MAYBE CONSISTENTLY DOING THINGS VOTERS HATE, THEN TALKING DOWN TO THOSE VOTERS WHEN THEY COMPLAIN, IS A POOR STRATEGY: Macron’s Defeat in Paris Sounds Alarm for Europe.

Less than a month ago, French President Emmanuel Macron staked his claim as the flag-bearer for globalism. In a speech to 60 world leaders at the Arc de Triomphe, he eulogized the United Nations and declared nationalism the “betrayal” of patriotism.

Last Saturday, tear gas and cobblestones flew in the same part of Paris as protesters trashed the iconic monument and demanded Macron’s embattled government withdraw a proposed fuel-tax increase. For the first time in his presidency, he backed down. It was a humbling moment for opponents of the populist revolts that spawned Donald Trump.

The problem is, too much of the political class — and of the business class for that matter — places virtue-signalling for peer approval above actually doing its job. And people have noticed.