D went to see a German movie called "Barfuss," which some friends of ours had told him they loved. He called me up in disgust afterwards. "It's just another one of those movies where the businessman is the villain," he said. "The movie ends with the hero deciding not to take a high-paying business job because it would be selling out." He described the plot to me and I said, "But how is he going to support the girl? She's mentally ill, she can't work?"
"No, instead they just live happily ever after on welfare, I suppose. The problem is that they can, in Germany," D said. "It's the trouble with this country! Their whole way of life is made possible by those evil businessmen, but they just don't get it!"
I had just watched a very different movie under duress. It was called "Mr Deeds" and is about a hick from New Hampshire who inherits his great-uncle's multi-billion-dollar company. All through the movie, the assumption is that the great-uncle was a pretty cool guy and ran a good company. Of course, the villains were ALSO evil businessmen (yawn) who were trying to destroy the good company. It wasn't just assumed that all businessmen were evil. I think that Americans identify with entrepreneurs much more than Europeans do.
In France I don't think I have ever seen a movie where the high-level businessmen weren't evil, either.
I heard on the radio that in the last three months of 2005, France created a total of 900 new jobs. Nationwide.
When I first moved to Belgium, many of my new friends asked what my plans were. Most were horrified when I announced I would be working for myself. Negative stereotypes of business people abound here, too.
Posted by: R William Z | 16 February 2006 at 11:44
One only wishes that our American businesspeople could create something better than $7.00 an hour jobs in a world where the bare minimum for a decent standard of living...like...ahem...access to the medical and dental advances of the 20th (let us not even SPEAK of the 21st) century are available to people who aren't related to Ralph Lauren...Aaron Spelling...Michael Eisner and the rest of the fortunate few.
Despite what the media will tell you, we poor ARE, sadly, in the majority here.
Posted by: Mary | 05 March 2006 at 17:35