WeenMony| Everything you need to know

You must be away for a few days, but do not want, or can not, take your dog. There are several types of care, including the foster family. Often seen as ideal, because custom, this solution is not necessarily happy: it involves risks, requires to take precautions and to plan a budget. Our advice.

Although 32% of dog owners say they have already canceled their holidays for lack of a custody solution for their pet, 80% believe that "it is now easier to find someone to entrust to," thanks to the development of new modes of custody, but also to the internet, "which facilitates the provision of information". In addition, 88% say they feel stressed about having to leave their pet to a third party. If 52% use a relative, 22% go to a canine board and 16% to a foster family or a pet-sitter (home pet) at home. more expensive guard modes that develop. This is revealed by two 2014 studies, one conducted by Ipsos and the other by DogHacres, a website linking dog owners and pet sitters.

Choose preferably a pet sitter who has declared his activity

More and more individuals are offering to keep dogs for a fee. To make it known, more need to deposit an advertisement in the shops of proximity, they have at their disposal sites of national hearing (leboncoin.fr, vivastreet.com ...) or specialized in the connection between canine owners and pet-sitters: gardicanin.fr, wamiz.com, amimalin.com ...
Whether you are speaking directly to an individual or going through one of these sites, choose a pet sitter who has declared his activity, a guarantee of security for you and your pet. In fact, the legislation, which derives from Article L 214-6 of the Rural Code and Sea Fisheries, provides, in essence, that the commercial exercise (see below) of pet care activities is the subject of a declaration to the perfect, that it is subordinated to the establishment and the use of facilities conforming to the sanitary and animal protection rules. The legislation also specifies that these activities may only be carried out if at least one person, in direct contact with the animals, has a certificate of competence attesting to his knowledge of the biological, physiological, behavioral and animal care needs. of the company. Additional provisions apply to people who, without being breeders, hold more than 9 weaned dogs.
Kennels and other professional structures scrupulously respect these obligations. Indeed, being registered in the Register of Commerce and Companies, they can be controlled at any time by the Department of Population Protection (DDPP), which includes the veterinary services and those of the departmental units of competition, consumption and the suppression of fraud. The situation is different for individuals. Considering that it does not carry out this activity on a commercial basis, few declare it, set up adapted premises and possess the certificate of capacity. "Nothing obliges them because they exercise these guards only occasionally and do not earn a real salary," said Hadrien Guerraud, head of communication of animaute.fr, a site serving as an intermediary between the pet owners and pet sitters.

You are better protected if the activity of the pet-sitter is commercial

In the event of litigation, you will be able to more easily engage the responsibility of the pet-sitter if it is considered as having a commercial activity that if it is about an individual rendering a simple service paid to another. The European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals defines commercial custody as "practiced mainly for profit and in substantial quantities" (Decree No 2004-416 of 11.5.04, OJ of 18). "To my knowledge, no official text sets a numerical threshold," said Dr. Thierry Mathet, Chief Veterinary Service Departmental Directorate of Social Cohesion and Population Protection (DDCSPP) Aude. The tax authorities consider, moreover, that there is a commercial activity, and even hidden work, as long as there is retribution. "The money collected must be declared to the tax authorities," said a tax official, who admits that few taxpayers comply and that sanctions are difficult to apply.
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It is always better to write a contract

In all cases, we recommend you to establish a written contract detailing the benefit: terms of custody, dates, rates ... You can put this document before the courts if you are faced with a problem (accident, illness, death) animal, theft, fugue, abandonment, mistreatment, damage caused by the animal to a third party, financial dispute ...). A precaution all the more essential if the individual has not taken out professional liability insurance, as it should (but many ignore or dispense with it). Classic liability insurance does not cover damage suffered or caused by animals kept for remuneration.

