired an “Infographics” section run by our data journalist, Mathias Penguilly and by members of the Digital department. All their articles are available in the dedicated section, on the home page of our site: www.lexpress.fr.
And here is the link to the “Infographics” section on the site, if you want to make a QR Code: https://www.lexpress.fr/infographies/