N°5 – Décembre 2017

High
L’actualité du monde en langue anglaise

US - UK NEWS
 HEADLINES
December 2017
SPECIAL FEATURE
The Madness of King Donald 16

The risk of a US military confrontation with North Korea, coupled with President
Donald Trump’s increasingly peculiar behavior, has put official Washington on
edge. To put it bluntly: the worry is that a mentally deranged president might lead
the US into a nuclear war.

3-5

US NEWS UK NEWS

 Jerusalem: New Chapter in a Never-ending Story 6  2017 Speeches - What will happen in 2018? 19

 Russia Interference: A Threat to US Democracy? 10

 May: The voice of UKIP, according to Lord Adonis 21

 President Trump takes on North Korea 13

 The Madness of King Donald 16

CULTUREMEMO
World  The US-Israeli Relationship 9

 The World Economy in 2018 24  The UK Independence Party 23

The Uber Debate 27

Des activités interactives en ligne pour progresser en anglais

Travaillez l’exercice de synonymie
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Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 2

 

a new way to obtain legal residency. The decision is likely to

 Salvadorans, Go Home! The Salvadorans were granted what please immigration hard-
The Trump administration have an- is known as Temporary Protected Sta- liners who argue the TPS
nounced that it intends to cancel the tus, or TPS, after a series of earth- program was never inten-
provisional residency permits of quakes devastated the country in ded to provide long-term
about 200,000 Salvadorans who have 2001. residency.
lived in the country since at least DHS announced that Secretary In November, DHS ended
2001, leaving them vulnerable to de- Kirstjen Nielsen has decided the con- TPS for 60,000 Haitians who arrived
portation. ditions in El Salvador have improved after a 2010 earthquake. Soon after,
The administration have notified the significantly since then, ending the TPS was halted for 2,500 Nicaraguan
Salvadorans they have until Sept. 9, original justification for the Salvador- migrants.
2019 to leave the United States or find ans’ deportation protection.
Read More Read More

 Fire and Fury!

« I’ve had to
put up with the
Fake News from
the first day I announced that I
would be running for President.
Now I have to put up with a Fake
Book, written by a totally discre-
dited author. Ronald Reagan had
the same problem and handled it
well. So will I! »
President Donald Trump did not
want to win the election. First la-
dy Melania Trump wept with sor-
row on election night. Former
Trump campaign advisor Sam
Nunberg tried to explain the
Constitution to the candidate, but
only made it to the Fourth
Amendment before Trump got
bored.
These are just a few of the bomb-
shell claims in Fire and Fury: In-
side the Trump White House, au-
thor Michael Wolff's new book
chronicling the first year of
Trump's presidency.
Read More Read More

agents were scrutinizing, and there proven false.

 FBI is investigating the was some scepticism inside both the None of this has
Clinton Foundation Justice Department and the FBI that made us waver
The FBI has been quietly investiga- the case would ultimately lead to any in our mission to
ting the Clinton Foundation for charges. help people.
months, reviving a probe that was The very existence of such a probe The Clinton
dialled back during the 2016 election will likely lead to accusations from Foundation has
amid tensions between Justice De- Democrats that the Republican ad- demonstrably
partment prosecutors and FBI agents ministration is pursuing old, dead improved the
about the politically charged case, cases to punish political enemies. lives of millions
according to people familiar with the President Donald Trump has repeat- of people across
matter. edly urged the Justice Department to America and around the world while
Agents are trying to determine if any prosecute Clinton and her aides. In a earning top ratings from charity
donations made to the foundation statement, Clinton Foundation watchdog groups in the process.
were linked to official acts when Hil- spokesman Craig Minassian said:
lary Clinton was secretary of state “Time after time, the Clinton Founda-
from 2009 to 2013, these people said. tion has been subjected to politically
It was not immediately clear what motivated allegations, and time after
specific donations or interactions time these allegations have been Read More
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 pelled by AI.
 What’s on center Cars, lights,
stage at the CES tech washing ma-
chines and
show? other every-
What’s the hottest thing in the day items are
world of technology these days? getting Inter-
Your voice. As the annual CES net connec-
gadget show kicks off in Las Vegas, tions. That
manufacturers are expected to un- could mean
veil even more voice-controlled checking
devices. If these prove popular, what’s left in your fridge from the
you’ll soon be able to order around grocery store, for instance. Expect will showcase the potential of
much more of your house, includ- smartening up entire cities so that
more appliances and tasks for them maintenance crews can remotely
ing kitchen appliances and wash- to do online.
ing machines. Computers that detect roads needing repairs, and
As more devices get connected, motorists can view and reserve
learn your preferences and antici- there’s greater concern for securi-
pate your needs are no longer the ty. We’ll likely see more products parking spaces ahead of time. Bet-
stuff of science fiction. You might ter yet, how about traffic lights that
and services designed to protect aren’t set with timers, but reflect
also see hints of where AI is head- these smart-home devices from
ing. Auto makers will also demon- hacking. Beyond that, companies actual traffic and pedestrian flows?
strate self-driving vehicles pro-

password managers, browsers and consumers about their

 emails. The flaws were first disclosed timelines for doing so.

 Two chip flaws puts by British technology news site the

Register on Tuesday and made public
But even the software fixes
will not be able to totally
world’s computers, Wednesday by the researchers who fix the hardware bugs
smartphones at risk discovered them. rooted in modern compu-
Tech companies around the world are Because the flaws date back more ting for the last 20-odd
reeling and rushing to provide fixes than two decades and Intel chips are years, said cybersecurity
for two microprocessor flaws that ubiquitous among computers, cloud company CEOs and pro-
have put nearly all the computing de- servers and mobile devices, they af- fessors.
vices in the world at risk from hack- fect nearly all computing devices in “Here is the simple truth:
ers. operation and servers that store mem- Every CPU created since
The flaws — dubbed Meltdown and ories in the cloud. Users have little 1995 is a victim of these
Spectre — are in chips made by Intel choice but to wait for new software bugs,” said Ahmed
and other major suppliers. They can patches from makers of their devices, Banafa, a cybersecurity
allow hackers to steal data from the the researchers said. Technology professor at San Jose State University.
memory of running apps, including companies quickly began issuing fix-
es for the flaws this week, or notifying Read More

 Time to act on Teens’
smartphone addiction
A couple of large Apple shareholders
are appealing to the company that
popularized the smartphone to take
responsibility for studying its effects
on children — and the co-creator of
the iPhone agrees. Several research
studies describe smartphone addic-
tion. They show personal devices dis-
tract kids in school, and affect chil-
dren’s physical and mental health.
One study links excessive use of per-
sonal devices to a higher risk of sui-
cide.
“Some may argue that the research is
not definitive, that other factors are
also at work, and that in any case par-
ents must take ultimate responsibility
for their children,” the investors
wrote. “But it is both unrealistic and a
poor long-term business strategy to
ask parents to fight this battle alone.”
Tony Fadell, one of the creators of the
iPod and iPhone, added a hearty
“hear, hear!” via a tweetstorm Mon-
day. He noted that adults have also
become addicted to their
smartphones, and that other compa-
nies should help the effort being
urged by the Apple investors, too.
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 natural disasters, as scientists fear
 2017 - Most climate change could make ex-
expensive year on treme weather events more dam-
aging in the future.
record Hurricane Harvey, which included
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria extreme flooding in Houston and
combined with devastating west- the surrounding area in August and
ern wildfires and other natural dis- September, caused $125 billion in
asters to make 2017 the most ex- damage, the year’s most expen-
pensive year on record, the Na- sive disaster. Hurricane Maria,
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric which in September set off a fatal
Administration reported Monday. and ongoing humanitarian crisis in
The disasters caused $306 billion the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico and
in total damage in 2017, during elsewhere, caused $90 billion in 2005’s Katrina and 2012’s Sandy
with 16 separate events caused damages. Hurricane Irma hit Flori- among the top five most costly U.S.
more than $1 billion in damage da in September and caused $50 hurricanes on record.
each. “2017 was a historic year for billion in total damages, NOAA
Western wildfires cost $18 billion
billion dollar weather and climate reports.
and caused 54 deaths, the report
disasters,” said Adam Smith, an The storms also caused 251 com- found. Other large costs came from
economist for NOAA, on a press bined deaths, the report found. tornadoes, droughts, severe
call with reporters. According to Smith, hurricanes weather events, flooding and other
The record-breaking year raises Harvey, Irma, and Maria now join causes.
concerns about the effects of future

The proposal by Customs and Border $1.6 billion next year.

