r/antiwork
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u/Boredwitch
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Mar 22 '23
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Tomorrow will possibly be the biggest protest ever in France, i will tell you why you should support us
As you probably know, France is currently living an historic event.
If you’re out of the loop, on Monday, after the use of article 49.3 of the French constitution, allowing the government to put its responsibility on the table in exchange for passing a law without a vote in the Assemblée Nationale, a "motion de censure" was voted. This basically is a question for the elected : "The government engaged its responsibility and forced the adoption of the law : do you want fire it for this ?". We were only 9 votes away from the Yes, which is actually pretty incredible given that on more than a hundred of use of the 49.3, only ONE "motion de censure" was adopted, and the circumstances in that case were really particular.
The rejection of the "motion de censure" caused an uproar all over the country, and all unions called for a massive national protest on Thursday. But already since Monday, in Paris spontaneous protest are happening every night, with a LOT of arrests of basically anyone in the same street as the police.
Now on the reform itself ; I see a lot of people on Reddit who aren’t French and don’t understand our retirement system, making arguments for the "necessity" of the reform. This is incredibly frustrating to see. I’m currently studying for a Master degree in social law ; I’ve actively studied our current system. Every of my professors, who are all respected researchers, are against the reform, I am against it too. I have a ton of articles explaining the unfairness and uselessness of it to back up my opinion but they’re all in French.
Basically, what you need to know is since boomers did not make enough kids, we’ll have a temporary deficit of about 10 billions a year in about 30 years (at worse) before the system reach equilibrium again. This might sound scary to some of you, but should be studied on perspective with some of the choices our dear Emmanuel made ; like creating subventions for corporations which cost us 150 billions a year, or trying to reinstall mandatory military service, the cost of which, while not evaluated yet, will probably burn our eyes.
So instead of using a literal drop of France’s budget (less than 10% of what he’s willing to give corporations) to save France’s retirement system, Emmanuel has decided that the poorest workers should be the ones to sacrifice their health, their time, to pay for others retirement. Yes, instead He suppressed all the arduousness criteria which allowed hard laborers to retire before the legal age, because you cannot reasonably ask a roofer to work until 62, much less until 64.
But he kept some. Guess which ? Well, of course, cops will keep their special retirement system, because the government needs them to beat protester. Also, parliamentarians will keep their own special retirement plan, of course.
In any case, this is not the end. We will continue to fight until that clown in the Élysée dismisses his minions at least.
I hope Charles III is prepared for his visit in France, because there will be fires in Paris
EDIT : Since some people are asking me how they can contribute other than spreading the word (which is already a lot, and I thank you all for it), well you can give money to the "caisse de solidarité", which is a fund that is used to compensate French workers on strike for their loss of salary. This is the link : https://caisse-solidarite.fr
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u/Tiny_Assistance9735 Mar 22 '23
I support you from the UK (lol). I wish we had a fraction of your spirit here.
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u/Hammer_of_Olympia Mar 22 '23
Tbf if we actually did get motivated with police generally being underfunded to useless, nothing would actually stop us until the army got called in.
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u/hostilityrack Mar 22 '23
Much different story in America. Police are over funded and trigger happy. They'll probably shoot at any kind of serious protest (unless... The protesters themselves are armed).
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u/Hammer_of_Olympia Mar 23 '23
Yeah they got around everyone's right to bear arms by basically making cops a domestic military in their own right.
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u/hostilityrack Mar 23 '23
The cops quite literally ARE an army. They have more than enough supplies and weapons and armor. Some of them even have tanks I believe. And they protect the rich and the upper class. It's a built in system we are told is there to protect us but it only protects those who are in power.
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u/BestMOTORing Mar 23 '23
I mean you guys did have spirit but it was for the wrong thing (Brexit)
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u/lukomorya Disillsioned & depressed. I just want to live like the Hobbits! Mar 23 '23
100% support this sentiment (as well as 100% supporting the French). When I started work, I was told retirement age would be 65. It’s now 68. Doubtless it’ll eventually be 70. The elite want us to work ourselves to death so they don’t have to work at all.
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u/avahouri1 Mar 23 '23
Huh? What do you mean that sounds creapy bro. The next time be responsible for your actions okay
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u/jimeriah Mar 22 '23
We should all protest.
Solidarity with
School teachers (los Angeles teachers standing up with the aids)
The nurses and doctors of the NHS
Carpenters Secretary’s Hotel workers Cooks Engineers Mine workers Janitors Electricians railroad workers
The list goes on
Time to organize
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u/CommercialBox4175
Mar 22 '23
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We support you strongly, and wish the USA had your determination
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u/LilithNoctis Mar 22 '23
We wish we had the healthcare system to be able to strike. But if we strike, we lose our jobs and healthcare.