Referencing an individual on a site offers no guarantee

"Entrusting your dog to an individual rather than a professional is necessarily a risk, says Dr. Mathet. Indeed, since this individual does not declare his activity to the perfect, the veterinary services can not know the existence and perform routine checks. "They can only intervene a posteriori, following a complaint, for example.
Going through a linking site does not necessarily guarantee a reliable service. As proof, animaute.fr specifies, in its general conditions of use, that it "is only an intermediary between independent service providers and consumers users of the site, [that] is not bound to in respect of such users that by an obligation of means, [that] the standard contract pet-sitter / customer made available by the site is free of charge and does not engage [his] responsibility, even in case of failure of one of the 2 parts [and that], consequently, [Animaute] declines any responsibility concerning the quality of the services ordered on [his] site ". The latter, however, arrogates a commission of 40%, which corresponds to the amount that is charged to you when booking online. However, the pet-sitter receives nothing from this down payment. You must pay the balance, that is to say, his remuneration, at the end of the custody. "In return for this commission, we provide professional liability insurance and veterinary assistance over the phone to the pet-sitter we are assigning. And we strive to offer a replacement to the user in case of last-minute withdrawal ", argues Hadrien Guerraud.
This lack of guarantee is all the more regrettable as the pet-sitters referenced by most specialized sites are soon simple written request: they are not subjected to any evaluation interview or prior inspection of the premises. "They are, in general, passionate about animals and have them themselves," says Hadrien Guerraud, who ensures that applications are carefully studied. In addition, users are invited to leave a notice after each guard. "If a pet-sitter accumulates negative opinions, we stop communicating his coordinates," he says.

With 31 points to his credit, Kawhi Leonard was illustrated Tuesday night during the success of Toronto against the Wizards (104-101). Note in the other meetings, the beautiful perf 'of Nikola Jokic (29 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) with Denver.

Denver and Toronto, the respective leaders of the NBA West and East Conferences, were both badly embroiled in their matches on Tuesday, but each of their respective two stars, Nikola Jokic, and Kawhi Leonard, took his responsibilities and offered his franchise victory in the last moments. The Serbian pivot of the Nuggets has certainly achieved a new triple-doubles (three categories of statistics to ten units and more) in Miami with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, but it is rather his improbable basket acrobatic two seconds of the siren that the audience of the Heat will keep across the throat (103-99).

In Toronto, the Raptors were also very scared Atlanta, which led to 25 seconds of the term. But Kawhi Leonard, the man who has made the difference since the beginning of the season in Canada, has turned off the Hawks' ambitions in two major defensive actions. An interception first, his 6th of the match, which allows a counter attack and a dunk Serge Ibaka. Then a tough defense on Trae Young allowing the Raptors to keep their lead (104-101). All this after a 31-point match. "We were trying to make it but we never could. We ended up late in the game, and we needed a few stops and a few baskets. We managed to get both, that's great, "responded Nick Nurse, the Toronto coach who wins his 31st win of the season in 43 games.

Dread in the Thunder

Russell Westbrook and Paul George also had the opportunity to take on the Oklahoma City savior costume in another tight match. But against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Thunder's two players missed their last action, missing two shots at three points for Westbrook, and a "lay-up" in the final second for George. The hero of the match is well with the Wolves, and his name is Andrew Wiggins, with his 40 points. It's a night to forget for "OKC": in addition to conceding a second defeat in rank, players Billy Donovan, 3rd West, were struck by the impressive injury of their interior Nerlens Noel, whose head violently hit the ground after Wiggins' unintentional elbow. Evacuated on a stretcher in front of horrified teammates, the player was hospitalized, according to the coach who did not give more details. "Pray for him is the only thing to do," responded back Terrance Ferguson.

Mahinmi in verve with the Wizards, Batum, and Parker discreet

On some floors, the evening was less agitated. Without Frank Ntilikina, ankle injury, the New York Knicks did not weigh very heavily against the Golden States Warriors, double defending champions: with 43 points (including seven three-point baskets), Klay Thompson represented alone almost half of the opposing team's points (122-95). Ian Mahinmi was very present for the Washington Wizards in Philadelphia with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, but he was far from being able to tip a one-sided encounter in favor of the Sixers, in full swing with a fourth win in a row (132-115). Same observation for the Frenchies of Charlotte: neither the 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists of Nicolas Batum, nor the 12 units of Tony Parker in 14 minutes of play did turn the match of the Hornets at Los Angeles Clippers, lost 128-109.