 Protection calls for 316 milesof addi- The 10-year plan, first reported by

 tional barrier by September 2027,

bringing total coverage to 970 miles,
The Wall Street Journal, resulted from
discussions with senators who asked
 or nearly half the border, according to
a U.S. official with direct knowledge of
the agency what it would take to se-
cure the border, the official said.
 $18 billion for Border the matter. Trump has promised to “a
big, beautiful wall” with Mexico as a
Wall centerpiece of his presidency but of-
Read More

The Trump administration has pro- fered few details of where it would be
posed spending $18 billion over 10
built, when and at what cost. His ad-
years to significantly extend the bor-
ministration asked for $1.6 billion this
der wall with Mexico, providing one
of its most detailed blueprints of how year to build or replace 74 miles of
the president hopes to carry out a sig- fencing in Texas and California, and
nature campaign pledge. officials have said they also will seek

Dec. 9 with overwhelming support in

 Gays marry in
midnight wedding
ceremonies across
Australia
Same-sex couples married in mid-
night ceremonies across Australia on
Tuesday after the country’s last legal
impediment to gay marriage expired.
Marriage equality became law on
Parliament, but Australia’s require-
ment that all couples give a month’s
notice for weddings made Tuesday
long-time marriage equality advocate
the first possible date for gay marriag-
es. Lainey Carmichael, 51, and Roz
and spokesperson for Tasmanians
United for Marriage Equality, said:
Kitschke, 46, married shortly after
“This morning’s wedding marked the
dawn before 65 guests at their home
start of a new chapter in the lives of
in the town of Franklin in the island
the two brides but also a new chapter
state of Tasmania.
in the life of the nation.”
Wedding guest Rodney Croome, a
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 US NEWS

**** B2-C1

New Chapter in a never-ending

story
Le 6 décembre 2017, le président Trump a annoncé la reconnaissance de Jérusalem comme capitale de l'État d'Israël. Il a égale-
ment annoncé que les Etats-Unis déplaceraient l'ambassade, de la région de Tel Aviv à Jérusalem. Cet article passe en revue l'im-
portance et les enjeux de la ville de Jérusalem, l'histoire politique des États-Unis sur cette question et la réponse internationale à
une telle décision.

LES ENJEUX DE L’ARTICLE

Si
nce the creation of Israel
in 1949, the United
States has recognized and allied
with the newly founded state.
Israel has since become an im-
portant factor in the US govern-
ment’s policy in the Middle East
and North Africa with Congress
placing a strong emphasis* on
the support of a close relation-
ship. The United States has pro-
vided significant financial and
military aid to the state of Israel
that originally stemmed from* a
sympathy and support for the cre-
ation of a Jewish state. It has
since become a strategic ally that
balances competing interests in
the region. But this unwavering*
support for Israel has not come
without costs due to the problems
in the region mainly the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict. So with the
announcement in June that Presi-
dent Donald Trump would recog-
nize the key city of Jerusalem as
the Israeli capital, the world
turned its eyes back* to the US-
Israeli relationship and the impli-
cations of it all.
Recognition
President Trump formally* re-
cognized Jerusalem as the capital
 Quelle est la relation entre les États-Unis et
Israël ?
 Quels sont les développements récents de
cette relation ?
 Pourquoi Jérusalem est-elle si importante ?
of Israel on December 6, 2017
and stated that the American em-
bassy* would move from Tel
Aviv to Jerusalem as soon as
possible. He tried to make clear
that this did not settle* the dis-
pute over Jerusalem’s borders
and that he supported the status
quo of the holy sites in the Old
City. While Trump officially
signed a waiver* that delayed the
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 US NEWS

transition for another 6 months, it

could take years for the actual
move to take place. All because
the city itself is a key part in the
over 50-year conflict between
Israel and the unrecognized state
of Palestine. Both states have key
religious and historical sites with-
in the borders* of Jerusalem. And
this is precisely what makes the
United States' decision a huge
cloud* in future negotiations
about the final status of the city.

US Policy* History
But President Trump is not the
first US President to try and de-
clare Jerusalem the capital of
their ally Israel. When the Jewish tion of East Jerusalem after the those negotiations. But in 1992,
state was first created, the US 1967 war. The official position President Bill Clinton declared
opposed Jerusalem as the capital was that the status of Jerusalem that he would support Jerusalem
for both Israel and Jordan. The should be negotiated and that being the capital of Israel.
US also opposed Israel’s annexa- unilateral actions could harm*

DID YOU KNOW?

ISRAEL

Here is a look at Israel, which declared independence in 1948. It borders the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, the Red
Sea, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon in the Middle East. Since its founding, Israel has experienced conflict with its neigh-
bors, mainly Arab and Muslim countries, and Palestinians living in Israeli-occupied territories.

Area: 20,770 sq km (about the size of New Jersey)

Population: 8,299,706 (July 2016 est, includes Golan Heights and East Jerusalem)
Median age: 29.7
Capital: Israel declared Jerusalem as its capital in 1950 (many international embassies are in Tel Aviv)
Ethnic Groups: Jewish 74.8%, non-Jewish 25.2% (mostly Arab) (2015 est.)
Religion: Jewish 74.8%, Muslim 17.6%, Christian 2%, Druze 1.6%, other 4% (2015 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $300.6 billion (2016 est.)
GDP per capita: $35,200 (2016 est.)
Unemployment: 5% (2016 est.)
Other Facts:
Israel is a parliamentary democracy comprised of legislative, executive and judicial branches.
About 93% of the land is owned by the State of Israel, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and the Development Authori-
ty. The Israel Land Authority (ILA) manages the land. The government issues long-term leasing rights for land.2017.
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 US NEWS

The former President later rolled

back* this statement after the
1993 Oslo Accords so that the US
wouldn’t interfere in negotiations.
In 1995 the Jerusalem Embassy
Act was passed*. It pushed for
the city to become the capital.
President Bill Clinton made sure
the act was never put into effect
as he signed a waiver every 6
months to prevent the move of
the embassy. After President Bill
Clinton, both President George
W. Bush and Barack Obama
made statements to make the ca-
pital of Israel Jerusalem, but both
rolled them back almost immedi-
ately. President Trump in his the city. Various meetings moving US diplomatic offices
2016 campaign announced his have taken place regarding the there was no surprise due to the
plan to make the capital of Israel move with a majority of the Unit- campaign promises and history.
Jerusalem like every President ed Nations General Assembly But unlike other US Presidents,
before him since 1995. voting to condemn the US deci- Trump continues to hold his
sion and instruct other states to ground* even after a world outcry
International Response* refrain from setting up diplomatic from the news of the announce-
offices in the city. The announce- ment. Only time will tell whether
The December 6th announcement ment has even sparked* a public Trump and his administration will
did not come without internation- outcry* with protests and even back down* and go back to origi-
al consequences. The recognition violence around the world. A se- nal US policy. But one thing is
of Jerusalem as the capital was curity announcement had to be for sure, this move does not go
rejected by most world leaders. made for American travellers to without consequence and could
Among the critics were allies of be wary* in areas that would be cause even more harm in the cur-
the United States such as Britain, affected by the news. rent regional conflicts. 
Germany, Italy, and France. Even President Trump’s announcement
Pope Francis pleaded for* the of recognizing the city of Jerusa- Click & Learn
continuation of the status quo in lem as the capital of Israel and E-Learning 

