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The French deserve some respect. If you want to know what a true strike or protest looks like, look to the French.
More and more these days French disrespect feels like boomer shit. Look what the French did when the government came for their pensions. The industrial action within the transport sector alone.
I was visiting Paris during some of the aforementioned protest. They’re out and about (in numbers) and will gladly get out to protest when they feel it necessary. Plenty of other western countries could learn, a lot, from the French people.
I keep saying this and people look at me like I'm some kind of extremist
Like no dude I just want universal healthcare
universal healthcare
*me, looking at you like you're some sort of communist
The American right would like to categorize it like that but it's not communism at all, it's socialism. I wish they could mischaracterize the correct political philosophy.
I remember when Obama promised us that. Good times.
Look what the French did when the government came for their pensions.
For the record we did get it down from 65 to 64, but we still got +2 years.
I appreciate that the outcome may not have been what was strictly desired. The French populace still get off their arse and do more than complain on social media while effectively doing three fifths of fuck all. More than what can be said about some others, especially those who are inclined to make brain devoid white flag jokes.
A lot of it now goes back to the Iraq war, when France refused to join the Coalition of the Willing and invade. Nearly constant derision of the French in the media for a decade will do that to people.
This already started with the Vietnam war, where France warned the US not to get involved. There’s a lesson here but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
It goes back to the 1790s
Even today, they just don't give a fuck about rules.
In Southern France there are speed cameras being set up everywhere, and they'll catch you for being even a few km's over. The locals (mostly rural) have responded by either torching them, encasing them in hay bales, painting over them, or chopping them down. The police keep putting them up, alongside cameras to watch the cameras, and the locals keep destroying them overnight.
Also true in the west, where I am, so I presume the same all over France.
Fortunately my area doesn't allow this nonsense, but I'd totally be down for some infrastructure vandalism if they ever try.
The important thing is to burn lots of people's cars. Probably locals who are also protesting.
That's how you really get the attention of the authorities.
Tout est politique- les voitures aussi
In France, but also Belgium and the Netherlands, you have a very malcontent population of 2nd or 3rd generation offspring (mostly male) of migrants who feel left out by the system and take any opportunity to cause chaos. It are these kids who set cars alight, not the protestors.
Often when there is a truly large protest, they are there to "fight against the system" by getting into fights with the police and burning cars and just causing overall mayhem.
Deflecting blame by subtle ethnic discrimination. Nice.
Doing neither, as these things are well documented and demonstrably true, but believe whatever you want to believe.
Did you see the yellow jackets marching with their rolling barbecue fitted on the city’s tram line? Magnificent bastards.
The French also excel at rudeness and Math.