Results of Tuesday:

Golden State - New York 122 - 95

LA Clippers - Charlotte 128 - 109

Miami - Denver 99 - 103

Toronto - Atlanta 104 - 101

Phoenix - Sacramento 115 - 111

Oklahoma City - Minnesota 117 - 119

Cleveland - Indiana 115 - 123

Philadelphie - Washington 132 - 115

Aibo is a robot dog sold by the Japanese group Sony. Despite its high price, he was able to find his audience. Our journalist tested it.

He's useless. It is very expensive. But we were still very happy to find him. Aibo, Sony's robot dog, was the star of CES 2018. He is back this year. Meanwhile, the robotic puppy went on sale in September, for the modest sum of $ 2900, or about 2500 euros. Because the machine is adorable, but also at the forefront of technology. The body of Aibo is composed of 4000 pieces, some tactile, to recognize the petting and the caresses. The robot can identify the voice and face of its owner, and obey their commands.

A different experience of technology

Aibo has no other purpose than to entertain its users. He does it very well. This year, at CES 2019, we were able to play with him for ten minutes. And as in 2018, we melted for his mimicry, his barking sharp, his little tricks. Aibo is the kind of object that CES manufacturers like because it's original enough to grab the attention of visitors and the media. Yet, despite its price, he has met his audience outside Las Vegas. The robot is out of stock in the United States and was also a victim of its success in Japan, where Sony has already delivered 20,000, according to information from the Japanese newspaper Nikkei.

The puppy is far from being the only robot of CES 2019. Connected object makers are looking for new interfaces, not screens so that their users can interact with their services. For many, the answer lies in voice control. Hence the sudden popularity of assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant, who can control machines without clicking, tapping or even looking at a smartphone or computer. Others believe in robots. Cute if possible, in order to soften the user, in the best case, or even to lull his mistrust into the worst.

It's no longer science fiction: robots are among us. At CES, Samsung introduced its range of robotic equipment for the home and professional sector. They carry heavy loads, watch over the health of the elderly or the quality of the air. Similar machines have been developed by LG for several years, and are already deployed in factories or airports. There are many robots in the field of education. They entertain children or teach them how to code. Recently, the New York Times devoted a lengthy report to Zora, a small robot used in a French retirement home to relieve some residents of their loneliness or help them communicate with caregivers. If Aibo and these other robots are popular, it's because they offer a rare experience: we use technology without realizing it.

At two years, 68% of children watch TV every day and a third almost never play ball according to a study by INED and Inserm on screens and physical activities. Television, tablet, smartphone ... Does this over-consumption have an impact on their brain development? Can we talk about addiction? Should we worry? Advice.

At the age of 2, two out of three children watch television every day and 33% of children of this age play only occasionally, if ever, the ball, reports the daily Le Figaro. Regarding the other screens type tablets, computers, consoles or smartphones, they are 20 to 30% to use them weekly. This is shown by the results of a survey of INED and INSERM carried out as part of the Elfe longitudinal study, presented to the Health Directorate-General (DGS) at the end of December and made public on 2 January 2019. This national study, studying the behavior of more than 13,000 children, will help define future French recommendations and better target populations most exposed to early screens. Moreover, what poses a problem, "it is not the screens themselves, but the lack of interactions between parents and children because of these tools" says the newspaper Thomas Rohmer, president of the Observatory of the parenting and digital education. Indeed, 44% of mothers share little physical activity with their baby, whether it's playing ball, going to the pool or going for a walk with the family, says the study.

