One thing we can say about the French - they sure as hell know how to protest!
Three million people in the streets of France. Nobody in the streets of Washington. What is wrong with this picture?
As many as three million people took to the streets across France today to protest against President Nicolas Sarkozy's handling of the economic crisis and demand more help for struggling workers.
The protests, which polls show are backed by three quarters of the French public, reflect growing disillusion with Sarkozy's pledges of reform as the crisis has thrown tens of thousands out of work and left millions more worried about their jobs.
Bright spring sunshine helped the turnout and the total reported by union organisers surpassed the 2.5 million seen on an earlier day of protest on Jan. 29.
Streets in central Paris were packed with protesters waving anti-Sarkozy placards and chanting slogans, with badges reading "Get lost you little jerk!", the now infamous comment made by Sarkozy to a protestor at an agriculture show, much in evidence.
"There are more and more workers who feel they are not responsible for this crisis but that they are the main victims of it," said Bernard Thibault, head of the CGT, one of the eight trade unions organising the strikes.
No
They're greatly influenced by union bosses and union leadership. They're protesting for more socialism.
Precisely
Whenever you hear language about "workers" it's usually a bad sign. Communism and Socialism are what they are all about. You won't hear them asking for more private property rights.
Register as Republican and Vote for Ron Paul
So what?
We may not agree with their opinions, but the fact that they are actively trying to fix what they feel is wrong with the government is respectable. More respectable than the millions of Americans who sit at home cursing about the government but don't vote, don't know the names of their representatives, and can't be arsed to leave the TV long enough to protest.
Exactly what I thought!
I find myself once again reflecting on the wise words of Bastiat in his essay "The Law"
Victims of Lawful Plunder
Men naturally rebel against the injustice of which they are victims. Thus, when plunder is organized by law for the profit of those who make the law, all the plundered classes try somehow to enter — by peaceful or revolutionary means — into the making of laws. According to their degree of enlightenment, these plundered classes may propose one of two entirely different purposes when they attempt to attain political power: Either they may wish to stop lawful plunder, or they may wish to share in it.
Woe to the nation when this latter purpose prevails among the mass victims of lawful plunder when they, in turn, seize the power to make laws! Until that happens, the few practice lawful plunder upon the many, a common practice where the right to participate in the making of law is limited to a few persons. But then, participation in the making of law becomes universal. And then, men seek to balance their conflicting interests by universal plunder. Instead of rooting out the injustices found in society, they make these injustices general. As soon as the plundered classes gain political power, they establish a system of reprisals against other classes. They do not abolish legal plunder. (This objective would demand more enlightenment than they possess.) Instead, they emulate their evil predecessors by participating in this legal plunder, even though it is against their own interests.
It is as if it were necessary, before a reign of justice appears, for everyone to suffer a cruel retribution — some for their evilness, and some for their lack of understanding.
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The Law
by Frédéric Bastiat
http://www.pleasereadthelaw.com/
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The Law
by Frédéric Bastiat
http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html#SECTION_G001
This can't be the start of
This can't be the start of WWIII, the french haven't surrendered yet.
Hahaha... you got a laugh
Hahaha... you got a laugh out of me! Good one, livefree! ;)
The only way to protest that's effective today
Become self sufficient.
Stop paying the electric and heat companies by getting renewable energy, either move to an area with low taxes or get elected to office and aggressively lower taxes, stop paying the cable bill and buy assets instead, get natural health remedies, use barter and local currency and grow your own food-1/10 of an acre has been proven to feed a family so no excuses.
Standing up for something doesn't make sense anymore without some action behind it. It's way too easy for provocateurs to mess up the movement. The only way we're going to get anywhere, without this turning violent, is a mass self sufficiency movement that enriches your neighbors and yourself.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Start getting freedom today by dumping Federal Reserve Notes, Stocks, Banks and anything made outside the USA. Buy precious metals, real estate, businesses, food and guns and get your business community to use local or sound currency
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Start getting freedom today by dumping Federal Reserve Notes, Stocks, Banks and anything made outside the USA. Buy precious metals, real estate, businesses, food and guns and get your business community to use local or sound currenc
Argh - you gave away my secret plot!