VOCABULARY
The emphasis - L’accent
To stem from - Trouver son origine dans
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS Unwavering - Inflexible
Formally - Solennellement
An embassy - Une ambassade
To turn one’s eyes back to - Détourner son attention de To settle - Régler
To roll back - Faire machine arrière A waiver - Une renonciation
To pass (an act) - Voter une loi A border - Une frontière
To hold one’s ground - Camper sur ses positions A cloud - Une ombre
To back down - Céder A policy - Une mesure politique
To harm - Blesser
A response - Une réaction
To plead for - Plaider en faveur de
To spark - Déclencher
Wary - Méfiant
Click & Learn more
Surf the Web 
 BBC - Why do US evangelicals support Trump's Jerusalem policy?

 NPR - 5 Key Points On Jerusalem

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 US TOPIC

CULTUREMEMO

The US-Israeli Relationship

Opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

In 1948 President Harry Truman became the first world leader to recognize the state of Israel thus
marking a relationship that has spanned on to today. Although some US leaders were wary of the
support of Israel due to possible restriction of resources and destabilization of the area, Israel has
now become one of the most important allies for the United States in the Middle East and North Afri-
can region. Relations have evolved from general sympathy and support for a Jewish state to a com-
plicated relationship that allows the United States to have interests in the region and insert a super-
power aura. Now the US contributes significant financial and military aid to the small state to maintain
their foothold and power. This is not without consequence as many view Israel’s existence as a prob-
lem for people that were already settled in the area where the state now claims. The Israeli-
Palestinian conflict is an ongoing conflict. The main issues are mutual recognition, borders, security,
water rights, control of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, Palestinian freedom of movement, and Pales-
tinian right of return.
Back in the United States, many citizens strongly support Israel. According to a 2017 Gallup poll just
over 7 in 10 Americans have a favorable opinion of Israel, with Republicans and 65 and older popula-
tions having a slightly more favorable view. And according to a late 2016 Pew Research Center study,
white evangelical Protestants overwhelmingly side more with Israel.
However, there is now a growing divide with this support as the Millennial generation are more likely
than older generations to sympathize with the Palestinians. The divide is also partisan as Liberal
Democrats increasingly sympathize more with the Palestinians than with Israel. In fact, views of Israel
and the Palestinians are becoming more ideologically polarized with fewer Republicans than Demo-
crats envisioning a peaceful two-state solution.
The ever-changing landscape of the US population can provide insight into US-Israeli relations. Alt-
hough younger generations and Liberal Democrats are slowly changing opinions, the majority of
Americans still side with Israel and continue to provide their support. US involvement in the region
has a complicated history, but from what it looks like the public still supports the US Israeli relation-
ship and foreign policy stances.


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Pendant et après la course présidentielle de 2016, il y eut des soupçons d'interférence de la Russie dans les élections et la société des
États-Unis. Maintenant, une enquête est en cours sur ces interférences. Cet article examine ce qui justifie une telle enquête, les accu-
sations portées et les implications possibles.
In
November 2016, Don-
ald Trump was elected to
be the President of the United
States. He lost the popular vote
but took office* with more elec-
toral votes than his opponent Hil-
lary Clinton. Only five US presi-
dents, including Trump, have
been elected in this manner with
George W. Bush being the for-
mer*. This development left
many citizens lost and confused
with the results as tensions con-
tinued to rise. The tense atmos-
phere on top of* the suspicion
that Russia interfered with the
open, free, and competitive elec-
tion, made the 2016 presidential
race something that the American
Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 10
people and government are still
discussing today. Around 7
months after the election a special
counsel was created with the sole
purpose of finding the underlying
cause of the suspicions and clear-
ing way* for the United States to
continue to have fair elections.
This special counsel is still con-
ducting the investigation into the
new year.
The Special Counsel
Investigation*
The primary responsibility of the
Special Counsel, headed by Rob-
ert S. Mueller, is to investigate
Russian interference with the
2016 presidential election. Many
US NEWS
**** B2-C1
LES ENJEUX DE L’ARTICLE
 Pourquoi y a-t-il une enquête ?
 Quels en sont les nouveaux développements ?
 Quelles sont les implications possibles de cette
enquête ?
US Intelligence Agencies* have
reason to believe that the Russian
government did in fact interfere
by hacking into the Democratic
National Committee servers, re-
leasing emails from Clinton’s
campaign chairman*, circulating
fake news on social media, and
trying to hack into election sys-
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 US NEWS

-tems and databases of different

key US states. The FBI started
to consider these troubling oc-
currences* before the election
took place in July and their find-
ing became a part of the Special
Counsel’s investigation portfo-
lio. Although the Special Coun-
sel is primarily looking at the
general interferences they are
also wondering if Trump and his
campaign played a special role
in these Russian interferences.
Trump’s Role
The Special Counsel has been
relevantly* quiet about its cur-
rent findings but has charged*
many people in relation with the
Trump campaign. The charged
include: Paul Manafort, former
Trump campaign chairman,
Rick Gates, Manafort’s business
partner, George Papadopoulos, a
former Trump campaign advis-
er, and Michael Flynn. Trump’s
former national security adviser.
Both Papadopoulos and Flynn
have pleaded guilty and are co-
operating with the Special
Counsel to provide further evi-
dence. Trump has tried to cover
his bases with the connections
by sending out tweets trying to
disconnect himself and defame*
the accused. But those charged
Robert Mueller, head of the Special Counsel
and President Donald Trump
are not the only ones that raise
suspicion that Donald Trump
had something more to do with
the Russian interference in the
2016 race. The President’s son,
Donald Trump Jr., met with a
lawyer connected to Russia dur-
ing the campaign after he dis-
covered he could possibly get a
leg up* for his father in the race
by receiving information about
Hillary Clinton. His son was al-
so joined by one of the charged,
Manafort, and Trump’s son-in-
law Jared Kushner. It also raises
suspicion that Trump himself
has had business dealings in
Russia since the 1980’s and has
benefited from Russian money.

