Michel Pinçon (1942–2022)

> Babelio : https://www.babelio.com/livres/Pincon-La-violence-des-riches--Chronique-dune-imm...
> Voir un extrait : https://books.google.fr/books?id=ovtWBAAAQBAJ&hl=fr&printsec=frontcover&...

> Voici un de ces livres qui devrait susciter au minimum indignation, courroux, voire un désir irrépressible de révolte immédiate contre le capitalisme, dénommé ici "néo-libéralisme", qui porte en lui destructions, misère et inégalités foncières. En France, les 10 % les plus aisés possèdent en moyenne 552 300 €, sans parler des oeuvres d’art, lesquelles n’entrent pas dans le calcul de l’impôt sur les grandes fortunes. Les avoirs des plus modestes oscillent autour de 2700 €, 0,1% du patrimoine global des ménages. La violence des rapports sociaux, réelle, car broyeuse d’existences et annihilatrice de tout projet d’avenir pour tant de citoyen(-ne)s, est aussi "symbolique". La multitude, gavée par les billevesées qu’inculquent médias et agences de communication, intériorise les schémas de domination comme quasiment légitimes, "normaux", inéluctables. Les oligarques de toutes obédiences avancent "sous le masque de la démocratie et des droits de l’homme, avec cette capacité à transformer, par l’intermédiaire du droit et de l’art, leurs intérêts particuliers en bienfaits pour la collectivité". Mais, "la perpétuation de ce système économico-politique déboucherait sur une déflagration mondiale, une régression atroce, avec l’obscurité de la nuit réactionnaire pour quelques siècles". René Hamm. --Revue Silence, mars 2014… (mer)

I read this as part of the research for my book, as I wanted to know how I could create a believable villain from the dominating class (the rich, the politician, the judges and the finance) and understand the motivation of this character.

I was however struck by the fact that the reality was way beyond than my wildest fantasies. At some point I had to take a break, remembering myself that this is a non-fictional piece of research done by two of France most famous sociologists, not a apocalyptically horror story about a corrupt society in an other dimension. The power of the neo-liberal bourgeoisie (the wording of the authors) has penetrated every part of the French society to a point where you ask yourself if there's any way back to a democratic republic build on equality. Because of the professionalization of the politic, there's no such a thing as political parties any more. All politicians have the same background and the motivation, to keep the dominated class dominated. It's only a different warping. The numbers doesn't lie, the rich are getting richer on the back of the workers and the poor are getting poorer.

And this is not a French problem only, this is according to the authors a global problem. There is no way you can understand the upper class in France without its links to that of the UK, the US, Switzerland or the world as a whole. The world is their playground and they laugh at the national populist politicians who points to the immigrants as the cause of the failing labour marked and financial problems, while they all know they are themself causing it by their greed. Knowing this, it is a shame there's no translation of this book, which I take as a proof of what the authors are stating. The rich and mighty don't want you to know.

And you know it is true when you read the critique of the book (added in the end of my copy) done by members from the dominating class, dismissing the work as communist propaganda, as they defend their class interests as common interests, and hid their crimes in their blame.… (mer)