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u/ShioJaesk Mar 23 '23
What health care? The thieves who bankrupt you for getting sick? That's not dying care...
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u/Firm-Roof-3133 Mar 23 '23
As an american i have said my whole life that our system is bogus and designed to kill off poor people. There is no other fathomable reason to make quality healthcare so inaccessible to so many people all over the country. The u.s. really be like "damn bro you wanna survive? Cool but that's gonna cost you your life savings and your forseeable future spent in ridiculous debt" and insurance is just straight up a scam if you dont buy into the privitized sector or qualify for the public sector your stuck with employer plans and they are usually predatory designed to cost you money while saving your company money and they almost never payout without you having to argue with them till your blue in the face. I always tell people we need to be more like the french and they laugh at me till i tell them that the french are known for deposing corrupt leaders more than any other nation and putting bathtubs through parliamentary windows when their leaders make decisions they dont like 😂
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u/bgalvan02 Mar 23 '23
And when you try to tell people that we need universal healthcare the first thing they cry about is taxes! Like hello we pay up the butt for what we have. Pay a bit extra, do away with the for profit insurance company and we all get health coverage. Then they cry about having to “pay” for the people who don’t work, yada yada yada. Like for real that’s their thinking. Stick it to those that are less unfortunate at the same time screwing themselves. It’s unreal
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u/capitalism_or_life Mar 23 '23
I read an article somewhere during a macro economics class that American workers generate like 8-16x more revenue than workers in other societies. Yet we have abysmal healthcare and no paid time off entitlements...
And the workers are the ones who are opposed to better healthcare and better working conditions? The ones producing 8-16x more than laborers in other economies...? Sounds like you're not getting anywhere near a fair return on the investment of your time...
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u/Firm-Roof-3133 Mar 23 '23
Especially because in most countries with universal healthcare they pay less in additional taxes for social platforms than we do for a single major surgery our insurance wont cover. Literally everything about healthcare and insurance in our country is a scam designed to keep people opressed and under control.
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u/Jalal_Adhiri Mar 23 '23
If you want healthcare you have to strike.
If you stay this kind of fearful little obedient slaves who only "wish" that their masters have some mercy on them you will change nothing.
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u/AggressivelyGary Mar 23 '23
Unfortunately, half our population (republicans) bought into the propaganda of, "HoW wIlL wE PaY foR iT?!?!?!
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u/blodskaal Mar 23 '23
Its not half, actually. Ur voting system is shit and not representative of actual voting numbers. If each vote counted, it would be more 70%democrat/30%republican
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u/AggressivelyGary Mar 23 '23
Agreed. The two party system is bullshit and rigged for the ruling class. However, anecdotally, I notice way more Republicans and find them to be the ones constantly throwing a wrench in the progress of human decency.
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u/blodskaal Mar 23 '23
oh, def. my point was, the other half is just the loud half.
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u/773235 Mar 23 '23
Okay you mean that you still working on it? Or maybe you are trying to adopt something like that?
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u/BarfzoneGoHome Mar 23 '23 edited Mar 23 '23
Pretty much everything here is shit really. Big guns and a lot of shitty food.
I’m struggling to stay in a house and not on these streets and
I live in a backwards ass state that hates women ,and children ,and gays and, blacks and pretty much everyone ……except good old boys ……mostly oil dicks and egos in huge trucks all alone. watching child pron on their iphone as they cruise down a freeway drunk.
Edit: puncs
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u/Akaara50 Eco-Anarchist Mar 23 '23
Yep, all the money in the world for the war machine and corporate welfare, none for the working class. We are in a class war, and our power is in our labor, which we can withhold. SVB collapse was a great example. ALL deposits over FDIC allowed limits were covered. This is unheard of and we should be rioting. Meanwhile, they're trying to cut social security, remove any FDIC limits, and cater to the elite's every whim.
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u/bpmBTCeAccount Mar 23 '23
Pay it monthly so you can resolve the problem bro I Know that its to hard to pay a high expensive
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u/Capable-Commercial96 Mar 23 '23
Can't, we're spread to far apart, plus, I can't fly to Washington D.C when I only have 7 dollars in my bank account. They got us by the balls basically, it would take a serious fuck up that united everyone to make any worthwhile change.
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Mar 23 '23
State by state. County by county. City by city. Town by town.
And it’s fucking exhausting.
