To think the French students are out of control?

I remember how, in one shopping street (forget where, it was obviously many years ago) the only shop that was left untouched was Waterstones 😭

Buildings most certainly are not meaningless. They tell a story about history, the past. To not appreciate buildings qualifies you to be some sort of philistine.
I can only assume you have not thought through what you said.

The Baltic militaries combined are tiny compared to Russia. But what worries me more is how much of NATO's military capability in the region would actually work if the US refused to help, or worse, actively opposed getting involved.

I remember this coming up in Parliament over Britain's nuclear deterrent. Could London actually use it against Washington's wishes? I don't recall anyone giving a particularly convincing answer.

And realistically, how much could the Baltics and Poland do without US intelligence, satellite communications, five eyes support and all the other infrastructure they rely on? We've already seen reports of Starlink restrictions messing up Ukrainian counterattacks, and Ukraine isn't even integrated into NATO systems.

There is a possibility of attack on a Baltic state, I think. There’s plenty of opportunity for Putin to wheel out his Soviet-style bogus justifications for ‘de-nazification’ and rescuing oppressed Russian speakers. Plus there’s Kaliningrad. And the Baltic states’ militaries are good but still tiny.

Finland would be safe, from ground invasion at least. They have a massively mined and carefully monitored border with Russia. Finland withdrew from the land mine ban because they feared exactly this sort of scenario with yet another murderous Soviet/Russian tyrant.

The history of France is one of bloodthirsty conquest and exploitation of minorities, just as ours is. With that in mind, I can't get myself worked up about any of the historical buildings or monuments that find themselves victims of people's right to protest for their future.

I am beginning to revisit "violence is never the answer."

In principle, I agree that it is never the answer but I also think that it is the only thing that gets an answer! The conditions in some schools over there are such that students have to sit on the floor, teachers are not released and so on. I am sure that did not happen over night.

The students are now joined by other middle class people who are under too much pressure - cost of living is extremely high, jobs are scarce, housing is becoming impossible. And yet, we have more and more multi millionaires and billionaires. Clearly, too much money is going up, to make the rich richer. We all know it, and we all suffer from it. Politicians placate in order to win elections, but do not change that much when in.

The violence does not come from nothing.

You're right the violence does not come from nothing. We can all see where it comes from and it is not where you think it is coming from. 😂

Then, if you insist on deploying violence in pursuit of your aims, you lose the right to complain when violence is visited upon you.

That’s only fair, right?

That is tragic. The buildings are not victims of a right to protest. They are the victims of misguided ignorance.

She has inserted herself into it. The little shit stirrer thrives on a bit of attention. She must make her money from all this shit..

Ask yourself, what would be the strategic aim for the Kremlin to invade (and try to hold) one of the Baltic states?

Putin would have to commit significant military and economic resources - which he does not possess. There’s also the assumption that Beijing would acquiesce - they would not given their influence in the Balkans, and their reliance on oil (which would spike massively).

Putin’s already waging grey/hybrid war against the west - an open operation against one of the Baltics would be completely counterproductive.

Well, there’s even less money now as they have to clean up and fix everything that’s been destroyed. Not very clever ‘students’ are they?

I voted YABU as you (and others on the thread) seem to be under the misapprehension that the rioters are students who are sad about their education.

Napoleon wouldn't have approved

Yeah i don't. They are causing trouble and without the maturity to understand what they are doing

I saw kids destroying their school - their reason? They don't like sitting quietly in class or being told not to wear certain clothes in school... Their answer? Destroy everything!!

I agree that an attack is unlikely for the reasons you give. But it’s a possibility all the same. The economics of it is what Putin would hesitate at. But if he really wants to test NATO resolve I can see it happening.

My hope would be that Russian forces are destroyed very quickly and he slinks off. We do now know that the Russian military is crap. The full-on war in Ukraine has lasted longer than WWI - and the conflict has been longer than both world wars combined if you time it from the illegal annexation of Crimea and fighting in the east of Ukraine!

@ITVXsponsoredbyDominoes You really think the thugs in balaclavas are anything to do with the students’ peaceful protests?

They are disaffected youth mostly from the deprived city outskirts who have been brought up without direction or protection by their parents.

Oh come on, you are making them sound like the far right. These people have a cause that they believe in, nobody listens to them, but now people are taking notice. I've been saying for years now that the establishment need to stop tarnishing people as far left for having genuine opinions about issues, and now they can have no complaints when people have finally had enough of being labelled as monsters.

I don’t know if people are arsonists and looters because of some noble cause. What principle is behind someone going on the rob for Jordans, jewellery etc.?

Just saw a shop-owner speaking to the Maire of Bordeaux basically saying those who work/working France have had enough.

probably a huge vote for Le Pen next May.

Probably a huge vote for Le Pen next May

Then they have lost my sympathy then. How selfish can these shop owners be? Do they not understand that students will be the next generation of potential customers for their business if they had a decent living to be able to look forward to?

Its not FRENCH students.

Yep.

There was a Parisien Tabac owner interviewed on French TV earlier.

Yesterday evening her shop was ransacked by looters with her still in it (she was trying to secure the grill when the mob forced their way in).

She's been left with nil stock and sporting a black eye.

I spoke to a relative earlier who lives in one of the Frnch cities that's been in the news..person on person violence,.no, not really, but some of the more upmarket stores have been trashed, lots of shopfronts gone in general.

TBH Some posters need to knock off it off with "poor protesting students" spin....that may have been the case some places last week but it's gone way beyond that now.....and the reallynsad thing is it's probably massive vote winner for the RN.

I’m getting the hang of it now. 👏

So basically then you are saying that rioting, looting and arson is acceptable if done by the Islamo-leftists but to be thoroughly condemned if done by anyone on the right.

And it's for that very reason that ordinary people who wouldn't normally vote for Marine Le Pen will vote for her in droves in 2027.