France

[Typhoon]

Reuters | French police fire tear gas at protesters on Champs Elysees

Protesters are opposed to taxes Macron introduced last year on diesel and petrol which are designed to encourage people to switch to cleaner forms of transport. Alongside the tax, the government has offered incentives to buy electric vehicles.

[Apollonius]

Emmanuel Macron has united France against him - Jonathan Miller, The Spectator, 3 December 2018
https://spectator.us/emmanuel-macron-united-france/


The author concludes:

Emmanuel Macron is undoubtedly brilliant. He won all the glittering academic prizes. He had a supersonic ascent into the stratosphere of the French civil service. He even did a spell as a courtier with David de Rothschild’s investment bank, before ascending to minister of the economy under François Hollande, and then winning the most glittering prize of all, the presidency of the republic, aged 39 ¾.

But his hubris, arrogance and almost autistic detachment from the French in the street is in a class with Marie Antoinette. Except that this time around, the courtier whispers, ‘Mr President, the people cannot afford diesel.’ To which the cloth-eared Macron has, in effect replied: ‘Let them buy Teslas.’

[Simple Minded]

Emmanuel Macron has united France against him - Jonathan Miller, The Spectator, 3 December 2018
https://spectator.us/emmanuel-macron-united-france/


The author concludes:

Emmanuel Macron is undoubtedly brilliant. He won all the glittering academic prizes. He had a supersonic ascent into the stratosphere of the French civil service. He even did a spell as a courtier with David de Rothschild’s investment bank, before ascending to minister of the economy under François Hollande, and then winning the most glittering prize of all, the presidency of the republic, aged 39 ¾.

But his hubris, arrogance and almost autistic detachment from the French in the street is in a class with Marie Antoinette. Except that this time around, the courtier whispers, ‘Mr President, the people cannot afford diesel.’ To which the cloth-eared Macron has, in effect replied: ‘Let them buy Teslas.’

Best quip I have heard to date.

Thanks Apollonius.

[Mr. Perfect]

Emmanuel Macron is undoubtedly brilliant. He won all the glittering academic prizes. He had a supersonic ascent into the stratosphere of the French civil service. He even did a spell as a courtier with David de Rothschild’s investment bank, before ascending to minister of the economy under François Hollande, and then winning the most glittering prize of all, the presidency of the republic, aged 39 ¾.

It's very dangerous to consider someone with this resume as brilliant. We have a long history with these people now and they are decidedly not brilliant.

[Ibrahim]

How soon they fall.

Irish Times | Revolt over high fuel prices threatens to paralyse France

Rise of the ‘gilets jaunes’ coincides with Macron’s record low 26% approval rating.

Macron must envy Trump's approval rating.

Have you seen those alt-right memes were they edit Trump's head onto the baroque armor of some science fiction space emperor? That's how Macron sees himself every time he looks in a mirror.

Except he wasn't crowned by the gods, he just happened to be standing in the right place at the right time. The French were bored of a failed hard-left government, so he seized the liberal technocrat middle ground, found himself in a runoff with a literal nazi, and won by default. I can't believe the honeymoon lasted this long.


Macron, Trudeau, and the CDU are all on borrowed time. Its just a question of whether people jump populist left or populist right at the next electoral opportunity.

[noddy]

Macron, Trudeau, and the CDU are all on borrowed time. Its just a question of whether people jump populist left or populist right at the next electoral opportunity.

I think it will be a mix of both, the people who are in this angry, disenfranchised group are the ex middle class, or struggling to remain middle class and they dont care as much about ideological purity as much as they want policies which give them a perceived security they feel they have lost.

the words kind of mean nothing anyway.

the right wing that is global capitalism and loves cheap labour ? or the right wing thats nationalist and dislikes too much change too fast on the local character ?
the left wing that is local worker protections and anti foreign labour ? or the left wing thats globalist, one world for everyone ?

plenty of arguments for the talking heads.