You know I am one of those homegrown, semi-domesticated GRANNIES, and I intend to get all renegade on the Corporatocrasy... and stop spending money. I can go weeks at a stretch now without spending a dime... I have chickens and a garden and a bad f'in attitude, so LOOK OUT!
Truth exists, and it deserves to be cherished.
lmao! that's AWESOME!
you go girl!
Amen!
Couldn't agree more!
Remember the protest
in the United States in the 60s and early 70s about the Vietnam war. We need to let the government know, "we the people" are in control, and "we the people" let the government operate under the consent of "we the people's"
Declaration of Independence
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm
That was 40 years ago. What
That was 40 years ago. What happened in the mean time?
They're being fomented by the trade unions. It's in the
article.
Debbie
Apathy?
MSM telling you everything is OK? Go back and watch American Idol everything is under control.
Michael~ 2 books~ Escape from Freedom
I read these two books this past summer about personality types which helped me answer the burning question of "why don't people wake up and do something? " What has happened to critical thinking? Why don't they get it?"
Escape from Freedom
Fromm describes three ways in which we escape from freedom:
1. Authoritarianism. We seek to avoid freedom by fusing ourselves with others, by becoming a part of an authoritarian system like the society of the Middle Ages.
2. Destructiveness. It is this escape from freedom that accounts for much of the indiscriminate nastiness of life -- brutality, vandalism, humiliation, vandalism, crime, terrorism....
3. Automaton conformity. I can look at the television, which, like a horoscope, will tell me quickly and effectively what to do. If I look like, talk like, think like, feel like... everyone else in my society, then I disappear into the crowd, and I don't need to acknowledge my freedom or take responsibility. ")
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/fromm.html
also I read this one...both of these helped me understand ..but also scared the crap out of me too!!
Bob Altemeyer's - The Authoritarians
"For example, how about a government program that persecutes political parties, or minorities, or journalists the authorities do not like, by putting them in jail, even torturing and killing them. Nobody would approve of that, right? Guess again."
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/
*****
"I truly wish that real life would no longer surpass the worst excesses of my nightmarish imaginings... Arthur Silber **
"I think we are living in a world of lies: lies that don't even know they are lies, because they are the children and grandchildren of lies." ~ Chris Floyd
I'm french. And we sure know
I'm french. And we sure know how to protest. When a law does not pleases us we often succeed in stopping it if everyone is involved. But do we always focus on the real matters ? Sadly no...
We have become such a socialist country. When there is a problem with our money, we call for the government for help and ask them to raise our wages or to stop a company from closing its failed business. This is so sad....
We don't have a Ron Paul or anyone to make us realize that it is the government and the monetary system that is the problem.
But fortunately, like everywhere in the world, people are waking up to this, but maybe less rapidly in France, and surely not with as much understanding as you could have by listening to a Ron Paul, we don't have a Ron Paul, and we are too bad with english to listen to what some great people have to say.. We don't even learn from our own great libertarians like Frederic Bastiat...
Frederic Bastiat...a favorite quote!~
"Sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it. Thus the beneficiaries are spared the shame and danger that their acts would otherwise involve... But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them and gives it to the other persons to whom it doesn't belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime. Then abolish that law without delay ... No legal plunder; this is the principle of justice, peace, order, stability, harmony and logic." Frederic Bastiat.
*****
"I truly wish that real life would no longer surpass the worst excesses of my nightmarish imaginings... Arthur Silber **
"I think we are living in a world of lies: lies that don't even know they are lies, because they are the children and grandchildren of lies." ~ Chris Floyd
true.
The Law by Bastiat is a must read !
Unfortunate.
