culture = capital(e)

A sign posted by the Mairie de Paris (City Administration) on an old building that is being renovated exhorts Parisians to protect their heritage: "La culture, c'est capitale!" My immediate thought upon reading this was how apt it was: the French have, perhaps more than any other people, turned intangible culture into a river of clinking coins, as can be inferred from the hordes of visitors who pay to enter museums, dine in restaurants, and shop in their fashion boutiques each year.

While this may have been a mistranslation- my Larousse defines capital as vital or fundamental- the astute practice of elevating and then selling memes (diverse elements of cultural transmission) is one which we in the long bahag economy- the world of niches- can learn and profit from.

The French are not only aesthetes who have, since the reign of Louis XIV, set the standard for luxe, they also belong to a vibrant intellectual tradition that has produced Foucault, Sartre and Voltaire. Consequently, while all peoples across space-time possess culture, it is the French who are arguably the experts in analyzing, atomizing, deconstructing, and self-consciously reflecting on it. Thus, for the Rugby World Cup 2007, aside from hosting the games themselves, the French have organized concerts, films, musicals, fora, debates, and even art and museum exhibits all centered on the theme of rugby.

Here I am at midnight in an Île St. Louis pub with my rugby team, the kilt-wearing Scots, after their victory over Portugal. Mabuhay!