July 1, 20232 yr France has been rocked by a wave of protests after a 17-year-old youth was shot by police near Paris Tuesday, sparking a ban on demonstrations in some cities, travel warnings and reigniting a debate on overpolicing in marginalized communities. Scenes emerged of people setting fires to vehicles and climbing onto buildings with smashed windows, while riot police officers fiercely clashed with demonstrators. The unrest prompted a crisis response from French President Emmanuel Macron, who held an emergency meeting with ministers as he attempts to bridge divisions and unite the country in his second term. Protesters have been carrying signs that read,”the police kill” and hundreds of government buildings have been damaged as Nahel’s death taps into anger over racial bias in the country. Successive nights of violence across France and its overseas territories have in turn prompted French officials launch a crackdown. More than 40,000 police officers have been mobilized to patrol cities across the country, nearly 1,000 people have been arrested and more than 200 police officers have been injured. In Paris alone, 5,000 security personnel were deployed. Officers were given powers to quell riots, make arrests, and “restore republican order,” French Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin said. https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/30/europe/nanterre-france-police-protests-explainer-intl/index.html Edited July 1, 20232 yr by Parliament
July 1, 20232 yr Popular Post If France knows how to do anything, it's to throw a good riot. Marie Antoinette out front should have told you.
July 1, 20232 yr The French have their own verb for burning a car. It's cramer. eg "Bonsoir messieurs-dames, veuillez agréer mes sentiments les plus profonds pour avoir si brutalement cramé votre bagnole." https://www.theonion.com/french-again-protest-in-way-americans-are-welcome-to-at-1850591964
July 1, 20232 yr A person who isn’t supposed to operate a vehicle, gets pulled over, tried to run over a police office and gets shot. Seems like ppl from shithole countries rioting in France and burning down a library as well, a library with books case of FAFO Edited July 1, 20232 yr by Gengs1
July 1, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said: If France knows how to do anything, it's to throw a good riot. Marie Antoinette out front should have told you. Toss in some prodding from Russian bot farms.
July 1, 20232 yr If you've never seen this mid 90s French masterpiece and can speak French, here is La Haine in full on YouTube. May as well have been made yesterday. Here's the trailer. It's worth renting on Amazon so you can have English subtitles. Edited July 1, 20232 yr by safe sex
July 2, 20232 yr Looks like they attacked a Paris’ suburban mayor’s home by ramming it with a flaming car and shooting fireworks through windows. Wife broke her leg while using her body to block the kiddos from the attack. all while mayor was in command center dealing with riots. oh and Paris holocaust monument has been ransacked. guess you can say things are escalating? Edited July 2, 20232 yr by FORTY NINE TO ZERO
July 2, 20232 yr 4 minutes ago, FORTY NINE TO ZERO said: Looks like they attacked a Paris’ suburban mayor’s home by ramming it with a flaming car and fireworhh it a through windows. Wife broke her leg while using her body to block the kiddos from the attack. all while mayor was in command center dealing with riots. oh and Paris holocaust monument has been ransacked. guess you can say things are escalating?
July 2, 20232 yr 3 hours ago, FORTY NINE TO ZERO said: oh and Paris holocaust monument has been ransacked. The Jews Did This lip read soccer player gif
July 2, 20232 yr 3 hours ago, FORTY NINE TO ZERO said: Looks like they attacked a Paris’ suburban mayor’s home by ramming it with a flaming car and shooting fireworks through windows. Wife broke her leg while using her body to block the kiddos from the attack. all while mayor was in command center dealing with riots. oh and Paris holocaust monument has been ransacked. guess you can say things are escalating? Go big or go home.
July 3, 20232 yr Oh shit, this is serious. Someone needs to call in the French army. They should still have some early 20th century rifles that have barely been used in the armory that could take care of this.
July 3, 20232 yr 14 hours ago, FORTY NINE TO ZERO said: Looks like they attacked a Paris’ suburban mayor’s home by ramming it with a flaming car and shooting fireworks through windows. Wife broke her leg while using her body to block the kiddos from the attack. all while mayor was in command center dealing with riots. oh and Paris holocaust monument has been ransacked. guess you can say things are escalating?
July 3, 20232 yr 12 hours ago, HornOnTheBayou said: Oh shit, this is serious. Someone needs to call in the French army. They should still have some early 20th century rifles that have barely been used in the armory that could take care of this. I think you mean mid-century. The early century ones are heavily used and covered in blood.
July 3, 20232 yr They keep saying they are at war. I guess that means both sides are looking to surrender.
July 5, 20232 yr I hope this isn’t cloak room- Yeah, they have an assimilation problem. As European nations rely, economically, on immigration, they’re going to have to figure it out. (One of the things I love about America- we are about the most successful, rich and powerful nation to NEVER make the claim that we are some kind of superior genetic stock. We have never made that claim, because it would be ridiculous. We are the mongrels of the world). I have read these riots will generate support for le Pen’s party. It is described as far right. As a US conservative, I hate that description for a party that embraces state economic control over market control. It seems to me that a single left right axis does a poor job of describing politics. I prefer two axes- authoritarian to libertarian on one axis and state controlled economy to free market economy on the other. I think both US parties are more libertarian than any major Euro party and more in favor of markets than any major Euro party.