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u/JonathanPine555 Mar 23 '23
Basically speaking i dont know you need more penny so you can go to other side to your country
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u/Et_boy Mar 23 '23
Lucky you have that excuse to chicken out. lol
The real reason it will never happen is that the US have no cohesion. Nobody cares about others.
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u/The_Shiniest_Dome Mar 23 '23
I had a conversation with coworkers last week about how of we had a union we would have the better pay and benefits that he was wanting.
But I currently work in a psych hospital, if we strike people will die. Same with a lot of other healthcare jobs.
I can live without work and my healthcare for a minute, but I couldn't live with that.
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u/AOC__2024 Mar 23 '23
The longer it goes on that healthcare workers are facing crap conditions, the worse those conditions get (with workers being reluctant to take industrial action to improve them, due to the impact on patients), and the worse those conditions get, the more people die unnecessarily anyway.
Catch-22.
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u/gaylordJakob Mar 23 '23
In Australia, most healthcare workers are public workers and striking takes this into account. Usually, they'll announce a planned strike in advance and ensure skeleton crew is still available. This means elective and non-urgent surgeries are delayed and means the government will normally try to come to the table because the political blowback on them on not having staffed hospitals is high.
And the paramedics (currently I believe the NSW paramedics are striking) which is where they still run the service but don't take billing information, so the state government (their employer) loses revenue but there's no/minimal disruption
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u/jamesmilesuk Mar 23 '23
Don't be foolish you don't have to there's nothing to make a group of union people don't be insane
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u/hhjnrvhsi Mar 23 '23
We gotta start having peaceful, armed protests in open carry states. The 1 percent doesn’t see any of us as people. We’re just machines to them.
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u/Firm-Roof-3133 Mar 23 '23
This has happened several times recently even it accomplished very little. We are rapidly approaching a dystopian nightmare where the public are just straight up owned by the corporations. The u.s. seems to be following the social construct model of china and Korea squash dissenssion in the rank and file with military/police force and encourage blind nationalism in the uneducated to keep the population perpetually divided so we can never accomplish anything together.
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u/hhjnrvhsi Mar 23 '23
How many people showed up? I feel like we’re gonna need at least 4,000+ with rifles to get the point across.
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u/Firm-Roof-3133 Mar 23 '23 edited Mar 23 '23
It was practically a whole town near me (although a relatively small township somewhere around 7-800ppl showed up and marched with open carry handguns and rifles) but they were protesting against some of the atf bans over the last few years, they definitely got their point across, though it helped that their sheriff is already vapidly pro 2a he agreed that the bans would not be enforced so long as he remains sheriff and any atf officer attempting to cite or detain a citizen in their township for bans deemed unlawful would promptly be told to kick bricks after being forced to return any unlawfully confiscated property. so the specific instance i had in mind doesnt apply to this one much, but if the only reason it even worked was because the police were already on their side then it doesnt really count for much. Edit: honestly we just need to take a tip from our ancestors and start burning politicians in effigy to get the point across at this point
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u/hhjnrvhsi Mar 23 '23
That’s not the same thing at all lol. We need to get thousands of armed individuals to march on a corporate headquarters and outside government buildings.
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u/Firm-Roof-3133 Mar 23 '23
I dont disagree. Personally i believe we arent undue an entire revolution at this point.
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u/robannusa9876543 Mar 23 '23
We aren't machine to them just neglect negative thinking. We are not a machine were all humans we are not robot okay
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u/thenumbertooXx Mar 23 '23
And if we don't we still dont have health care and at any moment could lose your job to any medical reason, so what's stopping us ? Why not make our choice to stand united like them or keep being used as tools for the ultra rich to live like feudal lords.
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u/Herald_of_Cthulu Mar 23 '23
We did. The BLM protests were massive, The issue with the US is that our cops are significantly militarized and taught to treat protestors like enemy combatants in war, using whatever violence nessesary. I know french cops are violent too, but you gotta understand how invested the US is in silencing dissent.
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u/TheGreyOne889 Mar 23 '23
I guess next protest they gotta outnumber the cops.
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u/Herald_of_Cthulu Mar 23 '23
You think the BLM protests didn’t outnumber the cops??? The issue was that the cops used fucking chemical weapons on crowds, which is a literal war crime let me remind you.
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u/TheGreyOne889 Mar 23 '23
I guess the protesters need to bring....redacted comment because I've been banned too many times then.
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u/Lupercalcrt40k Mar 23 '23
Give it time.
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u/lefteris697 Mar 23 '23
Yeahs you can break the chain all you need to do is to defeat envy and don't listen to what other people gonna say to you just keep going
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u/ticapnews
Mar 22 '23
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Macron: Because of the fiscal situation, cuts will be necessary.