However, if a moderate and occasional use is not incompatible with the awakening and education of children, excessive use of screens, especially very young, would harm the brain development of the child, specify several studies on the subject. So, from what moment can the consumption of screens become a real problem? What are the signs that need to alert? How to help him get away? What about games on tablets and other waking cartoons? Advice from Dr. William Lowenstein, Addictologist and President of SOS Addictions.

Can we really talk about addiction?

If your child is struggling to part with his tablet or a phone, and the first thing he does in the morning is watching TV, does that mean he's addicted to the screens? While it is undeniable that in some cases, displays induce behavior that is similar to a form of dependence, this is more of a pleasure than a real addiction. "There is currently no reliable data on potential addiction screens for toddlers (under 3 years) and therefore, no addiction can be proven at this age," says from the outset Dr. Lowenstein. What is termed "addiction" would, therefore, correspond to a more complex stage and would have much more harmful consequences for the user. Especially as the dependence of screens for older ages - in children aged 3 and over - is already difficult to define: "it should be soon specified and medically recognized in 2018 by the WHO", informs us. addictologist, "and should be on the 11th list of the International Classification of Diseases" (Editor's note: Since this interview in February 2018, addiction to video games has integrated the ICD-11 of WHO). However, not to mention addiction, we notice in some young children an obsessive behavior that "does not go to become severe addiction when they grow up or have irreversible consequences on their health", is to reassure the addictologist. In most cases, the symptoms associated with excessive practice cease when a frame is set for the child to regulate its use. However, we must remain vigilant from the first signs of alert.

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What signs can alert?

If, as the Academy of Sciences attests in a 2013 report on "The child and the screens", the digital evolution has "considerable positive effects on the acquisition of knowledge and know-how while contributing to the formation of thought and the social integration of children ", an overconsumption of screens would have repercussions on their well-being, their language, their attention, their social relations and their sleep. In short, everything would be a question of consumption and connection time. So, when does the use of screens become problematic? A young child who is stuck on a screen (several hours a day), who shares less and less with his family or his brothers and sisters, who isolates himself, who needs his tablet to fall asleep or to eat, who finds pleasure only through digital devices, who has a passive attitude to the world around him ... are so many "reasons for concern," warns William Lowenstein. He explains that "the screen plays a role of refuge for the child, which can alter his capacity for empathy and socialization". The child can be a little "wild", "be in his bubble", as if he was no longer used to rubbing shoulders with the outside world. "But beware, no study to date can establish a causal relationship between screen consumption and autism spectrum," says the addictologist. In addition to this can be problems with falling asleep, eating and excitement. In addition, the time spent on the screens would encroach on moments devoted to other recreational activities (sport, manual activities, cultural, board games ...), essential in the quest for certain values such as sharing or the spirit team. The screen, when it is consumed excessively and early, will then impact the good psychological, social and physical development of the child. So you have to teach him to do without it.

What does this abuse mean?

"Excessive use of screens must ask about the parent/child relationship," says William Lowenstein, "if we leave young children in front of a screen for 3 to 6 hours a day, it is that there is potentially a deficiency of even if these parents do not necessarily think badly, "he adds. We are talking here about children spending a lot of time on the screens, without the presence of their parents. "The idea is not to go into psychosis and ban all computer resources," reassures the addictologist. From time to time, giving your child the chance to play a waking game on an educational tablet or to watch a cartoon is quite possible, provided there is "a real support for the parent": the tool digital will then be an object of sharing and exchange between the child and his parent, as would be a board game, a walk in the park or a sports activity with the family. This becomes problematic if the screen is perceived as a means of separation, or even blackmail systematically associated with basic acts such as eating or sleeping. For example, a 4-year-old child who would be unable to fall asleep without an episode of Peppa Pig and will not touch his plate until his part of Lulu the Mole is over. In the same way, "you have to pay attention to the helpers a bit easy: if the tablet or the television remains practical to occupy the children, they must not replace the presence of the parents or the nanny," he warns. In fact "how do you want the virtual and the digital do not alter the necessary awakening relationship between the child and his parent when the TV is on all the time, when YouTube calm big sorrows when the tablet accompanies the meal and cell phone, car trips? "asks the expert.

