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division de la culminale
This question was closed without grading. Reason: Answer found elsewhere
Nov 14, 2008 01:24
15 yrs ago
7 viewers *
French term

économie de la rente

French to English Social Sciences International Org/Dev/Coop
This was a term used by President Sarkozy in a critical speech to the UN evaluating the current international system. The complete sentence citing this in the academic paper I'm translating is:
"Cette vision assez critique des relations internationales actuelles est également partagée par Nicolas Sarkozy qui stigmatisait récemment le fait que l’actuel développement par l’Occident d’une « économie de la rente » était de nature à déboucher tôt ou tard à la « révolte des pays pauvres ».

"private income economy"? I don't see that anywhere? Any other ideas?
Proposed translations (English)
5 +2 rentier or rent-based economy
5 credit-based economy
4 -1 captialist economy
2 revenue economy

Discussion

Gurudutt Kamath Nov 14, 2008:
Algérie L’économie de la rente traduit la dépendance vis à vis des recettes régulières liées au pétrole. La rente peut financer d’importantes bureaucraties, et se transférer à l’étranger sur des comptes privés. Elle évite de faire les efforts d’éducation et de productivité indispensables dans une économie moderne. Contrairement à l’Algérie, la Norvège est un modèle d’utilisation de sa rente, qui n’est jamais, au centime près, affectée à la dépense publique courante, mais est stockée dans un fonds destiné aux retraites. (Perhaps, these sentences should give a clue.) Extract taken from Marianne2.
Gurudutt Kamath Nov 14, 2008:
Rent-based Economy There are some 494 references in Google to a rent-based economy. None of which convinced me that it was a correct usage (including the World Bank one about Gabon). In the above link (eurotrib.com), according to me it is a poorly translated paragraph, you only need to read the para or the sentence to know that it is a rough translation. I agree that the French term is difficult to translate. However, if the intelligent minds in this group put their mind to it: I am sure they can come up with a correct or a good enough definition.
a05 Nov 14, 2008:
Today's thinking differs from the Marxist Be careful about "rentier" which is perfect for the Marxist term (refers to those who enjoy income from investment) but not necessarily for today's usage. In current discussions (and in Sarkozy's speech, most likely), they mean economies based on extraction of natural resources (primarily, oil). A parallel English-French version http://www.eurotrib.com/story/2007/3/30/45729/7668 has it as "rent economy," though in Mme Royal rather than M. Sarkozy's remarks.

Proposed translations

+2
1 hr

rentier or rent-based economy

Declined
Peer comment(s):
agree joehlindsay
2 hrs
Merci Joehlindsay!
agree rkillings : Prefer 'rentier economy'. The word 'rent' is being used in its rarefied political-economy sense, which 'rent-based' will not convey. See Wikipedia article on 'rentier state'.
3 hrs
Merci RKillings!
neutral Diane de Cicco : I think "rent" is too restrictive here. It doesn't include investments on the stock amrket etc.
5 hrs
Thank you Diane. Given the context I believed that Sarkozy was referring to the situation in less privileged countries. In which case the concept is well defined in development economy; at least among French-speaking economists. As for a translation...
Something went wrong...
-1
2 hrs

captialist economy

Declined
Capitalist economy or capitalism -- basically, it is the refinement of your private income economy or revenue economy. True, the original meaning or the pure meaning would be rent-based economy -- but not in this context. I had a quick look at the Sarkozy speech of Sept 23 to the UN -- where I could not locate the terms. This translation is indeed a tough call as no dictionary or website provides any clue to the REAL translation or definition of the term. Basically, Sarkozy is talking about the unbridled capitalism which has led us to this crisis.

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Note added at 10 hrs (2008-11-14 12:22:37 GMT)
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Well, for an English version of the speech -- Betraying the spirit of capitalism -- Nicolas Sarkozy -- check out http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/views-and-analysis/10/08/08/betra... Capitalist economy is NOT a good translation of economie de la rente -- but in the context, that is what Sarkozy was talking about.

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Note added at 11 hrs (2008-11-14 12:34:43 GMT)
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Based on my extract from Marianne2 -- would say that an adequate literal translation of the term would be an economy based on natural resources (in contrast to a productive economy based on production and services)
Peer comment(s):
disagree rkillings : Even for Marxists, only the 'rentier capitalist' version of capitalism.
3 hrs
Did not find the term "rentier capitalist/capitalisme" in GDT or Harrap's. I agree with one of the posters and you that "rentier" is a tricky word to translate. At the same time, I would not be satisfied with a mere litteral translation.
Something went wrong...
12 hrs

credit-based economy

Declined
Something along these lines, I think.
Something went wrong...
1 hr

revenue economy

Declined
Hello,

This is where folks live off their revenue (big oil companies), not from real work.

as opposed to a working economy...



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Note added at 15 hrs (2008-11-14 16:46:27 GMT)
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Gurudutt is right: a revenu economy gets it money from resources and not production
Peer comment(s):
disagree rkillings : No, this is about living off economic rents from scarce factors of production.
3 hrs
Isn't that what a revenue economy is?
agree Gurudutt Kamath : Indeed, a revenue economy gets its income from resources in contrast to a productive economy. So revenue economy is a good attempt at explaining the term. (rkillings -- I do not understand what you are saying.).)
8 hrs
Thanks, Gurudutt! I appreciate it.
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