Does anyone else rather admire the French?

[squashyhat]

They're not taking the proposed pension changes lying down are they? France riots

Every single time I have been to Paris the Parisians are striking and protesting over something. I got caught up in the riots on my last visit and it was terrifying. This week my train was cancelled to Paris so I went to Brussels instead. No riots there thank goodness.

There's no need to get caught up in french strikes.
Just check C'est La Grève website to find out who's protesting where and when in France.

I don’t confond the damage, the burning etc but unlike the English folks they don’t let their gouvernement trying to mug them off.

I think where the French get it wrong, is protesting is one thing, but when you set fire to assets, cause destruction, engage in violence against those who choose to continue, , and blockade, so for example folks can’t buy fuel as sites run dry, and can’t get to work as deliveries can’t leave the refineries, , I don’t support it.

protest. Yes. Violently assault those who disagree, stop them From functioning,,I don’t agree….

😁

Yes, think of the billionaires who need mansions. If they don't exploit us for profit until we're 70 how will the rich keep getting richer :(

Not admiring the French is not a sign of apathy 😂😂😂

I was open mouthed at one of the videos of the riots with the French police just bashing people in the crowd with truncheons or whatever they were. They certainly seem a lot tougher than UK police and ready to act.

we were discussing this this morning. Our pension age goes up and we just grumble and quietly seethe.

Wish we were more like them in a culture of protest, don’t condone violence but as a nation we roll over and take no serious action against the appalling decisions made by government, particularly this past 12 years of corruption

Those who admire the rioting. How do you think the pension crisis should be addressed?

Yes. I love how they hold their government accountable. Governments are there for the people after all.

I dunno. I don't get paid enough to have answers. But I do pay out enough in taxes to have a reasonable expectation that the millionaires in government come up with a solution that doesn't involve me working until I die.

That comment was aimed at @Socrateswasrightaboutvoting . Agree with you @ohfook . About time our swede faced brexit overlords consider what government by consent means.

What do you even mean? We did what? Can you clarify? The population in Europe is getting older and older, the younger taxpayers have to pay, there are fewer and fewer young people contributing to the pot. It's an inverted triangular disaster

An even bigger disaster here with the falling birth rates, crap pension schemes & ridiculous housing costs. What's the UK gov to address the demands of an ageing population?

In the UK, recent governments know they can get away with anything and people are either too apathetic or to brain-washed by the right-wing media to fight back.

And the weird doth thy cap culture.

The Brits are by the balls because of their own class system

Why do they cling to it though?

I like how stroppy they are. That's their culture. Good for them - they know how to riot.

But Macron is being realistic on pensions reform. He's right. The tax burden on the working population will become so huge with people living longer and the cost of pensions - that it will become impossible for working people to manage even more so with inflation and the rising cost of living. Average age expectancy is rising, the ratio of working population to retired population is shrinking and pensions aren't in the bank - they are paid for by a smaller working population. So of course the French Government can't keep increasing the tax burden on working people that's not fair. People are living longer in good health and they can work longer to build their retirement pot - so that they can live better for more years.

France is building a massive problem if they don't do what Macron is proposing. They are only raising the pension age to 65 - its needs to be higher. The economics don't work and if they don't start moving in that direction the economics will get even worse. He was elected on a mandate and he is enacting it.

Too few people understand the economics of pension reform. Most people working today won't ever benefit from the pensions that older people have now - final salary pensions are gone and the pensions sone people have now will never ever be enjoyed by future generations. We need to ensure that the current working population have any hope of a decent standard of living when they retire. We cannot kill them with taxation. Otherwise they will never have anything like the older age pension life that older people have now.

This. Violence is never the answer.

But looking back historically it's often was.

Exactly. What was that report out this week? Wages haven't risen for 15 years in the UK.

Problem is many are fine with the above because their house doubled in value 🙄

Too few people understand the economics of pension reform. Most people working today won't ever benefit from the pensions that older people have now - final salary pensions are gone and the pensions sone people have now will never ever be enjoyed by future generations. We need to ensure that the current working population have any hope of a decent standard of living when they retire. We cannot kill them with taxation. Otherwise they will never have anything like the older age pension life that older people have now.

Is the UK doing this?

Yep the way this country is going I do think that we should maybe start acting more like the French. Better than being whinging little doormats surely?

No the ballot box is supposed to minimise this kind of behaviour.

How should the crisis be addressed??

Put it back to the age it was??

N'est pas?

No, in fact I find them pathetic.

Rioting because they are expected to work to an age that is lower than that of pretty much any other country. They already hardly work at all during the years when they are supposed to (4 day weeks are absolutely standard, add to that the holidays, the 'ponts', and the regular strikes...). But that's all right, because they can always get future generations to pay for it.

They should be ashamed of themselves. But they have no shame so...

(I live in France, in case you were wondering...)