Popular protests in the EU

[PPQ_Purple]

Hey, EUropeans (and Americans too)! Tell me this. I've seen people sleeping on the streets of Bangkok to wake up early in the morning and go back to work. And they looked happy, calm inside and carefree. Which one of the Western so-called developed countries have this kind of well-being? Tell me, please. So maybe I'll stop dreaming about going downshift and moving to Indochina.

When you have nothing in life the only thing you have is the choice to laugh or cry. Might as well laugh.

 

[Traitorfish]

I was unaware the "yellow vests" represent any particular socioeconomic category, useful or otherwise.

The symbolism of a fluorescent vest seems pretty blunt.

 

[AmazonQueen]

The symbolism of a fluorescent vest seems pretty blunt.

I used to have a job where I was provided with a fluorescent yellow coat. It was quite annoying how I couldn't take a train or a bus without someone assuming I worked there. Fluorescent vest means either worker or cyclist.

 

[Patine]

No hyperbole. I believe this could be outside Maison de Victor Hugo? You tell me who is poorer than having nothing at all?

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/f...s-for-the-first-time-heres-why-its-important/

It’s OK if you do not feel particular empathy. I’m more concerned with the constant generalisations you make. It’s almost as if you are set out to find easy answers to a complex problem. But you are not alone.

Oh, no, it's not lack of empathy. I've seen exact scenes like this (minus the Gothic columning to serve as makeshift shelter) in my home city of Edmonton, Canada. What I was pointing out was relativity, proportion, and context. The bottom 5% of most First World Nations still live, comparatively (that word is essential) to the bottom 10-30% of some Third World urban populations (note, that in a lot of Third World Nations, unless drought, civil war, organized or systematic random crime, or government abuses of civil rights are factors - and often are, but not always - the bottom tiers of rural dwellers tend to eek out better existences than the bottom tier of urban dwellers in those countries). I didn't ever say the poor of Paris were not poor and were not big-time "have-nots" sleeping on the street struggling to feed themselves day-to-day, I was just saying you won't find the poorest in the WORLD in First World cities.

 

[Akka]

Hey, EUropeans (and Americans too)! Tell me this. I've seen people sleeping on the streets of Bangkok to wake up early in the morning and go back to work. And they looked happy, calm inside and carefree. Which one of the Western so-called developed countries have this kind of well-being? Tell me, please. So maybe I'll stop dreaming about going downshift and moving to Indochina.

Damn, you got us. None of our decadent Western societies have reached this level of wisdom. I guess then you can safely leave your house and go enjoy the happy life of a homeless guy working for slave wages. Go ahead, we'll follow your example.

 

[Samson]

The symbolism of a fluorescent vest seems pretty blunt.

What is the symbolism? On the news they always say "Yellow vests, that are a legal requirement to carry in the car in France", so I have assumed it is a way of saying "I am a driver". I have missed any further symbolism.

 

[Lexicus]

Just ask yourself – why are you belittling these issues and these people’s concerns? What are you gaining? Who are you supporting?

Seems obvious, he's expressing support for the status quo and confusion that anyone could possibly be unhappy with it.

Most laws about consumers protection come from the EU, in fact. Each country going its separate way would in reality ends up with a bunch of race to the bottom (just like a bunch of proposals that were made shortly after the Brexit vote).

Not necessarily. Not if you have people who actually understand functional finance and the power of a sovereign currency in charge. (@innonimatu check out that book I think you'd like it).

Again though I'm under no illusions that this will be easy. I just think very, very, very difficult is superior to impossible, which is how I think it is under the EU, or more specifically in the Eurozone.

Also @thread

 

[innonimatu]

Not necessarily. Not if you have people who actually understand functional finance and the power of a sovereign currency in charge. (@innonimatu check out that book I think you'd like it).

Again though I'm under no illusions that this will be easy. I just think very, very, very difficult is superior to impossible, which is how I think it is under the EU, or more specifically in the Eurozone.