Robert Mueller
Lawyer, Government Official(1944–)
Born in New York City in 1944, Robert Mueller attended Princeton Universi-
ty and served with distinction in Vietnam. He became an assistant U.S. attor-
ney for the Northern District of California in 1976, and over the next two-plus
decades he also took on prominent roles with the District of Massachusetts and the Department of
Justice. Named FBI director in 2001, Mueller was immediately confronted by the 9/11 attacks,
and he subsequently overhauled the bureau to meet the demands posed by 21st century terrorist
activity. He left the post in 2013, but returned to the spotlight four years later as special counsel
in charge of investigating Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election and possible
ties to associates of President Donald Trump.
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 US NEWS

The Divide
As the Special Counsel contin-
ues into the new year, many Re-
publicans are calling for the in-
vestigation to close soon. One of
the most vocal* supporters of
the investigation closing is Pres-
ident Trump himself. But many
democrats see the need for the
investigation to continue as long
as there is evidence to be col-
lected. This divide makes it dif-
ficult to determine if any con-
clusion will be made and when,
as Russian interference in the
election has become a semi-
partisan issue. But the fact re-
mains that there is without a
doubt* some Russian interfer- threatens the very fabric* of the about Trump and his people’s
ence within the US government United States foundations. involvement. Only time and the
institution. The Special Counsel close of the investigation will
serves as the safeguard* to US The 2016 presidential race and tell the extent of the problem
elections and governance as it results still are a key part of and if the United States govern-
strives to* protect against fur- American politics today as the ment can survive another wide-
ther foreign interference by threat of foreign interferences in spread* assault. 
looking at the most recent oc- the government are lurking*.
currences. If foreign entities are The Special Counsel continues
allowed to shape and mold* US to investigate the interferences
elections and institutions, then it and surfaces new information
Click & Learn
E-Learning 

VOCABULARY
To take office - Entrer en fonction
Former - Précédent
An investigation - Une enquête
The chairman - Le président
Occurrences - Manifestations
Relevantly - De façon pertinente
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS To charge - Inculper
To defame - Diffamer
On top of - En plus de ça Vocal - (Personne) qui se fait entendre
Clearing way - Défrichement The safeguard - Le garde-fou
Intelligence Agencies - Agences de renseignements To strive to - S’efforcer de
To get a leg up - Prendre une longueur d’avance, prendre le dessus To mold - Modeler
Without a doubt - Sans aucun doute The fabric - La structure
To lurk - Se tapir
Widespread - Généralisé

Click & Learn more

Surf the Web 

 NPR - How The Russia Investigation Might Evolve In 2018

 CNN - The Trump-Russia investigation, from the beginning

 The Guardian - Trump-Russia: Republicans trying to kill off investigation, says Adam Schiff
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 US NEWS

**** B2-C1

Takes on North Korea

Les Jeux Olympiques d'hiver sud-coréens de 2018 approchent, alors même que les tensions sont fortes entre les États-Unis et la
Corée du Nord. Cet article se penche sur l'histoire du conflit, la perspective du public américain et les négociations possibles qui
font suite aux récents développements de cet enjeu brûlant de la politique américaine et internationale.

LES ENJEUX DE L’ARTICLE

As
the South Korean
Winter Olympics ap-
proach in 2018, all eyes turn*
back to the Korean peninsula
once again. But old hostilities are
still running high* as a product
of Cold War politics still plays
out* between North Korea and
the United States. This hostile
relationship is currently defined
by North Korea’s six tests of nu-
clear weapons, development of
long range* missiles, and contin-
ued threats to strike* the United
States and South Korea with nu-
clear weapons and established
forces*. This along with the twit-
ter feud* between newer lead-
ers President Donald Trump and
Dictator Kim Jong-un has created
a unique 21st century take on the
ongoing* Korean crisis which
puts the United States and its citi-
zens in the forefront*.
A brief history
The United States and North Ko-
rean rocky relationship spans*
from the 19th century - when
North Korea closed off its bor-
ders to Western trade* - to today
with nuclear showmanship* on
both sides of the aisle. Troubles
started picking up between the
 Quelle a été la relation entre les États-Unis
et la Corée du Nord ?
 Comment le président Trump a-t-il interagi
avec le gouvernement nord-coréen ?
 Quelles sont les implications des développe-
ments récents ?
two states when the Cold War
split the world into two factions
with the US and North Korea
landing on different sides. Since
then, the United States has
vowed* to help protect South
Korea with the overwhelming*
support of US citizens. And with
the complicated history that has
led North Korea to their nuclear
weapons and relationship with
TOP

Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 13

 US NEWS

Donald Trump vs. Kim Jong-un

the United States, tensions can Donald Trump vs. Kim Jong-un
run high and low with the US
primarily* focusing on diplomat-
ic talks instead of military action.

A new chapter
A new chapter in the US – North
Korean relationship has begun as
President Donald Trump has tak-
en to Twitter to talk about the
current North Korea situation. In
response to Leader Kim Jong-
un’s comment of having nuclear
weapons that were ready to strike
the United States, President
Trump bragged about* how the
United States nuclear button was
bigger and more powerful. With
a good 70% of Americans who
think North Korea poses a seri-
ous threat to the US, President President Trump is too irrespon- Still the historical precedent* of
Trump’s comments caused con- sible to handle* the current situa- Americans preferring diplomatic
cern and worry for what is to tion. They have put their trust talks reigns true as most prefer
come next. A good majority of more in the US military than the continued sanctions in the North
the American public think that Commander and Chief himself. Korean state.
TOP

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 US NEWS

Possible negotiations
Even though most US citizens
see a threat in North Korea,
things are looking up* as Presi-
dent Trump’s unorthodox tactics
might have helped to bring
North Korea to the negotiation
table with South Korea. The
United States are not currently
involved in these talks but Sec-
retary of State Rex Tillerson
said if they were involved they
would bring up denucleariza-
tion. But what is currently
agreed upon is talks about South
Korea’s Winter Olympic Games
and North Korea’s possible par-
ticipation. On New Year’s Day,
leader Kim Jong-un opened the
way for talks and called for re-
duced tensions as the Winter ongoing North Korean nuclear will become scarcer. Hopefully
Games approached, but re- standoff*. Some cite that com- the voices of the American peo-
mained steadfast* in their view ments that both leaders have ple will prevail as they call for
of nuclear weapons and the pos- made, flashback to the Cold no military action, increased
sibility of using them. War period of tension and fear diplomatic communication, and
amongst the population. Hope- continued sanctions until the
The American public is still fully with the new talks between crisis calms down. 
overwhelmingly taken aback by North Korea and South Korea,
President Trump’s tactics in the tensions will lower, and tweets Click & Learn
E-Learning 

VOCABULARY
To strike - Frapper
A feud - Une querelle
Ongoing - En cours
The forefront - La première ligne
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS To span - S’étendre sur
Trade - Le commerce
Showmanship - La mise en scène, le sens du spectacle
To play out - Se dérouler To vow - Jurer de
All eyes turn - Tous les regards se tournent vers Overwhelming - Accablant
Long range (missiles) - À longue portée Primarily - Essentiellement
To be taken aback - Être pris de court To brag about - Se targuer de
To handle - S’occuper de
The precedent - La tradition
To look up - S’améliorer
Steadfast - Inébranlable
A standoff - Une impasse

Click & Learn more

Surf the Web 

 NPR - North And South Korea Plan First Talks In 2 Years

 HUFFPOST - Trump Talks About War With North Korea

 REUTERS - North Korea agrees to talk to South after U.S.-South Korea postpone drills
TOP

Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 15

SPECIAL FEATURE
Elizabeth Drew is a contributing editor to The New Republic and the author, most recently, of Washington
Journal: Reporting Watergate and Richard Nixon's Downfall.
The risk of a US military confron-
tation with North Korea, coupled
with President Donald Trump’s
increasingly peculiar behavior,
has put official Washington on
edge. To put it bluntly: the worry
is that a mentally deranged presi-
dent might lead the US into a nu-
clear war.
Mu
ch of America’s capi-
tal has entered a state
of near-panic. In recent days,
President Donald Trump has been
acting more bizarrely than ever,
and the question raised in the
Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 16
mind of politicians and civilians
alike, though rarely spoken aloud,
has been: What can be done with
this man? Can the United States
really afford to wait for Special
Counsel Robert Mueller to wrap
up his investigation (on the as-
sumption that he’ll find the presi-
dent guilty of something)? That
could still take quite a while*.
The question of timing has be-
come increasingly urgent, given
the heightened danger that the US
will deliberately or accidentally
end up in a war with North Korea.
That risk, coupled with Trump’s
increasingly peculiar* behavior,
has made Washington more tense
US NEWS
***** C1
by Elizabeth DREW
LES ENJEUX DE L’ARTICLE
 L’état mental du président Trump est-il pré-
occupant ?
 Quels sont les signes faisant craindre à
l’incapacité mentale du président à gouverner ?
 Quelles pourraient être les conséquences ?
than I’ve ever known it to be, and
that includes the dark days of Wa-
tergate. To put it bluntly*: the
worry is that a mentally deranged
president might lead the US into a
nuclear war.
TOP
SPECIAL FEATURE
In just the past week, evidence of
Trump’s instability has piled up.
During an Oval Office ceremony
to honor Native-American he-
roes of World War II, he offend-
ed them by issuing a racist com-
ment. He picked an unprecedent-
ed and unnecessary fight with
the prime minister of the United
Kingdom, supposedly America’s
closest ally, by retweeting a Brit-
ish neo-fascist group’s anti-
Muslim posts. In an effort to win
a Democratic senator’s vote for
his pending* tax-cut bill, he trav-
eled to her state and told lies
about her record (though the tax
bill was so tilted to the richest
1% of Americans that no Demo-
cratic senator voted for it). And
he continued to bait* North Ko-
rean leader Kim Jong-un, who
seems equally unstable.
At the same time, both the
Washington Post and The New
York Times ran articles contain-
ing disturbing stories about the
president’s private behavior.
Trump, it was reported, told peo-
ple close to him that he considers
the infamous “Access Holly-
wood” recording of him joking,
off-camera, about grabbing
Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 17
women’s genitals to be a fraud,
even though he admitted its au-
thenticity and apologized after
the Post released it in the final
weeks of the presidential cam-
paign.
Trump has also been revisiting
his mendacious* claim about
Barack Obama having not been
born in the US – the bogus* alle-
gation that launched his political
career, which, under pressure
from advisers, he’d renounced
prior to the election. He said in a
tweet that he had turned down
Time magazine’s suggestion that
it would name him “Person of
the Year,” because it wasn’t defi-
nite. (Trump sets great store by
such appearances on Time’s cov-
er). But a Time official said that
no such thing had occurred.
The fact that Trump appears to
have some mental disorder, or
disorders, has created a dilemma
for psychiatrists, politicians, and
journalists alike. The American
Psychiatric Association has a
rule that its members may not
offer diagnoses of people they
have not examined. But, given
what some psychiatrists see as a
national emergency, many have
US NEWS
broken the rule and spoken or
written publicly about their pro-
fessional assessments* of
Trump’s mental state.
The most widely accepted view
is that he suffers from a narcis-
sistic personality disorder, which
is far more serious than simply
being a narcissist. According to
the Mayo Clinic, such a disorder
“is a mental condition in which
people have an inflated sense of
their own importance, a deep
need for excessive attention and
admiration, troubled relation-
ships, and a lack* of empathy for
others.” Moreover, “behind this
mask of extreme confidence lies
a fragile self-esteem that’s vul-
nerable to the slightest criti-
cism.”
This definition is all too reflec-
tive of traits that Trump regular-
ly exhibits. Another view held by
a number of medical profession-
als, based on how Trump spoke
in interviews in the late 1980s
and how he speaks now – with a
far more limited vocabulary and
much less fluency – is that the
president is suffering from the
onset* of dementia. According
to* the highly respected medical
TOP
SPECIAL FEATURE US NEWS

medical reference UpToDate, a

subscription-financed service
used by professionals, the symp-
toms of dementia include agita-
tion, aggression, delusions, hallu-
cinations, apathy, and disinhibi-
tion.
Numerous Republican members
of Congress are deeply worried
about Trump’s capacity to handle
the presidency – an incredibly
demanding job. Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson, rumored to
be replaced soon, is said to have
called Trump a “moron.”
Trump’s heightened* erratic*
behavior in recent days has been
attributed to his growing anxiety
about Mueller’s investigation in-
to his campaign’s possible collu-
sion* with Russia in the Krem-
lin’s effort to tilt* the 2016 elec-
tion in his direction – an investi- was that Flynn is far and away something that Trump desperate-
gation that could end in a charge the highest former official whom ly hopes that prosecutors won’t
of conspiracy. (Trump appears to Mueller has “flipped.” Indeed, find out. We may learn what that
be the only significant figure in the generous plea deal* makes it is fairly soon.
Washington who won’t accept clear that Flynn is prepared to Meanwhile, American and the
that Russia interfered.) And that name figures higher than he was world nervously await Trump’s
increasingly bizarre behavior in the campaign and the White reaction to this latest very bad
came even before the news House. turn of events for him. 
broke, on December 1, that That’s not very many people. It
Trump’s first national security has already been speculated*,
adviser and close campaign aide, with reason, that Flynn will point
Elizabeth DREW
retired General Michael Flynn, a finger at* Trump’s son-in-law Courtesy of
had agreed to plead guilty* to and senior adviser, Jared Kush-
one count of lying to the FBI in ner. But Trump’s several earlier
exchange for his cooperation efforts to steer* prosecutors away
with the investigation. from Flynn were strong sig-
What made this highly significant nals that Flynn knows Click & Learn
E-Learning 

VOCABULARY
Peculiar - Etrange
Pending - En attente, imminent
To bait - Appâter, tourmenter
Mendacious - Mensonger, mensongère
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS Bogus - Faux, factice, bidon
An assessment - Une estimation, une évaluation
It could take a while - Cela pourrait prendre un bon moment A lack - Un manque
To put it bluntly - Pour le dire clairement / Si vous me permettez l’expression The onset - Le commencement, les prémices
According to - Selon Heigthtened - Renforcé, vif, plus intense
To plead guilty - Plaider coupable Erratic - Imprévisible, incohérent
It has been speculated that - On a postulé que / Selon certains… A collusion - Collusion, conspiration
To point a finger at - Désigner To tilt - Faire pencher
A plea deal - Un arrangement (judiciaire)
To steer (away) - Diriger
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 UK NEWS

*** B2

La reine et les chefs des partis politiques ont chacun fait des discours en décembre dernier. La reine a parlé des événements mar-
quants de cette année, comme les récents attentats terroristes. Le Premier Ministre a aussi évoqué les difficultés de l’année 2017,
comme l’élection et l’organisation du Brexit. Cependant, Theresa May croit que 2018 sera couronné de succès avec la promesse
de citoyens satisfaits et un Brexit réussi, opinion qui n’est pas partagé par les chefs de l’opposition. Le patron des Travaillistes,
Jeremy Corbyn, pense que le gouvernement est faible et divisé alors que Vince Campbell, le chef des Libéraux souhaite un se-
cond referendum.