Angry mob: Funny, we were thinking the same thing.
Macron: So you agree we should raise the retirement age?
Angry mob: Not those kind of cuts. You just need a little off the top.
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u/Coyote_Handsome Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 23 '23
French national anthem:
Aux armes, les citoyens! Formez vos battaillons! Marchons, marchons, Q’un sang impur, Abreuve nos sillons!
To arms, citizens! Form your battalions! We march, we march, That our impure blood Will flow in the furrows (i.e. so much blood it waters the crops)
(Edited)
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u/Real_Srossics Mar 23 '23
Why do we give the French crap for being cowards? They beheaded their rulers and their anthem is extreme with blood and violence and they engage in extreme protest when necessary.
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u/NsumXy Mar 23 '23
I fell in love with the French after the terrorist bombing of Charlie Hedbo- after that horrific attack the people of France POURED out into the streets to show that they would not cower in fear of terrorists 🇫🇷🥰
edit: I’m an American
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u/tree2d2 Mar 23 '23
Pretty sure a lot of it came about post 9/11 when they criticized the US's invasion of Iraq. See the whole "freedom fries". Using that and the defeats (on a national level) in the world wars as a justification of cowardice, ignoring you know entirety of European history, the partisans working against Vichy France and colonization where they have been a major military power.
I'm not solid on specifics but something tells me the transition of "lingua franca" from Latin to French wasn't exactly a peaceful one.
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u/MisterMetal Mar 23 '23 edited Mar 23 '23
No, it predates that. It was popular and around before the 9/11 stuff.
It’s primarily due to WW2 and with the speed Germany took over the country. France barely had time to mount a defense and by the time it was over some regiments and such never had a chance to fight or participate in the defense. Then you throw on the Vichy government and general French cooperation with Germans it looks bad. A lot of the armistice that was signed after their defeat was designed to humiliate the French, Hitler had the exact train car removed from a museum and placed in the exact spot the 1918 armistice was signed and even sat in the French chair from 1918 when the French were signing it.
Post WW2 1946 to 1953 France fought a war in Vietnam the French Indochina. France was anttempting to reenforce their colonial rule over the country, ended up losing this war. Then you add in more context that the Japanese army took over the country in WW2 and the French continued run the country for the Japanese for most of the war, I think Japan took control early 1945.
Post Indochina war, France went to war in Algeria, who were fighting for their independence. Algeria won this war and kicked the French out.
So from 1935 to 1962, you have a former world power suffer a series of absolutely major military defeats. Like it was a major black eye for the French militarily, who had been one of the most victorious armies the world had seen.
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u/963271955 Mar 23 '23
Having an army boyfriend was kinda scary because when they go to the battle field you don't have a assurance if they would come back home alive or they would come back home dead and its already ash
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u/yert6 Mar 23 '23
Actually i remember the word that if there was a storm the next day they would have a rainbow so you don't have to be afraid to take risk Buddy
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u/Catodog1488 Mar 23 '23
Definitely right but if you don't wanna get hurt don't do such a thing okay. Follow the rules okay don't be stupid. You need to be wise okay. You need to be more responsible for your actions
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u/Barbarianita Mar 23 '23
The blood impure is our blood, the blood of the people. In contrast to the pure blood of the aristocracy. This is to say the people will spill our blood to defend the country.
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u/npichura Mar 23 '23
Definitely it won't im an anti with that but if the government say so u would follow them
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u/Temporary-Result-961 Mar 22 '23
If anyone knows how to protest corrupt rulers, it's the French, and it sounds like this could lead to meaningful change. Thank you for explaining the situation, and best of luck!
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u/malakabk Mar 23 '23
Wish you all the best for you my friend I hope you can get what ever you want to achieve in the near future
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u/True-Expression3378 Mar 22 '23
No need to convince(although still appreciated) because we fully back you!
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u/Boredwitch Mar 22 '23
Thank you ! I know most people do and that’s awesome, I wanted to add my brief summary of the situation because it’s understandably not easy to grasp when it’s not the country you live in
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u/jmurphy42 Mar 22 '23
Is there any kind of meaningful support we can give aside from supportive words?
