France is going wild

[Heaven]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6d937wedj7jo
 

France suppose to be the higher moral ground. They are preaching about human rights to others. But at the end of the day their country is a mess.

What went wrong?

[Atb210201]

15 minutes ago, Heaven said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6d937wedj7jo
 

What went wrong?

Globalism.

[Heaven]

11 minutes ago, Atb210201 said:

Globalism.

That’s sad because I believe we should strive for it.

[Atb210201]

3 minutes ago, Heaven said:

That’s sad because I believe we should strive for it.

Well look at the result of it.

[Heaven]

It began as a normal riot and escalated fast.
The high school protest was right but then other groups joined.

The anger inside people is crazy. 
That’s definitely not the way to make a change.

[Lyubov]

Democracy allows for protests but the immaturity of the masses leads to riots and violence. It’s not something that’s easily separated. I would say on the opposite end of the spectrum is a country like Russia where the masses are completely neutered and unable to do so much as hold a sign up without being beaten. 

[Leo Gura]

2 hours ago, Heaven said:

What went wrong?

France is always spicy.

What if nothing is wrong?

Let people protest if they are so unhappy.

Edited 3 hours ago by Leo Gura

[Apparition of Jack]

I’m just not sure what these protests/riots are hoping to achieve. I’ve been seeing lots of progressives/leftists saying burning down town halls etc is some sort of “gotcha” to capitalism because… reasons?

If it really is just about getting more funding for high schools I feel like that point has already been firmly made. Everything else just feels like slightly upset people wanting a reason to protest/loot/yell because everyone is bored/apathetic/confused these days.

[Leo Gura]

7 minutes ago, Apparition of Jack said:

I’m just not sure what these protests/riots are hoping to achieve.

Protests make the politicians listen. Otherwise the politicians are too comfortable and just serve the donor class.

[Apparition of Jack]

4 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

Protests make the politicians listen. Otherwise the politicians are too comfortable and just serve the donor class.

I get that. I do think the initial point of French schools being neglected is valid. But how long have these protests being going on now? And why does protesting government neglect of kids’ education require looting shops and handing out stolen iPhones? 
 

Like others in this thread said, protests often start with a good cause but quickly attract people with all sorts of motivations who just want to spread chaos/destruction or whatever cause they feel like it.

I mean I don’t know, maybe these protests will lead to something but it feels hard to see that at this point in time.

Edited 3 hours ago by Apparition of Jack

[Atb210201]

It's obviously planned.

Look at it.

First France now Italy and Albania as well.

All happening at the same time.

I don't believe in coincidences.

Nothing in the political world is ever a coincidence.

Edited 2 hours ago by Atb210201

[Etherial Cat]

4 hours ago, Heaven said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6d937wedj7jo
 

France suppose to be the higher moral ground. They are preaching about human rights to others. But at the end of the day their country is a mess.

What went wrong?

Billionaires looting the place, outrageously corrupt and incompetent politicians, crumbling public services, and an ever-rising cost of living.

The institutions of France's Fifth Republic, which are supposed to facilitate political dialogue and democratic compromise, have become increasingly dysfunctional, paralysed by plutocratic interests, corporate influence, and lobbying.

Meanwhile, the combined pressures of late-stage capitalism and climate change are fuelling widespread anger, anxiety, disillusionment and the blocked energy is taken to the street.

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Etherial Cat

[Bjorn K Holmstrom]

France has trouble channeling the energy of the street to actual systemic change. Protests force concessions, but the underlying institutional and economic blockages tend to re-form. Many if not most countries seem to have their own versions of systemic loops that keep them stuck.

Edited 2 hours ago by Bjorn K Holmstrom

[Schizophonia]

There were relatively few people both because of the day chosen and because the movement was co-opted by the far left.

The Yellow Vests were a social movement from peripheral France people who were finding it increasingly difficult to survive. They were not young people with broccoli haircuts, influenced by the far-left because they spend their lives on Twitch or YouTube, who block or even vandalize access to public services based on demagogic "demands" to serve their hypomania.

The far left is currently the camp that most attracts hateful and marginalized individuals; hypomanic young people, muslims and tribalistic non-white groups, and paradoxically privileged people such as YouTubers, actors and who strangely enough think they have figured everything out about life from their ivory tower.

And the opposition is not Trump or Bolsonaro; Marine Le Pen is still relatively young, possesses a rather "pleasant" and polished demeanor, has become pro-European and pro-Ukrainian, and regularly purges her party of strange elements.

Marine Le Pen for whom I may vote in 2027 will likely win, otherwise it will be Édouard Philippe (the "center-right").

Edited 1 hour ago by Schizophonia

[Elliott]

@Schizophonia the lady convicted of embezzling government funds, ya sure I'd trust what she says.....

[Etherial Cat]

I do believe this movement is more than just another protest.

If we zoom out a little, I think we might be witnessing a broader wave of resistance against the current system, and perhaps the beginnings of the kind of change we need as a society to move forward.

It's been brewing for years now. The current government has something like an 18% approval rating, which is pretty catastrophic. After years of mounting anger and frustration, protesters are organising themselves almost like a grassroots insurgency, ready to challenge the institutions head-on and hopefully kick the Macronie out.

I also think there's something quite particular about the French. They grow up learning about revolutions, uprisings and popular resistance, and I think that history is deeply ingrained in their collective identity. So protesting isn't just something they do; it's almost part of how they understand themselves as a people.

And for the first time, I can really sense a powerful wave of collective anger and solidarity. Police brutality against teenagers is particularly hard to stomach, even for people who would normally consider themselves moderates. I think that leaves the government with very little room to manoeuvre, as further repression could easily backfire and fuel even more anger. I don't envy their position . 

And it certainly doesn't help when, in my view, the politicians in government are mostly incompetent, talentless, sheltered buffoons who can't read the room, let alone run a country, and who seem to owe their positions more to careerist scheming, political networking and backroom manoeuvring than to any actual merit at creating effective policies.

If I recall well, 1/2 political change leading to a change in Constitution has not be made through the legal institution but outside of them. 

[Elliott]

3 hours ago, Atb210201 said:

Well look at the result of it.

Less slavery, war, and exploitation

Edited 2 hours ago by Elliott

[Schizophonia]

1 minute ago, Elliott said:

@Schizophonia the lady convicted of embezzling government funds, ya sure I'd trust what she says.....

Yes she has a dispute regarding the use of European funds.

This seems all the more likely given that his party is having funding problems.

It’s still better than the far left; everything is better than the far left.

 

[AION]

chickens come home to roost, time to send an expedition to safe the french people

[Elliott]

14 minutes ago, Schizophonia said:

Yes she has a dispute regarding the use of European funds.

This seems all the more likely given that his party is having funding problems.

It’s still better than the far left; everything is better than the far left.

 

I mean, you'll be ruled by Russia in 20 years then, but sure

Edited 1 hour ago by Elliott