LES ENJEUX DE L’ARTICLE

Th
e Queen and the lead-
ers of the political par-
ties made statements* during the
Christmas and New Year period.
They reflected on* the highs and
lows* of 2017, focusing on
Brexit and recent terrorist at-
tacks. Prospects* for 2018 are
also talked about, with promises
of helping public services like
the NHS and the education sys-
tem.
The Queen’s
self-reflections* of 2017
Like every year, the Queen
addressed the nation on
Christmas Day, giving a
speech* about the events of
2017. She focused on the vic-
tims of this year’s terror at-
tacks, specifically the Manches-
ter concert attack, saying it was
a “privilege” to meet the survi-
vors who have “extraordinary
bravery* and resilience.” She
also expressed the importance of
Manchester and London, both
having “powerful identities” and
stating that “we are *indebted to
members of the *emergency ser-
vices who risked their lives this
 Quels aspects de 2017 la reine a-t-elle
retenus ?
 Quelle est la vision de Theresa May pour
l’année à venir ?
 Quel message l’opposition Travailliste a-t-
elle fait passer ?
past year saving others.” She
also briefly focused on 2018,
with new members coming into
the Royal family, like Ms. Me-
ghan Markle marrying Prince
Harry next May.
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 UK NEWS

Theresa May’s plans
for 2018
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister
gave a formal speech about the
government’s strenuous* year
in 2017, acknowledging* the
snap* election. However, she
stated that “the real test is not
whether challenges come, it’s
how you face them.” With the
first negotiations completed, she
has positive prospects for 2018
concerning Brexit. While leav-
ing the EU will be momentous*,
she believes that this will not
limit the government’s ambi-
tions. It will focus on improving
schools, the police force and the
NHS. “Most people just want
the government to get on and
deliver a good Brexit and that’s
exactly what we’re doing.”
Moreover, she wants “a stronger
and fairer” society in 2018.
Other parties’ prospects
for 2018
The leaders of the Labour Party
and the Liberal Democrats gave
a statement about their hopes
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
The highs and lows - Les hauts et les bas
To give a speech - Prononcer un discours
To be indebted to - Être redevable de
Emergency services - Les urgences
A snap election - Une élection anticipée
A lack of - Un manque de
for next year. In comparison to ticians and her Majesty feel that
May’s statement, Jeremy Cor- 2017 has been a tough year for
byn charged* her government in the UK, with the hard task of
his speech, describing it as organising negotiations for
“weak and divided.” He stated Brexit, a surprising outcome* in
that the 2017 election exposed* the snap election and the in-
the truth- “the establishment’s crease in terrorism activity. Evi-
secret is out: they’re not as dently, there is a lot to be done,
strong as they appear” and have specifically with May’s govern-
“no idea how to fix* their bro- ment delivering a Brexit that the
ken system.” He believes that people want. However, there is
the Labour Party is a disagreement amongst the lead-
“government in waiting” and ers of the opposition, Jeremy
now occupies the new centre Corbyn commenting on the
ground in British politics. His government’s lack of* strength
mission for 2018 is to give se- to carry out the negotiations and
curity and support to people so Vince Campbell demanding for
they can “unleash* their creativ- a second referendum. 
ity and fulfil* their hopes.” He
concluded by saying that to-
gether as a country, we will be
able to achieve this. The leader
of the Liberal Democrats, Vince
Campbell also gave a statement
for the New Year, saying he and
his party have a lot of work to
do and that they are not afraid to
confront the government. In his
message he said, “there’s still
time to offer people the choice
Click & Learn
of an exit from Brexit.” E-Learning 
In conclusion, both poli-
VOCABULARY
A statement - Une déclaration
To reflect on - Réfléchir
A prospect - Une perspective
Self-reflection - Introspection
Bravery - Le courage
Strenuous - Eprouvant
To acknowledge - Reconnaître
Momentous - Crucial(e)
To charge - Critiquer
To expose - Révéler
To fix - Réparer
To unleash - Libérer, relâcher, déchaîner
To fulfil - Accomplir
The outcome - L’issue

Click & Learn more

Surf the Web 

 BBC - Labour 'staking out new centre ground', says Jeremy Corbyn

 INDEPENDENT - Corbyn’s annual message

 10 Downing Street - New Year 2018: Theresa May's Message

TOP

Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 20

 UK NEWS

*** B2

Lord Andrew Adonis a démissionné de ses fonctions, exprimant ainsi son mécontentement pour le gouvernement de Theresa May.
Dans une lettre qu’il a écrite au Premier Ministre, il parle de son désaccord avec le Brexit et les relations inquiétantes avec les Etats-
Unis, en particulier Donald Trump. Les liens qu’entretiennent T. May avec les partis d’extrême droite comme le UKIP ou le DUP
sont tout aussi problématiques selon lui. Adonis a aussi exprimé son désir d’offrir un second referendum et de donner au peuple Bri-
tannique une autre chance d’exprimer franchement son opinion sur le Brexit.

LES ENJEUX DE L’ARTICLE

Lo
rd Adonis resigned be-
cause he is against The-
resa May’s management of the
UK’s departure from Europe,
stating that the Brexit is ‘a dan-
gerous populist and nationalist
spasm worthy of Donald
Trump.’ He was interviewed on
radio and in newspapers, ex-
pressing his discontent with the
current government. He also
made public his letter of resigna-
tion to the Prime Minister.
The reasons he left
"Lord Adonis has created a rup-
ture* at Whitehall*, express-
ing his strong opinions
against the current govern-
ment. He gave an interview on
BBC Radio 4 on Dec. 30th,
suggesting that there should be a
second EU referendum and peo-
ple who are in leadership posi-
tions should be “arguing* pas-
sionately with the British people
as to why staying in the EU is
the right thing to do.” Further-
more, he says that people who
voted to leave were “not stupid”
but stated* that Brexit was not
defined properly before the ref-
erendum and people should be
 Pourquoi Lord Adonis a-t-il démissionné ?
 Quelles sont ses opinions du gouvernement
May ?
 Que pense-t-il du Brexit ?
given a new say on May’s deal.
He’s also been outspoken* about
other recent changes that the
government have made for ex-
ample the increase in tuition
fees*. “My differences with the
government had become too
great, not only on Brexit, which I
think is being handled very bad-
ly… but increasingly Brexit is
infecting the whole conduct* of
TOP

Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 21

 UK NEWS

Whitehall.”
His letter of resignation
The contents of his letter to the
Prime Minister which he wrote
earlier in the month has now
been published online, further
demonstrating* Adonis’ discon-
tent with May’s government. He
addresses* general concerns
about leaving the EU, discuss-
ing issues like the NHS, North-
ern Ireland’s border control and
education. Moreover, in his
opinion, the nature of Brexit has
a strong connection with the
United States, defining it as “a
populist and nationalist spasm*
worthy* of Donald Trump.” He
further criticises May’s actions
after the 2017 election, with her
building relationships with the
far-right* parties, the UK Inde-
pendence Party (UKIP) and the
Northern Irish party, the Demo-
cratic Unionist Party, saying
“by allying* with UKIP and the
Tory hard right to wrench* Brit-
ain out of the key economic and
political institutions of modern
Europe, you are pursuing a
course fraught* with danger.”
Further criticisms
over Brexit
Andrew Adonis is not the only
MP to express his desire for a
second referendum. Ever since
Brexit had been decided, nu-
merous MPs have been out-
spoken about their concerns.
For example, former Labour
Prime Minister Tony Blair has
strongly spoken about the
chance for Brexit to be re-
versed*. In an interview with
the Guardian, he declared he
believed people who are still
against the Brexit result “should
be up arguing for it.” He also
went on to speak about the dis-
tractive* effect of Brexit, stating
the government had no time to
deal with the health service and
poverty problems, “it’s got time
to deal with one thing only. The
whole country has been pulled
into this Tory psychodrama*
with Europe.”
In conclusion, Lord Adonis’
resignation demonstrates that
some politicians still have prob-
lems with the result of Brexit
and the alliances that May’s
government has made after the
2017 snap election, for instance
with the DUP and UKIP. More-
over, MPs like Tony Blair are
expressing interest in having a
second referendum and encour-
aging people who are pro EU to
speak out*. 
Click & Learn
E-Learning 