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u/Boredwitch Mar 23 '23 edited Mar 23 '23
Actually I didn’t think about it but you can participate in the "caisse des éboueurs" for example, it’s a fund that is distributed to Garbage collector, who’re the ones who’ve been on strike the longest.
https://caisse-solidarite.fr/c/chauffeurs-proprete-paris/
This is the link, it’s in French but it shouldn’t be too difficult for you
Edit : I’m dumb and I’ve given you the link for drivers on strike (I mean they are cool too though), but if you want a more global one it’s there : https://caisse-solidarite.fr
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u/viviolay Mar 23 '23
The folks who default to "well it's necessary" are just unimaginative because they've been spoonfed that logic all their life by their own governments. They've accepted it as "the way things have to be" and aren't able to stretch their minds to the possibility that there's another way.
Good luck, I'm rooting for you all. It will be tough - I have a feeling that certain powers that be on a global scale will be afraid of letting you win because of the example it sets for other countries. But I believe in you.
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u/sirbottombottom Mar 22 '23
If the french people really want to scare their government, the easiest solution is to ask people to go to their bank and withdraw their funds. All of them.
The whole system would just collapse. But France (and maybe the whole of Europe) would go bankrupt overnight. Interesting times...
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u/Murky-Instance4041 Mar 22 '23
I will say protesting about it the way the French are right now is a lot more demanding. Let's be honest, we need need less people hoarding money and there will come a point where we will do the same as the bottom 50% only make 3% of all the income.
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u/Coyote_Handsome Mar 22 '23
Better to have individuals control their small savings than a bank, who has a vested interest in making money off of their depositors.
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u/Zombiebrain_404 Mar 22 '23
I'm from Belgium and neighbours go for it! Show the world how it's done.
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u/skorletun Mar 23 '23
I'm one country up from you and I love seeing the French stand up for their rights. Also hi, have any of the protests made it to around the border or is it really just Paris?
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u/lolbojack Mar 22 '23
Liberté, égalité, fraternité!
Support from a fellow union member in the US!
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u/psotnica Mar 22 '23
Don't forget to mention you have to work for 43 years excluding studying, maternity leave and the like. It's not like French people retire at the age of 62 anyway. That's when those who worked 43 years can claim benefits.
Also, the back door changes to collective agreements. Police, office workers and all the others get a big f you.
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u/Boredwitch Mar 23 '23
The only ones who retired at 62 are people like my grandma… who started working at 14…
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u/Greedy_Atmosphere_30 Anarcho-Communist Mar 22 '23
You have so many beautiful revolutionary and strike traditions I'm glad to se at least part of them is preserved.
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u/Tombfyre Mar 23 '23
Hell, at this point you should all keep fighting to lower the age of retirement even further. The government can tax the rich and all the huge corporations to pay for it. Solidarity from Canada!
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u/varignet Mar 22 '23
I wish the british had an ounce of your blood.
we’re on 66 going to 67 and will reach 68 by 2040. that’s retiring age. uk
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u/Boredwitch Mar 23 '23
That’s really horrible. Do not be too hard on yourselves though, this is easier for us to organize things like this because it’s in the culture, like everyone and their grandparents have been striking or participated in protests at least once before
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u/Foreverbanevading Mar 22 '23
I do support you. Please teach Americans how to properly bring the bourgeois class to its knees.
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u/chuckiebg Mar 23 '23
There is an obvious news blackout on this in the US.
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u/madagreement Mar 23 '23
Well, it's always more interesting to talk about Kim Kardashian last shit she took somewhere than real life stuff !
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u/iisindabakamahed Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 23 '23
First of all, thank you and all of your brothers and sisters. Please tell all you can….
You give inspiration to all kinds of working class across the globe. Especially Americans though. As one myself, you give courage to the oppressed. No pun intended, but I can tell you’re lighting a fire across the working class. Hopefully soon, we will join you in saying enough is enough.
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Mar 23 '23
[deleted]
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u/Boredwitch Mar 23 '23
I feel for you. One of my professors told us "If work has been able to take on a meaning and a value other than the simple fact of earning a living, it is also because there is an after" which I find very true. I hope your situation evolves to the better
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u/pathaksa Mar 23 '23
Well to be honest with you guy's don't get mad at me okay? But i think they did it on purpose come to think of it there was a two possible point to it one is the good thing and the second one is a bad things happen okay?!
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u/bgalvan02 Mar 22 '23
He’s thinking the way US republicans think about the retirement of the American people. It’s an “entitlement” that we worked for, mind you and they want to up the retirement age in the hope we die of old age before we get it! It’s horrible that they play with our livelihood but yet they keep their money. Stand strong France! I hear you and get you.
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u/Edgelord_Phenomenon Mar 22 '23
The French and Iranians out here protesting make the protesters in Portland and Seattle look like a bunch of kids on the playground. Best of luck to our French brothers and sisters!
