What's going on in Paris?

[Onkel Neal]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=letMqjYpKZo

What are these protests about? Anyone here read French?

Man, this is not making our news at all here, isn't the date May 12?

[Von Due]

It appears to be linked to this
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/17/478406817/french-labor-protests-tear-gas-in-paris-truckers-block-highways

Mind you, that was just one hit on google and I have no idea about that source's credibility about the details and opinions etc.

[Onkel Neal]

I guess it has something to do with pro business labor reforms?
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/french-protesters-throw-missiles-paris-7956445

Man, they don't have any way top control that?

[Betonov]

I'd hate to be a cop these days.

You're sent into a line of molotovs and bricks with tied hands to protect people that make 10-times what you make, that just a week before were telling you how you're a drain on the nations budget with your minimal wage and you're protecting them from people that their parents made sure that they make three times what you do because let's face it, the farmers and workers, the real ''got the short end of the stick'', are never really seen setting streets on fire.


Ah, this, this is a game changer
But tens of thousands took part in demonstrations, saying France would become a nation of workers on short-term contracts, with next to no security, if the changes are approved.

Slovenia is already in this state and now I can understand why they're angry.
And I hope they fight their way to the french parliament and torch it to the ground

[Oberon]

The French?

Protesting?

DEAR GOD!

:har: :03:

Ah, one thing you learn being the next door neighbours of these guys is that they do love a good protest, even better if they can shut something down...like a port, the Air Traffic Control system, the rail network, the more disruption the better. :yep:
Still, to be fair on them, governments and companies alike seem to not listen to anything other than force these days, and then use that same force as an excuse to clamp down on things. :hmmm:
Damned if you do...

[Onkel Neal]

And I hope they fight their way to the french parliament and torch it to the ground

That's terrible.

[Betonov]

That's terrible.

No, let me tell you what's terrible.
Living in your parents house because no bank will touch you without a full time contract.
Living in your parents house because there is no certainty that you'll be able to pay rent in 2 months from now.
Being fired every six months for a week because a loophole was placed in the laws to prevent the company having to take you in full time (law states that they can only extend a ''starting'' 3 month contract one time before they are obliged to give you a full time).
Not daring to plan your vacation because you fear that that money you just spent on booking will be needed to survive before the summer begins.
Not trying to start a family because your wife/gf will be fired as soon as the contract ends or even worse, the next day she anounces she's pregnant. Full maternity leave is available only with full time contracts and they are as rare as a dodo bird after the last few labor reforms the French are protesting against.
Companies allowed to give you an option to be self employed of GTFO, which means no paid vacation and no paid sick leave. You break your arm at work, tough luck, best case scenario you're out of a months wage, worse case, the job is given to someone else.

That is what we got and the French are getting and the French were lucky enough to have been warned. We just got informed by employers one day that the laws have changed.

So burning down the parliament is not terrible, leaving it standing to further spread misery amongst the nation is.

[Jimbuna]

The French were an integral player in the EU when the Working Time Regulations were devised:

The Working Time Directive, 2003/88/EC, is a Directive of the European Union. It gives EU workers the right to a minimum number of holidays each year, rest breaks, and rest of at least 11 hours in any 24 hours; restricts excessive night work; a day off after a week's work; and provides for a right to work no more than 48 hours per week. It was issued as an update on earlier versions from 22 June 2000 and 23 November 1993. Since excessive working time is cited as a major cause of stress, depression and illness, the stated purpose of the Directive is to protect people's health and safety.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Time_Directive

It would appear the French government would like to make their country's economy more flexible, competitive and productive. To do that, they say they need to end some long-standing worker protections. Legislation that's moving forward would make it easier for employers to hire and fire workers.

So much for EU membership.

Mr Cameron will no doubt be keeping a close watch on developments.

[STEED]

Mr Cameron will no doubt be keeping a close watch on developments.

That's going to be tricky when he has his head up the EU's never never region. :03:

[Skybird]

The social demands of the French are extremely high, compared to other eurpean countries. This is ruinous for the economy, it prevents investments and hinders the hiring of people - becasue for companies in France it is even more diffiuclt than in Germany to fire them again if the company goes into a dive and suffers. The demands for what the state has to come up for, also are extremely high in France. "The state pays for it!" is a French idiom, so to speak. They do not think beyond this simplicistic phrase.

If even an open socialist like Koland now sees the need to correct these things a bit, this really should tell people how desperately down the fiscal situation of france indeed is. There is a reason why many insiders and observers see not Italy Greece, Ireland or Spain as the most likely an most dangerous cause for an Euro crisis, but France. Just that the "saving" of France will cost others much, much more than Greece or Ireland.