In practice, how can you help him get away?

Changing these habits is not always easy, especially if there are siblings. And above all, it takes a bit of investment! "It must be a family approach," says the expert from the outset. Thus, the presence of parents is essential when the child is in contact with screens because the child must always be accompanied in his discoveries. Before 3 years, it is better to limit the use of the screens as much as possible, or even completely remove them. If your child is already in contact with screens, gradually reduce the connection time and instead, offer him other activities: promote building games, artistic activities (drawing, painting ...), watch a book, visit an animal park or leisure, go to a show for small ... At early ages (between 3 and 6 years), the addictologist advises not to leave the child alone with these new technologies and to respect durations short use. Up to 10 years old, "check how the child uses digital: talk to him about what he sees, what he does, what he finds, what it gets, and how he sees it ", he advises," the Internet and more generally digital is a new country for the child: we do not let his child discover it alone without accompanying him and without warning of the rules of good conduct and possible excesses. " And above all, parents must set the example, so do not be permanently taped to their smartphone or turn on the TV as soon as they have a free moment. In addition, the screens have no place at the time of meals or in the room. In short, avoid that the digital connection "can lead to excessive use and encroaches on the family link," concludes the expert. And if despite your vigilance, the use of screens is still very problematic or your child has a language delay, great anxiety, a total disinterest for other activities, isolates himself constantly in his room and remains obsessed with screens, do not hesitate to take him to see a psychologist who can defuse the situation and set up new practices.

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Economist David Cayla talks about the quarrel between Donald Trump and the Fed, the US central bank. According to him, the liberal principles that keep the economy away from politics are becoming obsolete.

David Cayla is an economist, lecturer at the University of Angers. He notably published The Economics of Reality (De Boeck Superior, 2018) and contributed to the collective work, coordinated by Henri Sterdyniak, Macron, a bad turn (The bonds that liberate, 2018).

Since his election, US President Donald Trump has made the rise of Wall Street an indicator of US economic health and the success of its policy. But here it is: the combined effects of financial deregulation and massive tax cuts are blurring. The sharp fall at the end of the year of US stock market indices is seen as the harbinger of an impending economic crisis. There are some good reasons to believe it.

The first and primary concern is that the United States is in its ninth consecutive year of economic growth, marking one of the longest growing cycles in history. The last performance of this type dates from 1992-2000; it led to a brief recession in 2001, following the collapse of the Internet bubble. However, far from weakening, US growth in recent months has actually accelerated, exceeding 3% annual rate in the 2nd and 3rd quarter. Good news? Not really, because this growth is done on a full-employment economy (3.7% unemployment) and does not appear sustainable in the short term. It is even less so that elsewhere in the world the economic performances are decreasing. The European and Chinese economies are slowing down while emerging countries such as Turkey, Brazil, and Argentina have plunged into crisis since the beginning of the year.

Outstanding trade disputes

Another unfortunate sign is that the Trump administration keeps blowing hot and cold in commercial matters. Sometimes it threatens its trading partners with a unilateral increase in customs duties, sometimes it announces the conclusion of an agreement or a truce when it manages to obtain some concessions from the opposite party. The American commercial strategy is actually far from erratic. Since he has been in power, Donald Trump has pursued a determined policy of negotiating in a strong position with China and the European Union in turn. This strategy works to the extent that neither the European authorities nor China can for the moment clearly read long-term American objectives that seem to vary according to the circumstances.

In fact, Trump does not pursue a protectionist policy, which would be to regulate international trade in order to contribute to economic and social objectives, but develops a mercantilist-type strategy. His behavior is more of a businessman than a politician. It does not seek to regulate but to obtain specific concessions in the service of its manufacturers. In exchange for a three-month trade truce, he managed to get China to increase its purchases of US gas and to strengthen the legal protection of intellectual property rights. Similarly, by threatening German carmakers, he obtained from Merkel a renunciation of the European project of taxation of "GAFAM" (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft), these companies of the net (exclusively American) who manage to escape tax by playing tax competition between states.

