French labour laws trigger immense protests

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by JohnT


I think it's even more ridiculous to protest changes to policies that have inflicted upon you a 22% unemployment rate. That's idiotic!

"We might not have jobs, but at least the jobs we don't have are jobs worth not having!"

As I've said, that's related to greed more than anything. Profits are soaring yet corporations want to extract even more from governments and employees. The French population have put their foot down and said 'no'. If people everywhere did this, including in your nation, we would not have the problems we have now.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

I'm bearded even though the store's policy discriminates against bearded people. Explain me why they call me back, if I'm not better than most of the (never to be seen again) colleagues I could meet some day or other.

what do you think is easier for them? to call someone they know, or hire someone they dont know?

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison


As I've said, that's related to greed more than anything. Profits are soaring yet corporations want to extract even more from governments and employees. The French population have put their foot down and said 'no'. If people everywhere did this, including in your nation, we would not have the problems we have now.

Now why would we protest for 22% unemployment?

Last time we had unemployment rates that high, we called it the "Great Depression." French youth apparently call it "Job Security." Go figure.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

obviously its not greed since if it was that, we would see 10% unemployment in america due to this behavior. we dont. so that hypothesis is false.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
what do you think is easier for them? to call someone they know, or hire someone they dont know?

When they call Manpower each morning, they could do what they used to, a month ago (i.e ask for temp workers without specifying names - it's Manpower's job to find them).

They now generally ask for three specific temp workers, myself and two other serious colleagues. It is not very common for Manpower to hear personalized requests.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. If a government does something the public does not agree with, is it not their right to make their views clear? This is what happened - solidarity...they got their own way by forcing the government, a supposedly democratic body, to do so...

A majority of Americans are against gay marriage! They should force the government to make a Constitutional Amendment! The mob shall not be trifled with! It's "solidarity" after all!

I thought we wanted our elected representatives not to bend to the mob, but to do what they thought was right, regardless of public opinion. This is why Truman is thought so highly today, even though he had a 22% approval rating at one point in his Presidency.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I thought we wanted our elected representatives not to bend to the mob, but to do what they thought was right, regardless of public opinion.

I want the elected representatives to represent the people.

[Fake Boris]

Face it Imran, you don't care that Truman stuck to his ideas... basically you point him as an example because you agree with what he did.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
Face it Imran, you don't care that Truman stuck to his ideas... basically you point him as an example because you agree with what he did.

I wonder how Bush (34% approval in February) will be remembered by history, and by Imran

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
Face it Imran, you don't care that Truman stuck to his ideas... basically you point him as an example because you agree with what he did.

I disagree with plenty Truman did (he was a fairly liberal Dem), but he did what he thought was right, not what was popular.

[q=Spiffor]I want the elected representatives to represent the people.[/q]

Yeah, 'represent' the people, not be simply a yes man for the mob.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

This is sad, so sad. I actually feel sorry for the French as you can see the train wreck happening before your eyes.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Yeah, 'represent' the people, not be simply a yes man for the mob.

When 60-70% of the population disagrees with your project, if you want to represent your population, you don't keep the project.

Last year, the French rejected the European constitution by referendum (55% Non). Had the constitution been adopted by parliament, it is estimated that 80% of the seats would have voted yes. Even though the disconnect between the Parliament's opinion and the people on the matter is obvious to everybody (even to the political caste), many elitists believe the Parliament would have still had representative legitimacy on the issue, had it been the one who decided.

Face it, if the CPE had been put to referendum, it would have scored a sounding defeat, because the French overwhelmingly reject it. When you want to represent your people, you don't keep projects where an hostile consensus exists.

And your contention that politicians ought to do what they think is good, instead of what is popular, has nothing to do with representativity matters. It's an "enlightened-despot" idea.

[Imran Siddiqui]

[q=Spiffor]And your contention that politicians ought to do what they think is good, instead of what is popular, has nothing to do with representativity matters. It's an "enlightened-despot" idea.[/q]

No, it's the whole POINT of representatives. You elect the person that you think will do the best job at going through complicated issues and making the right decision instead of one that a straw poll agrees with at that point in time. I would sacrifice how much a candidate agrees with my point of view if I was confident that he would make a principled point no matter how unpopular it would turn out. It's why I have such respect for Bush I. He knew raising taxes would KILL him in the next election, but he had to make the principled stand because of the debt.

If you just want a mouthpiece of the mob, just dismantle the whole representative idea and go to direct democracy and accelerate the collapse of France. Unlike Ogie, I don't think it is sad... it is exactly what you wanted.

[Fake Boris]

You don't create a movement as large as the anti-CPE one without SIGNIFICANT popular support... that's what you fail to understand. You like legal meanders and procedures, but ultimately that's what democracy is all about, the people, the street.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

who cares how significant the support is, they are still wrong. might doesnt make right.