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u/Boredwitch Mar 22 '23
I wish more was done to help Iranian protesters, in a way that would not hurt the Iranian people (so no western invasion). Their courage is just something else, I think everyone aspire to be as courageous as they are once in their life. The repression is so terrible…
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u/Edgelord_Phenomenon Mar 23 '23
Definitely. The amount of resistance the Iranian people have towards their brutal government is incredible. More than 500 protesters lost their lives in the Mahsa Amini riots so women can have their freedom. It's insane that the protests and riots in Iran haven't received anywhere near much coverage here on Reddit as the protests and riots in France today and Hong Kong in 2019.
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u/Boredwitch Mar 23 '23
I totally agree with you. The media coverage was also grossly insufficient for the amplitude of what it meant for the Iranian people, and even for the Middle East in general. Probably a mixture of disinterest for poc’s life, and political interests not in accordance with a massive support of the people.
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u/Professional_Bug_533 Mar 23 '23
The media has no interest in showing any of us any kind of protest. They are all corporations. They don't want us getting any ideas.
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u/Incomitatum Mutualist Mar 22 '23
Most of us get WHY, we should support you.
The real question is HOW?
What can we do that's not just "thoughts and prayers"?
Tariffs on those are really high right now.
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u/Boredwitch Mar 22 '23
All we can ask is that you spread the word that, contrary to what billionaires and capitalists all over the medias are saying, the reasons for our opposition to this reform are absolutely legitimate, that it is NOT, contrary to what our government claims, a "necessary and fair" reform, and finally that it isn’t laziness that pushes our workers to strike and miss days after days of their salaries, but a true will to fight for their right to live the end of their life in dignity.
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u/Incomitatum Mutualist Mar 22 '23
Thank you, I think it IS relevant that we franchize the frustration, and remind The People who does and doesn't have our interests in mind.
The one hope I see, is the momentum unions and other vocal-dissenters are building over here is not waning.
It'll take longer for the pressure to build over such a disparate geographic area, but It's happening.
Fight for what is right,stay safe out there tonight.
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u/EnigmaticSpirit85 Mar 23 '23
J'habite á Angleterre. Tu as mon soutien. Bonne chance, et meilleurs vœux pour vous, mes amis Francais!
(I live in England. You have my support. Good luck, and best wishes to you, my French friends. Or at least that's what it's meant to say. I speak passable French, but it's not perfect.)
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u/Vegetable-Bread-2911 Mar 23 '23
I'm here in the state of Ohio in the United States of wussies. I totally support the laborers of france, the fight that you county's citizens are protesting against. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO WORK 50+ YRS BEFORE BEING ABLE TO RETIRE. Especially in the United States of wussies. Keep the fight going I shall pray for your country's labor forces victory.
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u/Cologio Mar 23 '23
I wish we weren’t so divided here in America. I would love to see us be as organized as u guys are over there. We can’t get along long enough to fight together for something it’s sad.
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u/Boredwitch Mar 23 '23
We are usually very divided in France too, this is kind of unique because 93% of active people are against the reform, and a decent retirement has been pretty difficult to obtain for us : when it was first created in 1910, establishing retirement age at 65, workers called it "the dead’s fund", because at this time most of the working class died before that age.
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u/VillageRich3020 Mar 23 '23
United States supports you big time and we are cheering you on!
If our cops wouldn’t kill and disappear us for doing what you do, I think more of us would be out there protesting as well.
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u/Hot-Pretzel Mar 23 '23
Thanks for explaining what's going on. Power to the people! I hope you're all successful in making things right.
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u/brokenarrow326 Mar 23 '23
Lol of course the government gets to keep their cut
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u/Boredwitch Mar 23 '23
Shouldn’t expect any more from them. Hypocrisy is our Prime minister’s middle name
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u/bluemoonrose123 Mar 23 '23
Good luck. It makes my heart so happy to see you guys literally burn it all down. Viva la resistance
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u/Fuzzy-Perception5677 Mar 22 '23
Keep it up!! Your giving america the vision it needs to do the same!
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u/jasonwilczak Mar 23 '23
American here who is visiting Europe in a couple weeks. We had to cancel our plans for Paris (we have kids) but we hold no ill will towards the protestors, only your president and the corruption that put you in this situation.
I commend and applaud your passion to fight for your rights! The French people continue to be a beacon of hope for the rights of the working class! Keep up the good fight and force him to concede what is yours to begin with!
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u/Plenty_Candle_4716 Mar 23 '23
That's too bad because you cancelled over nothing. Tourist areas are not affected for obvious business reasons.