I'm curious. Perhaps as a method of helping out, have you considered maybe getting together with some other bilingual people and translating some of the essays written by Dr. Paul and the others? Maybe some people can get together and help subtitle some of the videos into french.
I know the languages don't translate perfectly, but it's a start.
As for getting people to actually listen to them and learn from them, whole other story. But on the other hand, maybe now that these problems are beginning to hit everyone pretty badly, it might make them a bit more open.
yes.
Yes, recently I've been involved in translating english videos into french (subtitles). I was very happy to meet someone who is translating some of the Mises institute's videos that you can find on the Internet.
They do not get a lot a views, but it's a start.
Some french people, like everywhere else, are looking at those famous movies about fractional reserve banks and the monetary system, and like everywhere else are not very happy about it. Now they need to find an answer to those problems and I hope it will be with the help of the Austrian School and their promotion of the free market and personal liberties.
Sometimes it has to get worse
Before it gets better.
IMissLiberty
IMissLiberty
Run away train
People here in the US are like a railroad crossing. The warning lights are flashing, but the train is still down the tracks a little ways so the people still continue through. Its not until the train is right on top of them till they decide they better stop…
Hey this would be a good cartoon for Kevin! We the people that are awake are the warning lights – the sheeple are the people crossing the tracks and the train is the government… Whatya think Kevin ?
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Only as a free man shall I perish...
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Only as a free man shall I perish...
CAR-BASED ECONOMY---that's why
WE are a car based economy, plus WE are lazy, compared to the French.
Look at Paris. EVERYONE walks there, EVERYWHERE, when I visited it. Americans take taxis, even in New York.
Still, in places like New York, passing the "word" and protesting should be easier in D.C. or New York, but it never happens.
Unions must be abundant in the metro centers in France, as the article mentioned them.
Here, there are too many "management" jobs in the inner cities, instead of "union" jobs, jmho.
Etre ou ne pas etre?
Voila le question!
-- If your out-go exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall --
Freedom is not: doing everything you want to.
Freedom is: not having to do what you don't want to do.
~ Joyce Meyer
Give us more cake!
Who are the guys behind the curtain,
www.iamthewitness.com/
Cows think they are free, this is no bull, the beast must be Fed, with pitchfork instead
Cows think they are free, this is no bull, the beast must be Fed, with pitchfork instead
Jealousy...
...is still the ugliest human exhibition.
France is probably the weakest country in Europe
Why?
They are the most corrupt.
Paris is the Prostitution Capitol of the World for a reason...
A lot of these pointless protests are really in support of this World Bank/Citizen crap that the NWO is cooking up.
Look at the illegal aliens who protested in the USA -- more organized and more people than any of the patriots of the Ron Paul movement.
In the end these protests are great ways for the Elite to manipulate from behind the curtain and continue to run things. A swarm of people are easy to herd and if they damage anything it's the tax payers who pay for it.
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Glenn Beck Supports NAFTA and Taking American Jobs:
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/86643
Glen Beck says RP Supporters are "Domestic Terrorists":
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/86773
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Glen Beck -- An Exposed Enemy:
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/90198
Glenn Beck Supports NAFTA and taking your job:
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/86643
Worthless Protest
When the French protest, they have a megaphone in one hand, while their other hand is begging for more handouts.
That's the problem with democratic mobs. They aren't mad at their government because they are removing their liberties. They are protesting their government to get MORE handouts.
Equal, more, more more, equal, more, more, more! Whatever, I just want to be left alone. They can have their socialist BS.
www.twatm.com
Exactly, when you are
Exactly, when you are totally dependent on your governemnt and your benefits start decreasing, you are a lot more motivated to protest. Liberlas have always been better protesters.
People like us just want to be left alone, until we are pushed too far. Yes, everyone's definition of too far is different.
They Want More Stuff!
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"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it." -- Joseph Goebbels
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"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it." -- Joseph Goebbels