Thanks, I had seen that book well recommended already.

Macron is getting a reprieve. With some few concessions and Christmas coming things are quieting down. I think they'll restart after the new year.

 

[Patine]

Thanks, I had seen that book well recommended already.

Macron is getting a reprieve. With some few concessions and Christmas coming things are quieting down. I think they'll restart after the new year.

Well, if Christmas and the New Year's alone give a reprieve and an attitude reset, French citizens are far more easily forgiving to their politicians than we are in Canada...

 

[AdrienIer]

The student movement at least isn't going away, because the high school reform will be applied in September. It'll be coming back after the new year starts.

 

[red_elk]

Russian involvement... there must be Russian involvement!

BBC endorses reporter’s actions seeking to find Russian influence in Yellow Vest protests
Commenting on the leaked conversation of one of its journalists eager to get anything to connect Russia to Yellow Vest protests because “editorial wants blood,” BBC called it an “impartial” approach to journalism.

Earlier on Sunday, RIA Novosti released a set of screenshots, purporting to show a conversation between BBC journalist Olga Ivshina and a stringer. The journalist urged the stringer to find anything Russian, linked to the protests, explaining that the “editorial board wants blood.”

Ivshina’s messages contained insights such as suggesting to the stringer that maybe “some Russian business is making big bucks” on the protests.

https://www.rt.com/news/446609-bbc-reporter-yellow-vests/

 

[Patine]

Russian involvement... there must be Russian involvement!

https://www.rt.com/news/446609-bbc-reporter-yellow-vests/

The Russians have now become a go-to First World scapegoat for everything bad and wrong. I guess Islamist extremists couldn't hold that shifting mantle forever.

 

[innonimatu]

The Russians have now become a go-to First World scapegoat for everything bad and wrong. I guess Islamist extremists couldn't hold that shifting mantle forever.

At least the british film industry has an opportunity to do new James Bond films with minimally credible villains or have they sold the franchise together with most of their industry?

It was such a tragedy, the lack of foreign bogeymen to blame problems on.

 

[Patine]

At least the british film industry has an opportunity to do new James Bond films with minimally credible villains or have they sold the franchise together with most of their industry?

It was such a tragedy, the lack of foreign bogeymen to blame problems on.

And don't forget those Hollywood "Mission Impossible" movies with Tom Cruise. They need villains who are current and relevant, too.

But, indeed, a lack of foreign scapegoat bogeymen is a true and unmitigated tragedy. It would actually mean we, in the First World, might actually have to *gasp* look in the mirror to actually address our problems and issues. Oh the horror that would be!

 

[Estebonrober]

It would actually mean we, in the First World, might actually have to *gasp* look in the mirror to actually address our problems and issues. Oh the horror that would be!

Forget the First world, no part of human society is ready for that.

 

[red_elk]

The Russians have now become a go-to First World scapegoat for everything bad and wrong.

Rather a scapegoat for Britain and its former colonies. Countries like Germany, Japan, France and others are usually more reasonable.

 

[Hrothbern]

Rather a scapegoat for Britain and its former colonies. Countries like Germany, Japan, France and others are usually more reasonable.

You guys just should not have threatened to nuke the UK in the Suez crisis

and it seems you guys found an entrance in Japan:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/17/vladimir-putin-calendar-sells-out-in-japan

 

[red_elk]

and it seems you guys found an entrance in Japan

The dog was a gift from Japanese prime minister, IIRC.
Didn't know that he is popular in Japan. In Russia his PR photos more often a reason to make jokes like this:

Spoiler :

 

[AmazonQueen]

The dog was a gift from Japanese prime minister, IIRC.
Didn't know that he is popular in Japan. In Russia his PR photos more often a reason to make jokes like this:

Spoiler :

Yet more evidence that Russia is developing bear cavalry in contravention of arms control treaties!

 

[Patine]

Yet more evidence that Russia is developing bear cavalry in contravention of arms control treaties!

The we in Canada must begin training our moose cavalry in preparation!