[Mr. Perfect]

Have you seen those alt-right memes were they edit Trump's head onto the baroque armor of some science fiction space emperor?

How can you tell when a meme is alt right.

[Mr. Perfect]

I think it will be a mix of both, the people who are in this angry, disenfranchised group are the ex middle class, or struggling to remain middle class and they dont care as much about ideological purity as much as they want policies which give them a perceived security they feel they have lost.

Lol nothing ever changes.

[Ibrahim]

Have you seen those alt-right memes were they edit Trump's head onto the baroque armor of some science fiction space emperor?

How can you tell when a meme is alt right.

Anything pro-Trump mixed with nerd/gamer bullshit is usually from an edgy alt-right teen.

[noddy]

I think it will be a mix of both, the people who are in this angry, disenfranchised group are the ex middle class, or struggling to remain middle class and they dont care as much about ideological purity as much as they want policies which give them a perceived security they feel they have lost.

Lol nothing ever changes.

not my fault the lower middle class is full of rino's

thats how trump ended up with the rust belt, that lot are traditionally unionist lefty voters and they will return to that if democrats stop pushing progressive floggery on to them.

[Mr. Perfect]

I'm well aware. The swing vote is not to be trusted.

[Mr. Perfect]

Have you seen those alt-right memes were they edit Trump's head onto the baroque armor of some science fiction space emperor?

How can you tell when a meme is alt right.

Anything pro-Trump mixed with nerd/gamer bullshit is usually from an edgy alt-right teen.

How do you know that.

[Ibrahim]

How do you know that.

Twitter.

[Mr. Perfect]

Twitter what.

[Doc]

https://www.jpost.com/American-Politics ... irs-573900

French minister asks Trump not to meddle in French affairs
"I say to Donald Trump, and the President of the Republic tells him too: we do not take part in American debates, let us live our life in our country," he said.
By REUTERS
December 9, 2018 21:36

If you can't stand the heat then it is time to get out of the kitchen

https://frenchly.us/macron-un/

Emmanuel Macron’s UN Speech was One Long Rejection of Donald Trump
By
Jenny Hughes -
Tuesday, September 25, 2018

[Mr. Perfect]

Macaroni has either partnered with the onion or has been taken hostage. HIlarious to watch, he is literally bribing people with a minimum wage increase. Also fun to watch Macaroni appealing to Nationalism.

BTW those that think in a hypothetical scenario that armed 2nd amendment Americans couldn't rise up against a government aren't watching France right now.

2SUdlmkCF0I

[Alexis]

Macaroni has either partnered with the onion or has been taken hostage. HIlarious to watch, he is literally bribing people with a minimum wage increase. Also fun to watch Macaroni appealing to Nationalism.

Personally, I've been somewhat fascinated by Macron's hands during this speech. Put flat on the desk before him, unmoving, in a position both totally unnatural and extremely tense.

I'm not saying he was in a relaxing situation. But this so visible tension beneath the smooth mask and soft voice is remarkable.

I'm wondering how he will react if - when - pressure increases.


Incidentally, information has surfaced in a generally reputable French newsmagazine about a "secret weapon" which armored vehicles of the riot police had been equiped with last Saturday in Paris. It would have been used only in case of "ultimate overflow". Here is an English language reference.

'LIQUID WEAPON' French riot police ‘develop secret liquid weapon capable of neutralising protesters even if they are wearing masks’ ready for ‘Day of Rage 2’

It's been claimed if sprayed at mobs of Yellow Vest protesters the disabling weapon would "stop them clean, putting people down, even with masks."

The reports come after traditional tear gas and water cannons failed to stop thousands of fuel protesters causing chaos in the French capital.

Marianne news magazine cites police sources who say armoured vehicles were equipped with the brutal weapon during the Day of Rage riots but officers were under orders only to unleash it as a "last resort."

