Perspectives

France, a Nation of Sports

The French have a particular penchant for self-deprecation, and many fail to realize that their country is one of the finest sporting nations on […]

By Dominique Mataillet
| November 22, 2022

The Wordsmith

Liberalism, Warts and All

Regularly decried as the source of all evils, liberalism (like democracy) seems to be the worst system – except for all the others that […]

By Dominique Mataillet
| November 21, 2022

Perspectives

“The French Language Is Doing Just Fine, Thank You!”

Who better than this jovial linguist to champion the French language? Bernard Cerquiglini holds a doctorate in literature, formerly directed the Center for French […]

By Dominique Mataillet
| November 15, 2022

The Wordsmith

Hubris Syndrome, a Sickness of Heads of State

From Trump to Putin to Erdogan, many political leaders are suffering from a pathology whose symptoms include the feeling of being omnipotent. […]

By Dominique Mataillet
| September 8, 2022

The Wordsmith

Balderdash, Twaddle, and Other Macronisms

Despite speaking a very refined French, President Emmanuel Macron allows himself the occasional semantic indulgence. […]

By Dominique Mataillet
| August 11, 2022

Culture

French Inventions That Changed the World

From Blaise Pascal’s mechanical calculator to Roland Moreno’s chip card, French innovations have helped shape today’s world. […]

By Dominique Mataillet
| August 4, 2022

Perspectives

What Do French Overseas Territories Want?

Liberty, equality, insularity? The protests in France’s overseas territories that regularly make the news should not deceive anyone. Today, the push for independence has […]