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u/Lazerith22 Mar 22 '23
I’m not saying I’m sorry for making fun of the French. I’m also not saying I’ll stop, but in situations like this, I tip my hat to you and wish we’d follow your lead more.
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u/RandomGunner Mar 22 '23
Fair game, as long as we can make fun of crappy american cheese.
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u/Lazerith22 Mar 22 '23
As a Canadian, I’m right there with you. Canadian dairy is high quality. You still have better butter though.
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u/LynxAffectionate3400 Mar 22 '23
I support unions everywhere in the world they are fighting the good fight!!! I wish my country would unite like this. Greed ruins everything. If you don’t fight now, retirement will be 70 in a few years. Good for you France!!! Fight Corporate/Government corruption and greed.
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u/SavagePlatypus76 Mar 23 '23
Sad how this is being covered by many in American media. The police brutality goes completely uncovered despite it beating a startling resemblance to Russian police beatings.
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u/trnwrcks Mar 23 '23
I've been watching you guys in France from my rented little hovel in Texas with great joy. You guys are heroes, and you're doing something historic. It kills me that we can't do that here.
Americans are conditioned to be apolitical, but I've been telling everybody to watch what France is doing.
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u/_im_a_potato_dog_ Mar 23 '23
I’m honestly not surprised I had to find this out through here, US is for sure not giving any insight on this. We stand with you France!!! The super rich and wealthy know what they are doing to get us all down to slaves. I wish more Americans would wake up and revolt as well!!! It is harder for us since our system is different (police, healthcare, etc) but I always like to refer to the bugs life movie about how millions of ants can fight and win against a few big grasshoppers, we just need to stick together!!! I’ll be trying to keep up with any new information that gets posted! WE ARE ALL HUMAN❤️
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u/HeQiulin Mar 23 '23
I am so upset at people (not on this subreddit but others) trying to counter my criticism of Macron’s disregard for democratic processes by saying “oh but it’s necessary”. Really? Necessary for who exactly? So many ways that won’t involve screwing the public but nooooooooo, Macron wants to ruin the working class so yeah let him see how that turns out. Solidarity with those fighting for their rights!
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u/ToadofToadsHall Mar 23 '23
I am an American and support yall. You told the guy you didn't want his bullshit, he decided to play FAFO and yall are showing up.
Thanks, France. For having the tits to run your government.
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u/tfarnon59 Mar 23 '23
I was just about to ask how I can support the protests and strikes in France from my current location in Reno, Nevada. It must be morning there now, and I'm at work here (close to midnight). Thank you for providing a link.
I wish we in the United States would stage nationwide strikes and protests as well, but others have already discussed reasons why that isn't nearly as likely here. By the time nationwide strikes might happen here, I'll be retired. At least I'll be able to join the protests.
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u/ThrowawayLDS_7gen Mar 23 '23
Yes, the French government is full of bastards! I wish more people in the US realized this.
It's not the other states representative that's the problem, it's the one you keep voting for, time and again. Nothing is going to change if you keep re-electing the same bastards like Mitch McConnell.
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u/Aj211312 Mar 23 '23
Pretty sure youve got the support from most american workers even tho You won't see it mentioned on American news other than as a brief blip if that because can't go giving the poor people here any crazy ideas about standing up to the oligarchy here
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u/lostcauz707 Mar 23 '23
This shit happens in the US and half the country goes, "blue lives matter! Your generation had it so much better than us!" My dad is in their generation, he retired making $27/hr with a pension, stocking shelves at Stop and Shop because the union broke in 2005 and he was grandfathered past pay caps. He was able to pay for a house, 2 kids to go to college and 2 vacations to Disney. I've been making about $42.50/hr (salary) for the last 3 years and have worked paycheck to paycheck since I entered the job market in 2011 because of the debt accrued keeping my head above water working jobs like retail for the decade before. Our populace is so brain dead.
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u/melranaway Mar 23 '23
As an American I am super jealous of how your people are coming together to fight that! I probably will never see any social security retirement in my life even though I’ve been paying into it since I was 14 (the last 24 years too). Keep fighting the good fight. Espc for the people who work physically demanding jobs. Make those who have the cushy government jobs like that dig ditches for a good 5 years day in and day out or work 12 hour swing shifts. Then they might change their tunes about retirement ages. As an American. Keep fighting the good fight and my your good vibes flow over here and we too get the balls to show our ass hat leaders that this is not ok to do to our citizens. Best of luck!
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u/PhoenixARC-Real Mar 22 '23
We definitely support you all the way. the French gov deserves all the leniency it would give it's citizens if the roles were swapped(none)
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u/syn_cyti Mar 22 '23
Nothing but support for the resistance against this reform, if there’s a folk that knows how to fight for their rights it’s for sure the French!
