t’s easy to see parallels between President Donald Trump and
France’s presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.
They’re both populist politicians who have railed against free trade,
talk tough on immigration, have questioned the role of NATO, and
advocate closer ties to Russia.
Anderson Cooper interviewed Le Pen for this week’s 60 Minutes.
“It’s too easy to just say Marine Le Pen is France’s Donald Trump, It’s not that simple.”
“She’s a fascinating character,” Cooper says. A character sees herself as part of a
growing
tide of nationalism that is skeptical of free trade and open borders
sweeping the West, after Britain’s vote to leave the E.U. and the
victory of Donald Trump in the U.S.
Le Pen says this “savage globalization” has ravaged France’s economy,
stripped France of its sovereignty and led to an influx of immigrants
that she believes are changing the national character of the country.
She advocates much tougher immigration laws, and a radical shift in
France’s foreign policy, including renegotiating its place in the
European Union, or else holding a referendum to leave altogether. It
is not a person, its the people.
[original post on 3/6/2017]