July 5, 20232 yr 2 minutes ago, statsman said: I have read these riots will generate support for le Pen’s party. It is described as far right. Le Pen and her party are definitely far right. I don't get the objection.
July 5, 20232 yr 10 minutes ago, statsman said: I hope this isn’t cloak room- Yeah, they have an assimilation problem. As European nations rely, economically, on immigration, they’re going to have to figure it out. (One of the things I love about America- we are about the most successful, rich and powerful nation to NEVER make the claim that we are some kind of superior genetic stock. We have never made that claim, because it would be ridiculous. We are the mongrels of the world). I have read these riots will generate support for le Pen’s party. It is described as far right. As a US conservative, I hate that description for a party that embraces state economic control over market control. It seems to me that a single left right axis does a poor job of describing politics. I prefer two axes- authoritarian to libertarian on one axis and state controlled economy to free market economy on the other. I think both US parties are more libertarian than any major Euro party and more in favor of markets than any major Euro party. Precious.
July 5, 20232 yr 21 minutes ago, statsman said: (One of the things I love about America- we are about the most successful, rich and powerful nation to NEVER make the claim that we are some kind of superior genetic stock. We have never made that claim, because it would be ridiculous. We are the mongrels of the world). This is a bit, right?
July 5, 20232 yr 36 minutes ago, Schulz2.0 said: Le Pen and her party are definitely far right. I don't get the objection. I came of political age in the ‘80s. To me, right wing, economically, means Coolidge or Reagan. In Europe, the conservative (more right) parties all still advocate for state control of the economy. They just want to direct the economy for nationalist purposes. I’m thinking back to 1930s Germany, and the enmity between the national socialists (Nazis) and international socialists (communists). They hated each other. Both parties advocated authoritarianism, the former in support of nationalist advances and the latter in support of a societal transformation. Both parties wanted state control of the economy, the Nazis less than the communists, but still much, much more control than FDR would have ever hoped for (and forget Wendell Wilkie; the continent had no major political figures like him). My point is - le Pen is right of the mainstream and there may even be Americans that feel an affinity with her party, but there is no political party in the US that aligns with her, in terms of liberties, both civil and economic.
July 5, 20232 yr On 7/3/2023 at 7:15 AM, GopherRock said: Going on strike is the national sport of France. This. They've been protesting in the streets for various reasons going back to Oct. of '22. Corsica unrests, shooting in '22 of young Kurds, the pension reform of '23 really got them spun up and drew some of the largest crowds, and now this. It's a powder keg.
July 6, 20232 yr The French have been going on strike as a national pastime for over two centuries. Man the baricades I just can’t face all 28 hours of work this week. And yet less than half of them own a toothbrush.
July 6, 20232 yr It's like someone asked them to work more than 30 hours a week and wait until they are 55 to retire.
July 6, 20232 yr The work ethic in a lot of Europe is just different than here. So expectations of retirement and a work day/week are different. It’s interesting to see how the day to day work goes in different countries. The US certainly has its warts on employment, employer conduct and labor participation as well.
July 6, 20232 yr Author I'm pretty sure Surly Horns was invented by the Russians to keep us from working and being productive.
September 8Sep 8 France's government collapses after the prime minister loses a confidence vote https://www.npr.org/2025/09/08/g-s1-87610/france-government-collapse-confidence-vote-macron-bayou
September 8Sep 8 1 minute ago, Rip76 said: France's government collapses after the prime minister loses a confidence vote https://www.npr.org/2025/09/08/g-s1-87610/france-government-collapse-confidence-vote-macron-bayou France and Italy: two countries that are great at food, and lousy at forming lasting governments. And sexy women. So, they're still winning.
October 14Oct 14 Author France, to borrow the words of Alain Duhamel, the veteran political observer, “has gone beyond a political crisis”. It is now flirting with regime change. The tailor-made system that Charles de Gaulle built in 1958 to save the country from the chaos of 22 governments in 12 years established one of the most powerful presidencies in the Western world. It is now in disarray, and Emmanuel Macron, the president, stands at the centre of a drama of his own making that some say could yet end the Fifth Republic. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/france-contemplates-end-fifth-republic-050000054.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly90YWxrLm5ld2FndGFsay5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGW_inq_j3hJLXGDfzyxDwzYfdDyN2dEYR1nANI2CaPuB4A1sAUu2q5GS--dUVmPwhJIfvaH0G7Hx6n0xnCNNs3IgImw2V_iIFAMSe6h_ezXFpqRj5aTIf7dFwId3jmH3zIFr8P0tKFo26Sq8znYp6s0aIhqOOPlODzdN_j0x0tO What does this mean? They're gonna redo their constitution?
October 14Oct 14 3 hours ago, Parliament said: What does this mean? They're gonna redo their constitution? Sharia law combined with even more paid time off. 6 months paid vacation, but no more wine. It could get interesting.
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