These trade tensions are not without concern. There may be a time when US trading partners may rebel or even coalesce and impose sanctions on US companies.

Quarrels on the home front

Finally, the last thing to worry about is the internal quarrels with the American administration itself. Unable to obtain from Congress the $ 5 billion needed to finance the construction of the border wall with Mexico, the presidency has been blocking since 20 December the adoption of the federal budget, leading to the "shutdown", that is to say to call for the sudden termination of pay for the salaries of 800,000 US federal employees and the termination of many federal missions. Since the by-elections last November, the Republicans have lost the House of Representatives necessary for the adoption of the budget which implies a form of American-style cohabitation between the Republican President and the Democratic Chamber, especially for everything that falls fiscal policy.

Another difficult cohabitation, that which opposes Donald Trump to Jerome Powel, the president of the Federal Reserve, the US central bank (Fed). Since December 2015, the Fed has been pursuing a monetary policy that aims to break out of the accommodative policy pursued since 2008. So does it intend on the one hand to gradually get rid of the assets held on its balance sheet purchased to support the US economy and public spending Quantitative Easing, and gradually raise its key interest rates. In 2018, they were raised four times, from 1.5% to 2.5%, rise faster than in previous years.

However, the latest increase, that of December, has aroused the wrath of the American president. Trump accuses the latest rise to be responsible for the collapse of the financial markets of December. An increase in Fed rates leads mechanically to increase the profitability of short-term receivables, risk-free assets. Also, the higher the interest rates, the lower the equity markets are attractive by comparison. In addition, interest rates determine borrowing rates for businesses and households; their rise, therefore, contributes to depressing investment and consumption and tends to dampen the economy as a whole. Lastly, rising interest rates are helping to boost the value of the dollar on the foreign exchange market, which increases the cost of exports and, conversely, decreases the cost of imports. In short, Donald Trump fears, and he is not entirely wrong, that this rapid rise in interest rates of the Fed does not contribute to weakening the US economy and does not cause the cycle reversal it is supposed to prevent.

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The death of multilateralism

Trade tensions, the end of the US growth cycle, depressed international context, division within the US administration on fiscal and monetary policies ... As we can see, this end of the year 2018 does not encourage much optimism for 2019. Also, the question most economists are asking today is not whether or not there will be a recession next year (this seems to be the case), but if this recession will be like 2001, of short duration, or if it will be accompanied by a more brutal collapse as was the case in 2008.

In fact, it will certainly not be 2001 or 2008. What is happening in the United States and more widely in the world is a new logic and a profound shift in economic governance.

First upheaval: Trump's policy marks the death of multilateralism. This end affects many international organizations, primarily the United Nations and its agencies, including the International Labor Organization (ILO), which has not been a place of development for social law for a long time. But it is especially the World Trade Organization (WTO) that knows the most serious existential crisis. Since the failure of the Doha Round in 2006, trade agreements have been negotiated and signed bilaterally, without WTO approval, on the initiative of rich countries. Agreements that almost systematically exclude the least developed countries. More seriously, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), which is responsible for resolving cross-border disputes, is only slowing down and could permanently shut down in December 2019. The United States is blocking the judges. While there should be seven for optimal operation, there are only three remaining, including two with a mandate that ends in late 2019.

The DSB appears to be largely overwhelmed by the ever-expanding trade conflicts. The unilateral management of international trade by the Trump administration in return creates equally unilateral reprisals from its trading partners. It is impossible to judicially investigate these conflicts as they continue to multiply. By force, new trade relations with Trump sauce threaten to make obsolete all multilateral trade treaties negotiated since the end of the Second World War.

