David Amiel - The New Progressivism

1 Cover

2 Front Matter The New Progressivism A Grassroots Alternative to the Populism of Our Times David Amiel Ismaël Emelien Translated by Andrew Brown polity

3 Introduction

4 1 The society of frustration The strange split between left and right The promise betrayed Social, geographical and economic immobility The invisible culprit Political monopolies Notes

5 2 Maximizing possibilities (or the first principle of progressivism) Equality of opportunity is not an opportunity for equality The cult of education rather than the cult of qualifications Innovation versus monopoly Positive discrimination is still discrimination Tomorrow, augmented humanity? Notes

6 3 There are more possibilities when we act together (or the second principle of progressivism) Globalization without submission Diversity without division The individual without individualism Notes

7 4 Starting from the bottom (or the third principle of progressivism) The new administration How can all this be changed? The new mediating bodies, the new local democracy The new pyramid of powers New political movements From fake politics to fake news What is the point? Notes

8 5 Populist suicide Conclusion From frustration to revolt No barracks, kolkhoz or convent Building up a majority Notes

9 Conclusion Notes

10 End User License Agreement

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2 Table of Contents

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David Amiel

Ismaël Emelien

Translated by Andrew Brown

polity

Originally published in French as Le progrès ne tombe pas du ciel © Libraire Arthème Fayard, 2019 This edition © Polity Press, 2020

Script excerpt from ‘Rocky Balboa’ © 2006 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., Columbia Pictures

Industries, Inc. and Revolution Studios Distribution Company LLC. Courtesy of MGM Media Licensing.

All rights reserved.

Excerpt from ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon/Lenono Music (GMR)

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All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-4143-0

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Amiel, David, author. | Emelien, Ismaël, author.

Title: The new progressivism : a grassroots alternative to the populism of out times / David Amiel, Ismaël Emelien ; translated by Andrew Brown.

Other titles: Progrès ne tombe pas du ciel. English

Description: Cambridge, UK ; Medford, MA : Polity, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references. |

Summary: “The architects of Macron’s success lay down the foundations for a new progressivism to counter the populism of our times”-- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019050900 (print) | LCCN 2019050901 (ebook) | ISBN 9781509541416 (hardback) | ISBN 9781509541423 (paperback) | ISBN 9781509541430 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Liberalism. | Populism. | Political participation--Social aspects. | Democracy. | Pluralism. Classification: LCC JC574 .A43813 2020 (print) | LCC JC574 (ebook) | DDC 320.51/3--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019050900LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019050901

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Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been overlooked the publisher will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent reprint or edition.

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No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.

John Donne, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, 1624

Thank you for reading this book! Do not hesitate to tell us what you thought about it: leprogresnetombepasduciel@protonmail.com

Thank you to the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, for showing us that politics was a matter of conviction and that a benevolent determination could move mountains. Thank you also for placing in us the confidence of which we hope to be worthy every day.

Thanks to Alexis Kohler for showing us what total commitment in the service of the general interest means. Thank you also for listening patiently to our pleas, even at late hours of the day — absurdly late sometimes.

Thanks to Hanane and Eve, for their proofreading but also for their support, their presence — quite simply, their love.

Thank you to our parents, for (almost) everything.

Thanks to Sophie, our editor and (in spite of that) friend. Thanks to John, who saw it useful to have us translated — and to Andrew, who carried that exhausting task to the end. Thanks to all those who have read one or more of the many successive versions of this book, and whose benevolence has been equalled only by their rigour: Marcel, Thierry, Marie, Hubert, Timothée, Léonore, Luc, Martin, Julien, François S., François T., Simon, Rémi, Ariane, Antoine A., Laurent, Dominique, Sylvain, Shahin, Jean-Francois, Antoine F., Daniel, Quentin.