They are known as the gilets jaunes, or “yellow jackets”. The protestors wear the yellow high-viz jacket, that is common on building sites and airports.
It’s a powerful totem for the French deplorables, a unifying symbol of ordinary, working class folk across the nation.
This protest is different. And it has very specific, historic reasons, as this article will reveal.
Think you know the real France? Here are a few facts that may shock you:
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- • The French state has been bankrupt since 2004. A minister finally admitted it in 2013.
- • French GDP hasn’t risen above 2% in 50 years. Yes – FIFTY. The average annual GDP growth rate between 1949-2018? 0.78%.
- • In 2018, 14% of the population in France live below the poverty line (they earn less than 60% of the median income).
- • Worse, more than 50% of French people have an annual income of less than €20,150 a year (about $1,900 US per month).
- • The ‘official’ unemployment rate is 10% – about 3.5 million citizens (in reality, it’s much higher).
- • The youth unemployment rate is 22%. Yes, you did read that right.
- • Astonishing but true: the French government employs 25% of the entire French workforce…and it’s impossible to fire them.
- • Because the citizens make such little money, they pay no tax. Less than 50% of French pay any income tax at all; only around 14% pay at the rate of 30%, and less than 1% pay at the rate of 45%.
- • The government can’t deliver services without taxes, so it borrows money. France’s debt-GDP is now 100%.
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Another revealing statistic: “structural unemployment” is now at 9 -10%. That statistic measures when it is impossible to find people who have the skills and qualifications, to fill available positions. Why? French kids aren’t being educated to participate in the workforce. So even if France has a growth spurt (it won’t), they won’t have the labor to fill the new jobs.
So how did this epic disaster happen? And if blame is to be allocated, who bears the most of it?
In other words – why are millions of French citizens on the rampage, right now?
Because there’s a real France, that few ever see.
The France of the gilets jaunes. Or as we might label them, les deplorables.
And they are in a state of fury at a ruling class who not only let the population suffer, while enjoying a life of luxury and wealth, but who also blame ordinary people for their own suffering.
ht/ jmb
I have my yellow vest. Do you have yours?
50 years! WOW!
Ok, but, what changed after the last mini revolution?
Who did they vote for? What did they vote for, what did they ask for?
As Maggie Thatcher famously said, “The problem with socialism is that, eventually, you run out of other people’s money.”
It looks as though France scraped the barrel bottom a long time ago. Now, we just wait for the revolution…? …..Lady in Red
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_y916M6ivik/XBKDjiBrWiI/AAAAAAABrgQ/-05-0qMo6wg5Zqyg426FGqoA58Iro2hqwCLcBGAs/s1600/90mimb_pjn01eEJhC1u1w3aqo1_540.jpg
On the positive side…traffic is running smoother around construction zones…..
the yellow vest , or gilets jaunts, of today is the phrygian cap of yesteryear
I hope they are successful in their endeavor
“Significant protest”
Yeah, that’s a big deal for news agencies and university studies looking into social trends.
One aspect and agency needs notice, and the other needs data, which need not be accurate.
But neither measure jack shit. At all.
Protest. What a happy thing. People show up and act out. Hooray!
Did they accomplish anything? Most likely, no.
I want to hear about… insurrection. Know what that means? People did some shit actually changed the course of history. Like shooting a bunch of nasty politicians in the head. Or strapping them into guillotines and chopping off their heads. Or burning them alive while they are having dinner.
In the proper settings, these are not crimes, not murder. None of which am I advocating.
You have to win for this to not be a “Bad Thing” that you can be arrested and tried for. See “The History of War” which has continued on this planet since before we had written language.
So go forth, behead those fuckers that piss you off and those that would judge you wrong for doing so, and it’s all good!
Get back to me when you get that done.
That statistic measures when it is impossible to find people who have the skills and qualifications, to fill available positions.
Perhaps it’s in the linked article, but I do note a lack of admission that this is happening concurrent with the continued importation of colonies of non-native speakers who will never speak French if it can be helped, let alone assimilate beyond any action required to get welfare benefits.
We already have yellow vests here, required in some industries, namely some of the ones who keep the wheels turning. I wonder what they go for on Amazon.
change the ‘French’ or ‘France’ in the statistics to ‘US’ & we are worse off thn them
… at least they are trying to do something about it ….
(but hey! … at least we bury ourselves in our ‘smart phones’ … that spy on our every waking moment)
“Almost every western cultural and political revolution, started in France. If there was ever a European ‘hub’ to kickstart a nationalist uprising that started in America, what nation would be the likely candidate?
In my opinion, it is obvious. That nation is France.”
end quote
“Almost every western cultural and political revolution, started in France”
Sam Adams would say FUCK YOU. Just sayen
Brad. Their revolution began before ours.
That site is a treasure. I dont care what your brewmaster says.
@ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ December 15, 2018 at 9:57 pm
> change the ‘French’ or ‘France’ in the statistics to ‘US’ & we are worse off thn them
Not true. We have our Constitution. That makes us citizens, not subjects.
Charlie WalksonWater
My Brewmaster says we thought we settled ours. Apparently NOT.
Socialism is the national equivalent of the guy in Leningrad (during the Siege) who cut off strips of his own body and ate them to keep from starving.
You can guess how that turned out.
The Frogs have embraced nihilistic socialism (of one form or another) since 1789.
You cannot do the same stupid thing – over and over again – expecting different results – for 200 fucking years – without some anger and frustration.
There is no Free Ride. PERIOD.
France is the future of the EU.
izlamo delenda est …
” So even if France has a growth spurt (it won’t), they won’t …….” Oh yes they will (are), it is muzzies!
“Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.” Geo. Orwell