They must pass through this deep dark valley, and then even deeper valleys, the French state as of today is unsustainable they way it was run in the past. Just wishing for socialist regimes, will not do any good in the long run.

[Jimbuna]

That's going to be tricky when he has his head up the EU's never never region. :03:

On the contrary....if he sees France getting away with such reforms he will do likewise.

Remember your mate Mrs Thatcher?

http://i68.tinypic.com/orrvav.jpg

[Onkel Neal]

No, let me tell you what's terrible.
Living in your parents house because no bank will touch you without a full time contract.
Living in your parents house because there is no certainty that you'll be able to pay rent in 2 months from now.
Being fired every six months for a week because a loophole was placed in the laws to prevent the company having to take you in full time (law states that they can only extend a ''starting'' 3 month contract one time before they are obliged to give you a full time).
Not daring to plan your vacation because you fear that that money you just spent on booking will be needed to survive before the summer begins.
Not trying to start a family because your wife/gf will be fired as soon as the contract ends or even worse, the next day she anounces she's pregnant. Full maternity leave is available only with full time contracts and they are as rare as a dodo bird after the last few labor reforms the French are protesting against.
Companies allowed to give you an option to be self employed of GTFO, which means no paid vacation and no paid sick leave. You break your arm at work, tough luck, best case scenario you're out of a months wage, worse case, the job is given to someone else.

That is what we got and the French are getting and the French were lucky enough to have been warned. We just got informed by employers one day that the laws have changed.

So burning down the parliament is not terrible, leaving it standing to further spread misery amongst the nation is.


Contracts? WTH is a contract? Somehow we manage to survive over here and no one has any contract.:hmm2:

Just remember, when you start burning Parliament, people will die.

[Betonov]

Contracts? WTH is a contract? Somehow we manage to survive over here and no one has any contract.:hmm2:


A contract was a signed paper that the employee will do his/her best to earn her wage and not cause problems and the employer will treat the employe like a human being.

If you want to survive like an animal, go ahead, but some of us want to thrive, have stable jobs and security so we can start a family, see the world, work hard and play hard.
Something the previous generation already did and then decided to screw us over in the name of profit and capital. Rewrite fair trade laws that helped them build a house and have a family so that we are nothing but serfs to the economy. Cheap disposable labour, from fieldhand to an engineer. Skills and humanity don't matter anymore, only profit margins. Helped by the fear of a runaway unemployment.
It's like the feudal ages are back and I crawled out a too poor vagina to be anything more than a peasant.
And this is not some failed art student talking about entitlement, this is a man with 10 years experience in hard work in luxury yacht construction and some minor stints in retail and organisation when I needed the extra euro in my pocket and a volunteer servicer with the civil defence as a medic.


Just remember, when you start burning Parliament, people will die.

Only 90 of them.
The killers of a nation.

[August]

No, let me tell you what's terrible.

None of that is nearly as terrible as life in a country without a functioning government. Instead of planning your vacation you're going to be planning how you and your family will survive so be careful what you wish for.

[Betonov]

None of that is nearly as terrible as life in a country without a functioning government. Instead of planning your vacation you're going to be planning how you and your family will survive so be careful what you wish for.

That's rich coming from a republican (all that tooo much goverment rhetoric)

And https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2013/10/01/589-days-with-no-elected-government-what-happened-in-belgium/


No, not enough, that's rich coming from a republican that lived trough an era of American history that benefited job and life securities from the Roosevelt administration and now has the cohones to acuse my generation of being priviliged spoiled brats becasue we demand the SAME LEVEL OF LIVING STANDARDS

[Onkel Neal]

*sigh* All right, I don't live in your shoes, I am not going to discuss this any further.

[Schroeder]

No, let me tell you what's terrible.
Living in your parents house because no bank will touch you without a full time contract.
Living in your parents house because there is no certainty that you'll be able to pay rent in 2 months from now.
Being fired every six months for a week because a loophole was placed in the laws to prevent the company having to take you in full time (law states that they can only extend a ''starting'' 3 month contract one time before they are obliged to give you a full time).
Not daring to plan your vacation because you fear that that money you just spent on booking will be needed to survive before the summer begins.
Not trying to start a family because your wife/gf will be fired as soon as the contract ends or even worse, the next day she anounces she's pregnant. Full maternity leave is available only with full time contracts and they are as rare as a dodo bird after the last few labor reforms the French are protesting against.
Companies allowed to give you an option to be self employed of GTFO, which means no paid vacation and no paid sick leave. You break your arm at work, tough luck, best case scenario you're out of a months wage, worse case, the job is given to someone else.

That is what we got and the French are getting and the French were lucky enough to have been warned. We just got informed by employers one day that the laws have changed.