Donald Trump is not the only one responsible for weakening economic multilateralism. In fact, the way in which the United States is trying to gain new trade privileges is reminiscent of the way the Obama administration has bowed Swiss banking secrecy by imposing on banks around the world the extraterritoriality of its national law ... or, to go even further back, the way in which Nixon suddenly ended the Bretton Woods monetary system by renouncing (again unilaterally) the gold convertibility of the dollar.

A revival of politics on the economy

The myth of a world economy that would be organized around rules decided in common has lived. The contemporary management of the economy is tantamount to original world order, far removed from that anticipated by George Bush senior in 1990. Thus, the new world order that emerges is not that of the rule but that of a founded order on the logic of power relations, which pushes each country to put its economic weapons at the service of its own interests. This transition from rule-based management to forced management implies the return of political power and its ability to act in a discretionary manner.

This allows for a better understanding of the current tensions between Donal Trump and the Fed. Indeed, behind the conflict over the level of interest rates is a much more fundamental question: should a central bank be independent of political power? When on Friday, December 21, Bloomberg announces that the US president has asked his advisers if it was possible to remove Powell from office, the US press and most economists have shouted heresy. Asked by the Washington Post, Democratic Senator Mark Warner, a member of the Senate Banking Commission, summed up the general sentiment perfectly well: "What the President does not understand is that monetary policy must be separated from politics. Any action taken to dismantle the Fed's independence would not only be inappropriate but would threaten the institutions that protect our rule of law. "

But in a world where uncertainty dominates and where economic management is an important lever of action, monetary policy can no longer be managed by extricating itself from all political considerations. Take the crisis of emerging countries. The main problem in countries such as Argentina or Turkey is that their companies have benefited from low-interest rates to borrow in foreign currencies, especially in dollars. The rise in US rates puts these companies in trouble and the collapse of their currencies makes them insolvent. These countries would, therefore, need a weaker dollar and a monetary policy that does not restrict access to liquidity too quickly. However, purely administrative management of US monetary policy by the Fed is unable to take these issues into consideration.

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The era of illiberal economic governance

From Trump's point of view, on the contrary, the difficult trade negotiations in which he is plunged would involve allies and therefore an ability to use monetary policy as a bargaining chip vis-à-vis third countries. Economic heresy? What is certain is that the weakening of the rules and the return of political sovereignty on the markets imply to reconsider all the established truths to which we are accustomed. Because it is a real illiberal economic governance that is emerging in the United States, but also in China and Russia.

This is why the next economic downturn will have nothing to do with those of 2001 and 2008. The liberal principles that have outlined the global economy over the past decades are flying in the air. shine. The policy that had been distanced from the economic sphere and markets in the name of liberal-inspired governance of experts is now making a comeback. Also, if an economic crisis appears in the United States in 2019 it will not fail to open a new era whose management will mark the great return of the sovereign economic policies. This is an era in which the European Union, with its extremely rigid institutional system, frozen in the ideology of the 80s and 90s, is absolutely unprepared.

FENNEC FOX

The fennec fox is the smallest member of the fox family, ranging from 24–40 cm in length, with a big, bushy tail which can be up to 20 cm long. It is obviously blessed in the ear department, but its Dumbo-sized flappers are not just for show: they are filled with blood vessels close to the surface of the skin, which helps the fox release body heat to dissipate the extreme temperatures of the deserts in which it resides. The fox also boasts a copious covering of fuzzy fur on the soles of its feet, which acts like slippers protecting it from the searing heat of the dunes. The fennec is nocturnal, but it does like to sunbathe. The fennec is quite a sociable animal, choosing to live in a small pack, and in parts of North America and North Africa they are kept as pets, much like cats and dogs – they even purr like cats when happy. The French aviator and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry had a fennec as a pet and it is believed that his furry friend inspired the fox character in his book The Little Prince.