VOCABULARY
A rupture - Une fracture
To argue - Se disputer
To state - Déclarer
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS A conduct - Une conduite
To demonstrate - Prouver
To address - Répondre à, s’occuper de
Whitehall - Le gouvernement britannique A concern - Une inquiétude
To be outspoken - Être franc A spasm - Une convulsion
Fraught with - Plein de To ally with - S’allier à
Tuition fees - Frais de scolarité To wrench - Tordre
To be worthy of - Être digne de To reverse - Faire marche arrière
Far right - Extrême droite Distractive - Distrayant, éclipsant
Psychodrama - Psychodrame
To speak out - S’exprimer

Click & Learn more

Surf the Web 

 GUARDIAN - ‘The whole country has been pulled into this Tory psychodrama over Europe’

 GUARDIAN - Brexit is a 'nationalist spasm': Lord Adonis resigns as infrastructure tsar

 BBC News - Government tried to silence me, says Lord Adonis

TOP

Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 22

 US TOPIC

CULTUREMEMO

The UK Independence Party

The History of UKIP and its influence on Euroscepticism
Le Parti pour l'indépendance du Royaume-Uni (en anglais : UK Independence Party), ou UKIP, est un parti poli-
tique britannique. Anti-immigration et eurosceptique, il milite pour le retrait du Royaume-Uni de l'Union euro-
péenne et fait partie de l'association TEAM. La ligne politique du parti est que le Royaume-Uni « doit de nouveau
être gouverné par des lois adaptées à ses propres besoins par son propre parlement, qui doit être directement et
seulement responsable de ses actes devant l'électorat du Royaume-Uni ». Le parti, d'inspiration nationaliste, est
régulièrement accusé par ses détracteurs de dérives racistes et islamophobes.

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) is a Eurosceptic and right-wing political party in the UK. The group
is currently led by Henry Bolton and has three representatives in the House of Lords and 20 Members of
the European Parliament (MEPs). There are also 253 councillors in local government.
The creation of the party is recent compared to the other UK parties. It originated from the Anti-
Federalist League, a Eurosceptic Party formed in 1991 by Alan Sked. It was renamed UKIP in 1993 but
its growth was slow. In 2006, Nigel Farage took over and officially became leader. Consequently, the
party adopted a wider platform and took advantage of concerns about rising immigration, specifically
among the White British working class. This resulted in an increase in popularity, with 2013 local elec-
tions, 2014 European elections and 2015 general election. Furthermore, the pressure UKIP put on the
government is widely thought to be the main reason for the 2016 EU referendum. Since then, Farage
stepped down as leader and the party’s vote share heavily declined.
UKIP’s position in politics is strongly right wing, characterised as being part of the European radical
right. The party’s main trait is Euroscepticism, calling for the UK to exit from the EU. It promotes British
nationalism, encouraging the importance of British identity in opposition to growing Welsh and Scottish
nationalisms. The party also emphasises on lowering immigration, rejecting multiculturalism and oppos-
ing what it calls the “Islamification” of Britain. It is influenced by Thatcherism and liberalism, promoting
liberal economic policies. Moreover, on social issues like LGBT rights, education policy and criminal
justice, it is conservative. While having representatives in European Parliament, its primary voting base
is in England and consists of mainly older, working class white Britons. The regions that generally sup-
port UKIP the most are in eastern and southern coasts, as well as in parts of south-western England.
However, it has not done well in London and in university towns and urban areas with younger popula-
tions like Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester and Brighton. In addition, UKIP has faced criticism from main-
stream political parties, usually from the media and anti-fascist groups. This is because of its thoughts
on immigration and cultural identity which consequently had it accused of being racist and xenophobic.
The party denies both accusations.


TOP

Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 23

 WORLD NEWS

***** C1

by Michael J. BOSKIN
Michael J. Boskin is Professor of Economics at Stanford University and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institu-
tion. He was Chairman of George H. W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers from 1989 to 1993, and head-
ed the so-called Boskin Commission, a congressional advisory body that highlighted errors in official US in-
flation estimates.

LES ENJEUX DE L’ARTICLE

In the tenth year since the start of
the global financial crisis, the US
economy reached a new high-
water mark, and the global econ-
omy exceeded expectations. But
whether these positive trends con-
tinue in 2018 will depend on a
variety of factors, from fiscal and
monetary policymaking to domes-
tic politics and regional stability.
mance will continue in 2018.
The answer, of course, will de-  Quelle est la situation économique du
monde en ce début d’année ?
pend on monetary, fiscal, trade,
and related policies in the United  Quelles sont les prévisions pour 2018 ?
States and around the world. And  Quels sont les facteurs qui pourraient favori-
yet it is hard to predict what poli- ser une embellie économique pour 2018 ?
cy proposals will emerge in 2018.
There are relatively new heads of
state in the US, France, and the
United Kingdom; German leaders hope that synchronized global
still have not formed a governing growth at a rate* of just under 4%

Al
l major macroeconomic
indicators – growth*, un-
employment*, and inflation –
suggest that 2017 will be the
American economy’s best year in
a decade. And the global econo-
my is enjoying broad, synchro-
nized growth beyond what any-
one expected*. The question now
is whether this strong perfor-
coalition since the general elec-
tion in September; and the US
Federal Reserve has a new chair
awaiting confirmation. Moreover,
major changes in important devel-
oping economies such as Argenti-
na, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil have
made the future outlook even
murkier*.
Still, we should hope for the best.
First and foremost*, we should
will continue in 2018, as the In-
ternational Monetary Fund pro-
jected in October. Growth not on-
ly raises incomes, but also makes
vexing problems* such as bad
bank loans and budget deficits
more manageable. As former US
President John F. Kennedy fa-
mously said in an October 1963
speech in which he promoted his
proposed corporate and personal
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Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 24


