Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninjalawyer
Culture is like land, it's way easier to protect if you have less of it.
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You don't do nuance, do you?
OK , let me break it down. THe French minister wants its to be legal for publishers to set minimum prices. His vision is that France be a culture of independent bookstores, run by friendly, helpful locals . For him, that would be part of the
je nais se quoi that makes up the
quintessence of
la belle France.
Of course this vision may make for more"inefficiency" and more expense, but there is more to the good life than corporate efficency,
n'est-ce pas?
The current alternative may be that France's book culture is beholden to a faraway foreign corporate behemoth with no particular love for things French.His vision comes out of an impulse that's as legitimate as low prices
uber alles. Its the same impulse that drives many communities to reject a Walmart in favor of local produce and local shops.
Its up to the French to decide one way or the other. I see both approaches as equally legitimate.