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SEAHORSE

Despite being commonly known as the ’stallion of the sea’, this other-worldly creature is a surprisingly poor swimmer, and for that reason, it is almost always resting, wrapping its prehensile tail around a stationary object such as a plant frond. The seahorse swims upright, using the pectoral fins behind its ears to steer, and has coronets atop its horsey head which gives it an almost regal appearance.

It uses its extra-long snout to slurp up plankton and tiny fish, but because the seahorse doesn’t have teeth or a stomach food passes through its insides incredibly quickly, which means it has to eat constantly to stay alive.

This tiny creature has an unusual courtship and mating ritual, and in tropical seas, the mating season lasts all year! The female seahorse will deposit her eggs into the male’s pouch where they are fertilized and carried until the babies are ready to emerge two to four weeks later – yes, it’s the male that becomes pregnant and gives birth! The number of babies born in one birth can be as few as five or as many as 1,500.

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FALLOW DEER

This graceful-looking creature has the most beautiful Bambi-like white speckled coat, which can vary from white to chestnut-brown to red to black, depending on the time of year. It also has a fetching black streak along its spine, like a go-faster stripe, that extends to the tip of its white tail.

With its powerful, lean frame the fallow deer can reach speeds of up to 30 mph and can jump an amazing 5 m high. Fallow deer were introduced to Europe in the eleventh century by the Romans and are a mainstay of parkland, especially the royal parks throughout the UK. It roams in single-sex herds for much of the year, choosing to mate once a year in the autumn in what is known as the ’rutting season’, which can be a noisy affair in which the males will bark and lock horns to fend off rivals – the barking sounds not unlike belching!

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DUGONG

This prehistoric-looking, gentle giant of the sea is more commonly known as the ’sea cow’ because it spends its days grazing on seagrass in shallow waters. It is not like any other marine animal and is most closely related to the elephant! The dugong can grow to a maximum length of 3 m and weigh up to half a tonne, which explains why it lives life in the slow lane.

Because of its slow pace, the dugong has many predators, including humans who hunt it for oil and meat, and numbers have declined sharply over the centuries where once the sea cow could survive in large herds, it is now more likely to see just one or two dugongs together. As a result, this timid creature is now regarded as a protected species in Australia.

The dugong’s other-worldly appearance and graceful actions in the water are believed to have inspired the legend of mermaids.

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RED PANDA

This compact, cuddly-looking creature with its bold, ringed tail bears little resemblance to its distant relative the giant panda – the red panda grows to about the size of a domestic cat and looks not unlike a raccoon, also a distant genetic relative. The two bears do, however, share the same rainy, high-altitude habitat, but the red panda, with its strong claws perfectly adapted to climbing, prefers to dwell amongst the treetops rather than the forest floor and spends much of the day curled up in a tree with its tail wrapped around its head. Its distinctive thick, fur coat protects it from the cold and wet – it even has fur on its paw pads to help it to grip on to the wet bark and leaves – and, although vibrant in color, the redness of its coat acts as camouflage against the red moss found in its habitat. Interestingly, the red panda is sometimes referred to as the ’firefox’ and the collective noun for these beautiful beasts is a ’sleuth’.

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GOLDEN LION TAMARIN

This golden-orange monkey with its impressive lion-like mane and charismatic face inhabits canopied rainforests in Brazil. The forests in which it lives provide a rich source of fruits and insects for the tamarin to eat and the canopy provides protection from airborne predators, such as hawks. When the tamarin spots a predator it will make a distinctive call to its troop (between two and nine other monkeys) and head for hollows in tree trunks to hide, or, if there is nowhere to hide, it will drop to the forest floor.

The Tamarin is a very social creature; it will share food that it has foraged, participate in mutual grooming sessions and even the male monkeys will do their fair share of rearing the young. A tamarin troop will defend its territory from other troops by marking its patch of forest with scent and calling from the trees – it never leads to physical altercations though, just a bit of monkeying around. In the wild, a tamarin will live for an average eight years, but one tamarin living in captivity in a Texan zoo lived to 31 years old!