tax reductions, “a rising tide lifts
all boats.”
For my part, I predict that the
global recovery will continue,
but at a slightly slower growth
rate of around 3.5%. The two
most obvious risks to keep an
eye on* will be Europe, where a
cyclical upturn could stall*, and
the oil-rich Middle East, where
tensions could flare up* once
again.
Second, let us hope that the Fed,
guided by the steady hand of its
new chair, Jerome “Jay” Powell,
will continue or even accelerate
its monetary-policy normaliza-
tion, both by raising its bench-
mark* federal funds rate, and by
shrinking its engorged balance
sheet*. And we should hope that
economic conditions allow the
other major central banks, espe-
cially the European Central
Bank, to follow suit*.
On this front, I predict that the
major central banks will contin-
ue to normalize monetary poli-
cies more gradually than is nec-
essary. The biggest risk here is
that markets may try to test the
Fed under its new leadership, for
example, if inflation rises faster
than anticipated.
Third, let us hope that the Re-
publican tax package will, if en-
acted, deliver on its promise of
increased investment, output*,
productivity, and wages* over
the coming decade. Here, I pre-
dict that the legislation will pass,
and that investment in the US
over the next few years will be
relatively higher than if no action
had been taken.
To be sure, whether investment
will rise from its currently sub-
Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 25
dued level* will depend on many
other factors than the corporate-
tax* rate. But the tax package
can still be expected to boost
output, productivity, and wages.
The question is not if, but when.
If the full effects of the legisla-
tion are not felt before the 2018
or 2020 elections, that lag* could
prove politically consequential.
The biggest danger is that its
benefits will be delayed, and that
its key provisions will be re-
versed whenever the Democrats
are back in power.
Fourth, let us hope that govern-
ments everywhere begin to ad-
dress the looming crisis* in pub-
lic-pension and health-care costs,
which have been rising for dec-
ades. As social programs become
costlier, they crowd out govern-
ment expenditures on necessities
such as defense, while generat-
ing ever more pressure to impose
higher growth-suppressing taxes.
Europe, in particular, must not
let its cyclical rebound* lull it
into complacency*. Many Euro-
pean Union member states still
need to reduce their government
debt, and the eurozone needs to
resolve its “zombie bank” crisis.
Beyond that, structural labor-
market reforms of the kind
French President Emmanuel
Macron is pursuing would be
most welcome.
Unfortunately, I’m afraid that
progress on structural reforms
will be sporadic, at best. The
danger is that slow growth will
not lead to sufficient wage
gains* and job creation to de-
fuse* the ticking time bomb* of
high youth unemployment* in
many countries. Another risk is
that reform attempts could pro-
WORLD NEWS
voke a political backlash* that
would be harmful* to long-term
investment.
Fifth, let us hope that the euro-
zone can avoid a currency cri-
sis*. This will depend largely on
whether German Chancellor An-
gela Merkel can form a coalition
government and restore political
stability to Europe’s largest
economy.
Sixth, we should hope that the
EU and the UK can agree on a
reasonable Brexit deal that will
preserve fairly strong trade rela-
tions*. The main risk here is that
localized declines in trade could
spill over* and cause broader
harm.
And, beyond Europe, let us hope
that negotiations between the
US, Canada, and Mexico over
the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) will result
in an arrangement that still facili-
tates continental trade. For trade
generally, the biggest risk is that
the Trump administration could
start a lose-lose trade dispute,
owing to its understandable ea-
gerness* to help American ma-
nufacturing workers.
Seventh, let us hope that new
policies targeting information
and communication technology
(ICT) strike the right balance*
among all stakeholders’* com-
peting and legitimate concerns.
On the one hand, there is reason
to worry about certain Internet
companies’ concentration of
market power, particularly in
online content and distribution,
and about the effects of new
technologies on personal priva-
cy, law enforcement, and nation-
al security. On the other hand,
new technological advances
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 WORLD NEWS

could deliver immense economic

gains.
It is easy to envision* a scenario
of too much regulation, or of too
little. It is also easy to envision a
large-scale public backlash
against the major technology
companies, particularly if poor
self-policing or a refusal to coop-
erate with law enforcement leads
to some horrible event.
Here, I predict that achieving an
appropriate policy balance will
take years. If some future event
strikes an emotional chord*, the
public’s mood could swing dra-
matically. Ultimately, however, I side*, democracy and capitalism
suspect that competition and in- regain some momentum*, and Michael J. BOSKIN
novation will survive the forth- greater civility and honest dia- Courtesy of
coming regulations. logue return to the public do-
Finally, and most important, let main. Should that happen in
us hope that terrorism is thwart- 2018, it will be a very good year
ed* everywhere, conflicts sub- indeed. 
Click & Learn Click & Learn
E-Learning  E-Learning 

VOCABULARY
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
Growth - La croissance
Beyond what anyone expected - Au-delà des attentes de tous… Unemployment - Le chômage
First and foremost - En premier lieu Murky - Trouble, glauque, obscur
A vexing problem - Un problème fâcheux A rate - Un taux
To keep an eye on - Veiller sur qqn/qqch To stall - Stagner
A balance sheet - Un bilan comptable To flare up - S’embraser
To follow suit - Emboîter le pas Benchmark - De référence
A subdued level - Un niveau modéré Output - La production
Corporate tax - L’impôt sur les sociétés Wages - Les salaires
A looming crisis - Une crise imminente A lag - un retard, un décalage
A cyclical rebound - Un redressement conjoncturel Complacency - Autosatisfaction
Wage gains - Les augmentations de salaire To defuse - Désamorcer
A ticking time bomb - Une bombe à retardement Harmful - Nocif, nuisible, néfaste
Youth unemployment - Le chômage des jeunes To spill over - Se répercuter
A political backlash - Un contrecoup politique Eagerness - Désir, ardeur
A currency crisis - Une crise monétaire A stakeholder - Un actionnaire, une partie prenante
Trade relations - Les relations commerciales To envision - Prévoir, envisager
To strike the right balance - Trouver le juste équilibre To thwart - Contrecarrer
To strike an emotional chord - Toucher la corde sensible To subside - Se calmer
To regain momentum - Reprendre de la vigueur

Click & Learn more

Surf the Web 

 The Economist - The fastest-growing and shrinking economies in 2018

 FORTUNE - Global Growth in 2018 Will Be 'As Good As It Gets,'

 Financial education - Global Economy Takeoff 2018

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Tremplin IEP | H i g h L i g h t s | n°5 - Decembre 2017 | 26

 US TOPIC

The Debate
In 2009, the ride hailing company known as Uber was
—
developed, allowing individuals to arrange a lift often cheaper than a taxi through a
phone app. Over the past 7 years, the popularity of Uber has skyrocketed, but the company’s increase in popu-
larity has simultaneously sparked a worldwide debate. Taxi drivers are in less demand, and are subsequently
losing their jobs in the face of this unfair competition. In addition, Uber does not face the same regulations that
taxis are required to follow. According to current laws, Uber is banned in Thailand, India, and regions of Aus-
tralia and Spain. In other areas such as the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the United States, Uber is legal
but with various limitations.

 Although some argue that taxi regulation pro-
tects the jobs of middle class workers, Uber pro-
vides more flexibility and options for the middle
class individuals seeking employment. Rather
than having a steady 40-hour week taxi position,
Uber provides job accessibility to people who may
need to work odd hours or balance two part time
jobs. Gaining employment as an Uber driver is al-
so much easier for new workers. Contrary to taxi
drivers, potential employees do not need to pay
any fees or attend extensive training periods.
 Taxi drivers have existed as a monopoly for ma-
ny years. With the development of the rideshare
company Uber, this monopoly is challenged- an
inevitable reality with the development of techno-
logy. Rather than fighting for regulation, taxi dri-
vers must be forced to adapt to modern times.
 Customers should be allowed the choice bet-
ween a taxi or a private service, such as Uber. If a
consumer feels that taxi drivers are being unfairly
shorted on business, they should have the ability
to hire a taxi rather than an Uber. In addition, if a
consumer feels that their safety may be compro-
mised in an Uber, they can choose to hire a taxi
instead.
 When taxis are regulated, individuals are en-
sured with a safer ride. All taxi drivers are requi-
red to pass extensive background checks, whe-
reas Uber drivers do not have this same require-
ment. This poses the risk of being physically
attacked or sexually assaulted, which has been
reported of happening on several Uber rides.
 Since taxis are regulated, riders are guaranteed
a predictable, consistent price. Unregulated com-
panies like Uber have the ability to surge their
prices depending on the demand. Taxi regulation
eliminates this unstable pricing system that
comes with private companies.
 In the past, a taxi driver’s license was a va-
luable commodity. Since no other competition
existed, drivers in big cities were able to have
successful, lucrative careers. With Uber, the va-
lue of the taxi driver’s license has significantly
declined, and taxi drivers have become practical-
ly obsolete. It is the government’s responsibility
to protect these taxi driver jobs that they have
created as once being worthwhile careers.
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