Each water weapon can spray an incapacitating liquid which would have "neutralised" a surface the size of several football fields, it's claimed.

"Fortunately, we did not get there," said the source before claiming the Gendarmerie Nationale in Paris had equipped its armoured vehicles with the secret "stun" weapon in a case of an "ultimate overflow."

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

Macaroni has either partnered with the onion or has been taken hostage. HIlarious to watch, he is literally bribing people with a minimum wage increase. Also fun to watch Macaroni appealing to Nationalism.

Personally, I've been somewhat fascinated by Macron's hands during this speech. Put flat on the desk before him, unmoving, in a position both totally unnatural and extremely tense.

I'm not saying he was in a relaxing situation. But this so visible tension beneath the smooth mask and soft voice is remarkable.

I'm wondering how he will react if - when - pressure increases.

Thanks for pointing that out.

I haven't been paying all that much attention to the protests. Cutting through the propaganda from a world away isn't my idea of a fun time right now.

Macron's speech, and his body posture (as you point out) betray his voice. That is a man way out of his depth. I do not know how that inspires confidence in anyone. It would make me, if I were a Frenchman, less certain about the situation than before (or embolden me if I were a protestor/opportunist.)

Which is either an indictment on him or a sign that the situation is really much more serious than anyone is saying and all the idle internet-chatter about revolt and near-revolution is not missing the mark, by much.

[Mr. Perfect]

Emmanuel Macron is undoubtedly brilliant. He won all the glittering academic prizes. He had a supersonic ascent into the stratosphere of the French civil service. He even did a spell as a courtier with David de Rothschild’s investment bank, before ascending to minister of the economy under François Hollande, and then winning the most glittering prize of all, the presidency of the republic, aged 39 ¾.

It's very dangerous to consider someone with this resume as brilliant. We have a long history with these people now and they are decidedly not brilliant.

[Nonc Hilaire]

EU flagged crowd control vehicle used to control anti-EU protestors. I think the protestors have a valid point.

https://southfront.org/eu-army-france-r ... confusion/

[Ibrahim]

EU flagged crowd control vehicle used to control anti-EU protestors. I think the protestors have a valid point.

https://southfront.org/eu-army-france-r ... confusion/

People seemed more predisposed to law-and-order at any cost the last time car-burning in Paris drew international attention. Not sure why.

Macron's speech, and his body posture (as you point out) betray his voice. That is a man way out of his depth. I do not know how that inspires confidence in anyone. It would make me, if I were a Frenchman, less certain about the situation than before (or embolden me if I were a protestor/opportunist.)

Which is either an indictment on him or a sign that the situation is really much more serious than anyone is saying and all the idle internet-chatter about revolt and near-revolution is not missing the mark, by much.

These protests aren't that wild by continental European standards, I think people are more worried about what will happen after Macron. I don't think he's a stupid man, though I find him very unlikeable. The problem is that its a classic neo-liberal technocrat at a time when those politics are at the least popular, and he's pushing austerity after decades of empirical evidence that they don't work.

[Nonc Hilaire]

The EU decal on the crowd control vehicle used on anti-EU protestors reveals the truth behind the gitanes jaunes rebellion. It is not just about Macron, his taxes and his appeasements.

[noddy]

as an outsider it always hard to tell when riots and burning cars in France is a worry or just that time of the year.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

as an outsider it always hard to tell when riots and burning cars in France is a worry or just that time of the year.

Ibrahim,

First, good to see you around again.

The above is all I meant about the riots- but adding to that- Macron doesn't engender confidence, making things appear worse, which makes the situation risker.

[Ibrahim]

as an outsider it always hard to tell when riots and burning cars in France is a worry or just that time of the year.

Ibrahim,

First, good to see you around again.

The above is all I meant about the riots- but adding to that- Macron doesn't engender confidence, making things appear worse, which makes the situation risker.

Agree that, were I a European leader who supported EU membership, I might not paint EU flags on my riot control vehicles.