Welcome to turbo capitalism....I fear we'll get there one day too. We're already taking steps there.:dead:

[Betonov]

*sigh* All right, I don't live in your shoes, I am not going to discuss this any further.

Me neither. I actually like you. Which is no small feat.
But I just tried to say that the entitled generation isnt the only one that feels screwed over by the we-were-entitled generation. It's the hardworkers and earners of my age that feel cheated and since we know the value of work we dont burn down shops and throw bricks at cops. We can only hope that the thieves of our future are hit by a wayward anarchists brick one day.

[August]

...now has the cohones to acuse my generation of being priviliged spoiled brats becasue we demand the SAME LEVEL OF LIVING STANDARDS

I don't recall saying any of that. I only pointed out that what comes after storming the Bastille is usually far worse than what it replaced.

You think you're different then more power to you.

[Oberon]

Welcome to turbo capitalism....I fear we'll get there one day too. We're already taking steps there.:dead:

http://i.imgur.com/erLX2DQ.gif

[August]

No, not enough, that's rich coming from a republican that lived trough an era of American history that benefited job and life securities from the Roosevelt administration...

Oh and those job and life securities would not be there without a functioning government to preserve them. Had we followed your advice to burn it all down we'd have nothing.

So maybe it's rich coming from me but if you continue to ignore this basic truth you'll deserve what you get.

[HunterICX]

I don't recall saying any of that. I only pointed out that what comes after storming the Bastille is usually far worse than what it replaced.

Exactly, look what happened after the American Revolutionary War!

(ha-ha! :O:)

[Betonov]

I don't recall saying any of that. I only pointed out that what comes after storming the Bastille is usually far worse than what it replaced.

You think you're different then more power to you.

You were thinking it :O:

This won't be the storming of the Bastille. Or the masacre of the Romanovs, bansihment of Batista...
The elected parties will refill the assembly with it's younger members, the democratic process will go on and the one thing that will change is that the replacement MP's will sit in their comfy chairs with a thin brown line in their underwear in fear that they might suffer the same fate as their predecesors should they relegate citizen rights to the elite few.

The lack of that thin brown line gives MP's the cohones to flip the bird to the workers

[August]

Exactly, look what happened after the American Revolutionary War!

(ha-ha! :O:)

Hence my use of the word "usually". Personally I think we got lucky. Lucky that the removal of the Crowns authority didn't cause us to descend into the horrors experienced by the French just a few years later. I think it's mainly because the colonies were already pretty much self sustaining entities and didn't need to start completely over.

[August]

The lack of that thin brown line gives MP's the cohones to flip the bird to the workers

That's what we're getting at with our 2nd Amendment.

[Betonov]

That's what we're getting at with our 2nd Amendment.

And we with our 18th crommosome.
A slavic gene for total contempt for authority.

Unfortunately that also means we have total contempt for any authority that might organise a resistance against the parasites in Ljubljana.

catch 22

[Mr Quatro]

Lets hope that history doesn't repeat itself :o

There was a war called the Peasants' War way back in , 1524–26, rising of the German peasants and the poorer classes of the towns,
particularly in Franconia, Swabia, and Thuringia.


Some atrocities by the peasants (e.g., the massacre of Weinsberg) marked the war, but those committed by their enemies were worse. The revolt received the blessing of the Swiss reformer Huldreich Zwingli and in Thuringia was led by the radical Anabaptist leader Thomas Münzer. Martin Luther, however, condemned the revolt, thus contributing to its eventual defeat. Lacking unity and firm leadership, the peasant forces were crushed (1525) largely by the army of the Swabian League. It is estimated that 100,000 peasants were killed. In Austria, where the revolt continued until 1526, the peasants won some concessions, but in most areas they suffered continued or increased restrictions and had to pay tribute. The peasants' defeat dissuaded further attempts by the peasantry to improve their social and political position.

[Betonov]

Lets hope that history doesn't repeat itself :o

There was a war called the Peasants' War way back in , 1524–26, rising of the German peasants and the poorer classes of the towns,
particularly in Franconia, Swabia, and Thuringia.

Slovenes had 5 peasant revolts (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovene_peasant_revolt_%28disambiguation%29) in our history, in 1478, 1515, 1572, 1635 and 1717.
And the ''speed trap'' revolts of 2012 where speed traps were attacked with clios and a mayor had to resign and the 2012-2013 anti-goverment protests where early elections had to be held in fear of an even further uprising

[Oberon]

I think the last one we had was around 1990, not counting the 2011 riots since they weren't really politically motivated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poll_Tax_Riots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o98_hia8tA

Although the Fuel protests in 2000 were pretty successful, and certainly caused a nervous week or two for the UK government of the time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_protests_in_the_United_Kingdom#2000