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U.S. CEO to France: ‘How Stupid Do You Think We Are?’

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Re: U.S. CEO to France: ‘How Stupid Do You Think We Are?’

#101

Post by maceo »

The letter is a good example of the cognitive dissonance so prevalent amongst the privileged elite. In the same paragraph where he laments that the French government "does nothing" while the Chinese ship tires to France, he predicts French industrial degradation because "its government is more government." Which is it, is it too much government or not enough?

It's this deafness to the meaning of your own words that would allow a loudmouthed industrialist-type to shout "class warfare!" the moment new taxes are proposed on the wealthy. This letter is an unprovoked attack on French working people. And if French working people decide to non-violently retaliate against the company by petitioning for import restrictions, organizing a boycott, etc, it would be wholly justified.

Re: U.S. CEO to France: ‘How Stupid Do You Think We Are?’

#102

Post by maceo »

The letter is a good example of the cognitive dissonance so prevalent amongst the privileged elite. In the same paragraph where he laments that the French government "does nothing" while the Chinese ship tires to France, he predicts French industrial degradation because "its government is more government." Which is it, is it too much government or not enough?

It's this deafness to the meaning of your own words that would allow a loudmouthed industrialist-type to shout "class warfare!" the moment new taxes are proposed on the wealthy. This letter is an unprovoked attack on French working people. And if French working people decide to non-violently retaliate against the company by petitioning for import restrictions, organizing a boycott, etc, it would be wholly justified.

Re: U.S. CEO to France: ‘How Stupid Do You Think We Are?’

#103

Post by conradfr »

gojomo wrote: post #75
rayiner wrote: post #46

What's amusing about the letter is that it shows how even executives buy into cultural stereotypes to justify their activities. The substance of the letter is this: we'd rather buy an Indian or Chinese tire company to get the government subsidies and take advantage of the low cost of labor. The stuff about French workers only working three hours a day is fluff, and on top of that almost certainly exaggerated out of c…

The "three hours a day" is obviously an impressionistic account, but he reports having visited that factory more than once and spoken with its workers. And, as someone who's managed similar factories in other jurisdictions, he'd have some insight about what 'tempo' of production is necessary for profitable operation. So it's not fair to accuse him of imagining this based solely on cultural stereotypes. He has experti…

They work three hours because Goodyear cut the production by ten in that factory.

Re: U.S. CEO to France: ‘How Stupid Do You Think We Are?’

#104

Post by MaysonL »

jacquesm wrote: post #40

Wow, what a total jerk. Regardless of the differences between US, Chinese, Indian and French work ethics the least you could do as a CEO is to learn how to write a polite refusal. When you don't have to insult someone it is probably better not to. Because those pesky French just might publish your less than elegant letters, your stockholders might read those letters and could very well think: "This guy runs the compa…

An interesting, and foreseeable, response from the French minister: “In the meantime,” he added, “rest assured that you can count on me to have the competent government agencies survey your imported tires with a redoubled zeal.” (From the NYT story, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/business/american-executiv...)

Re: U.S. CEO to France: ‘How Stupid Do You Think We Are?’

#105

Post by thetrb »

jacquesm wrote: post #87
stfu wrote: post #38

Is there somewhere already a translation of the French response? http://www.lesechos.fr/economie-politique/france/actu/020257...

One thing that this underscores is one of the subtleties of doing business in France. If this had been a German or a Dutch minister the reply would have been in English, in France the reply is of course in French.

Why would the French minister respond in English to someone who insulted his Country?

Re: U.S. CEO to France: ‘How Stupid Do You Think We Are?’

#106

Post by btilly »

jacquesm wrote: post #100
btilly wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't disagree. However from the point of view of the manufacturer, spending more and getting less isn't a good deal. Contrast with the South Korean model where manufacturers spend more and also get more. Where would you prefer to put a factory?

I'm a big fan of putting factories close to the region where the goods are consumed. In the long run that would seem to make the most sense. Of course, short term economical factors and longer term trends are not always in harmony. As long as CEOs are judged by quarterly earnings reports this will likely remain.

History suggests that the place where the factories are placed eventually becomes a place where goods become consumed.

Re: U.S. CEO to France: ‘How Stupid Do You Think We Are?’

#107

Post by guizzy »

jacquesm wrote: post #95
pcrh wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You forgot: Je vous prie de bien vouloir agréer, Monsieur, l'expression de mes honnêtes et respectueuses salutations.

There is a note of subtlety there that I find hard to translate but my French interpreter detects a very subtle note of sarcasm in that carefully worded salutation. When you've been insulted you can insult back by throwing rotten fish or you can insult back by being very explicitly correct and I sense this is some slight variation of that. Maybe someone who is more experienced in French can confirm or deny that.

It's a very formal salutation. Its inclusion in an otherwise informal message is very sarcastic, and most native french speakers would take it as such.

That's actually what the minister did in his reply.

Re: U.S. CEO to France: ‘How Stupid Do You Think We Are?’

#109

Post by jacquesm »

guizzy wrote: post #107
jacquesm wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a note of subtlety there that I find hard to translate but my French interpreter detects a very subtle note of sarcasm in that carefully worded salutation. When you've been insulted you can insult back by throwing rotten fish or you can insult back by being very explicitly correct and I sense this is some slight variation of that. Maybe someone who is more experienced in French can confirm or deny that.

It's a very formal salutation. Its inclusion in an otherwise informal message is very sarcastic, and most native french speakers would take it as such. That's actually what the minister did in his reply.

I figured as much.

Re: U.S. CEO to France: ‘How Stupid Do You Think We Are?’

#110

Post by jacquesm »

pcrh wrote: post #99
jacquesm wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a note of subtlety there that I find hard to translate but my French interpreter detects a very subtle note of sarcasm in that carefully worded salutation. When you've been insulted you can insult back by throwing rotten fish or you can insult back by being very explicitly correct and I sense this is some slight variation of that. Maybe someone who is more experienced in French can confirm or deny that.

Actually, the sarcasm would only be perceived by an Anglophone. That is a fairly standard salutation in French, further, it is one that indicating that the recipient is of higher status than the sender. French salutations are notoriously flowery and with complex rules (which I have probably gotten wrong here, being primarily an Anglophone myself).

I believe you are wrong about that, but then I did ask someone who was a French native to respond ;)
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