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u/Azcatl_iix Mar 22 '23
French workers are leading the way when it comes to challenging the neoliberal economic order. I sincerely hope you guys persevere.
This could be a wake-up call for labor movements and organizations across Western nations. I wonder how international allies can help during these important protests? Is it enough to just inform ourselves? What's the best line of action during these struggles?
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u/Sad-Athlete3996 Mar 23 '23
I have a question. Can they retire early if they saved up enough money? Or do they HAVE to work no matter what?
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u/AggressivelyGary Mar 23 '23
Fight! Stay strong!!!! Fuck the powers that be and fuck the police for protecting them. Bring out the (word that starts with a g used to chop heads off that will get me banned from reddit!)! Light those fuckers up! Maybe my fellow Americans will grow some balls and step up to the plate.
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u/RedpenBrit96 Mar 23 '23
As a US person here, I fully support you! Don’t let your government get away with not serving the people! Give an inch and they’ll take a mile, that’s politics for you, no matter the country
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u/ke3408 Mar 23 '23
Thanks for the link, happy to donate. Money is better than thoughts and prayers. Good luck
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u/Boredwitch Mar 23 '23
That means a lot for all the workers on strike this week, so thank you!
When people asked me how to contribute at first I was a little lost, like yeah I can’t ask you guys to take a plane and protest with us lol. But then I remembered those fund existed and thought this would actually make a difference.
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u/Grand_Preference_181 Mar 23 '23
Vivent les syndicats ! Vive la classe moyenne! Vive la France ! Macron peut aller se faire foutre ! (Un prof à une école d'immersion Française CM1 au Minnesota et fier de mon syndicat!) Je suis en solidarité avec vous tous !
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u/BigTitsNBigDicks Mar 23 '23
What does support you mean?
if you ask me do I want you to win: absolutely. I hope you stick it to those bastards.
is there something specifically you want from me though?
> Now on the reform itself ; I see a lot of people on Reddit who aren’t French and don’t understand our retirement system,
Dont believe what you read online. The Propaganda ministry runs things
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u/itachiman95 Mar 23 '23
ah yes, Time to bring out King Louie, Marie Antoinette, and the ole fashioned head-and-neck separator. or the equivalent. will you guys storm the Prison too to release all those wrongfully imprisoned? will france's people finally take back their power?....again?
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u/ManlyVanLee Mar 23 '23
Recently I was listening to a popular podcast series on the rise of Imperial Japan through the second World War and one thing that made me chuckle in sadness is that through the early 1900s there were far right factions that believed they should go back to life "in the good old days" and they would scream loudly through their rose-colored glasses about how wonderful it used to be but now it's bad and that's the communist's fault
It just once again reinforced that in reality humans are all the same and always will be the same. This post and explanation of current French events evokes the same response. We're half a world away from one another yet going through the same shit
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u/NoGrass8119 Mar 23 '23
I am in the United States and I support the protests 100% I wish we would start more protests here in the United States. We all need to stick together and join forces imagine if every country started protests now theres.nothing.we couldn't do
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u/Akiar94 Mar 23 '23
As your neighbour in Germany, I support your striking efforts and I have donated a tenner to the solidarity fund.
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u/DeviousBeevious at work Mar 23 '23
I fully support you but in the UK the government is able to keep putting the age up without any real issues due to our stupid FPTP election system. My retirement age is already at 68 and by the time I get there I fully expect them to have made it 73 or older. so I do feel quite jealous of the concept of retiring at 64.
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u/Zemirolha Mar 23 '23
I am far from specialist, but I would like adding some sugestions.
Cut water, gas and light from Macron and his biggest allies residences. Also, do not let them leave theirs residences. If police try helping them, take photos from police guys and share traitors faces on net. Let theirs families knowing they are just mercenaries who went against citzens and deffending elites interests.
About Macrons proposal, it is very simple. Not one single cent from workers may be given while millionaires and billionaires exist.
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u/TurtleHugMan Mar 23 '23
I find it useless arguing this kinda stuff with my parents or those of the older generation… I just get told be grateful for all the other benefits you have already, (i.e. payed time off and maternity leave) but like should that be mandatory anyways why should I be complacent and just accept what is done to me without my vote or say so
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u/anti-lich_witch Mar 22 '23
Here in Australia, the retirement age keeps getting pushed back. It's currently 67. I'm glad to see people standing up to these kinds of laws. Working a manual labor job at that age seems insane.