Does anyone else rather admire the French?

[squashyhat]

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

I think now in the U.K. parties don’t get to spout forth about how they will save the NHS/ increase benefits etc without explaining where the money comes from.

Have they explained where the money is coming from to fund the increased hours for children. Or the provision & staff?

mmalinky no I don't think the British government has got pensions policy right. Read my posts - I never suggested any support for our Government (never have voted Conservative, never will). I was talking about retirement/pensions policy and the issues being protested in France. I think the posts explaining the detail of Macron's policy are important and have modified my views on what is going on there. I'm grateful to those posters for explaining.

I do agree that older people should pay NI and I'm worried about maintaining the triple lock when benefits are not similarly protected.

How is causing damage that gets repaired via taxes , admirable ?

The thing is it’s not just strikes and protesting. So for example police have been violently attacked with Molotov cocktails etc, buildings have been burned, the goverment requisitioned staff to keep some critical sectors operational and the employees have endured violent attacks, vehicles sabotaged and attacked, Refineries blocked so that fuel can’t get to petrol stations and there are now shortages across France, bus stations are being blockaded so buses can’t get out, teachers are literally walking out of the classroom mid lesson, riots in the streets are erupting making it terrifying and unsafe for anyone in the vicinity,

these protests always get taken over by extreme left and it ends up in this, violence, brutality, needless destruction, vandalism,

striking and protests are one thing.but that’s not what is happening anymore.

The thing is it’s not just strikes and protesting. So for example police have been violently attacked with Molotov cocktails etc, buildings have been burned, the goverment requisitioned staff to keep some critical sectors operational and the employees have endured violent attacks, vehicles sabotaged and attacked, Refineries blocked so that fuel can’t get to petrol stations and there are now shortages across France,

Without excusing a lot of the above for the sake of fairness, proportion/context etc the only actual burning of a building I've heard of is the heard of was the attempt to torch the front door of the mairie at Bordeaux -are you aware of any others?

From what we've seen locally what look like riots have tended to be a few trouble makers who have attached themselves to legit protestsand you can definitely walk around our local big city without being subject to aggro from either side.

Fuel refinery blockades leading to shortages on the forecourts aren't exactly unheard off here...

Sadly the burning of cars is something of an ritual every time one groupor anothe gets pissed off.

We're not "up north" so we're certainly not getting the Paris experience. For us I'd say fuel is tight but manageable, the bin collectors are continuing to collect normally and the post gets delivered daily.

It's going to be interesting at a national level for a few days but I think it's wrong to think the whole of France is rioting/going up in smoke.

What's your position on disproportionate police presence and their gratuitous violence?
https://twitter.com/bonjoviss1/status/1640823214468370435?s=20

If it helps people realise they should behave rather than rioting, violence ect, then who's right or wrong and why ?

I can't help but think it seems very at odds with the perfect French child that is revered on MN.

I admire their gumption to protest, not the rioting.

TBF a lot of it is down to the idiot fringe that attaches itself to many mass protests, thousands of students managed to do attend demos to protest in large numbers yesterday without throwing bricks or burning rubbish.

My theory is that they are so well behaved as kids that when they get to teen hood they go utterly wild. Just a theory!
maybe our English way has its merits as we allow a little bit of bad behaviour throughout their child and teen hoods but not too much.

Better burning empty buildings than lorry loads of live sheep I suppose, but ideally neither.

My theory is that they are so well behaved as kids that when they get to teen hood they go utterly wild. Just a theory!
maybe our English way has its merits as we allow a little bit of bad behaviour throughout their child and teen hoods but not too much.

🙄

Unfortunately the theory of the "English way" falls down a bit when you look past the UK MSM and realise the vast majority of French kids actually don't go wild as teens, ( and BTW in response to another poster not many if any buildings have actually been burnt down here )...

FWIW there's a very big university city just up the road from us and it's been perfectly possible to go into town on the manifestation days without encountering one of these infamous riots.

Students, sometimes with parents alongside them, have been capable of marching and behaving themselves in a civilised manner. TBF though there has been a sit in at one of the facs (sort of uni equivalent)...reminds me very much of the "English way" of protesting at some Universities in the '70s.

The goings on by some of the fringe element in Paris a few days back is definitely not typical of most manifestations and certainly should not be assumed to depict standard French teenager behaviour.

I admire their cheese and wine.😁

However, the French have a rich cultural history and have made significant contributions to various fields such as art, literature, fashion, philosophy, and cuisine. Some people may admire the French for their cultural contributions, their language, their architecture, or their way of life. However, everyone's opinions and feelings are unique, and it's important to respect and appreciate diversity of thought and perspective.

I think before commenting on here, people should refresh their knowledge of French history. We, French citizens, have a long tradition of protesting and striking. Why? Because it works.
Every right we have has been hard earned. As a child, I was told what my rights and responsibilities as a citizen were at home and at school.
The French government is afraid of the power of the people. In the UK, you are afraid of your government and what it is going to do next.

Do I agree to the burning or rioting? Of course, not. The people responsible for this are criminals, not protestors. using the protests as an excuse to cause mayhem.

I believe that individuals should have a good understanding of French history before commenting on it. In France, protesting and striking have been a long-standing tradition because they have been proven to be effective. Every right that we have has been hard-won through these actions. As a child, I was taught about my responsibilities and rights as a citizen both at home and in school.
The French government is aware of the strength of the people and is apprehensive about it. However, in the UK, citizens seem to be more concerned about their government's actions and are afraid of what it might do next.
While I do not agree with the burning or rioting that has occurred during the protests, I believe that the individuals responsible for these actions are criminals and not true protestors. These individuals are using the protests as a cover to create chaos and destruction.