France’s public sector strike against pension reform is in its seventh week, the most serious such strike in French history. It fits very well in the context of the global revolt against neoliberalism, says Prof. Gabriel Rockhill.
Director/Video Editor: Cameron Granadino
Audio Engineer: Will Arenas
Visual Producer: Andrew Corkery
Chase Producer: Genevieve Montinar
Subscribe to our page and support our work at https://therealnews.com/donate.
** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
That was brilliant, thanks very much, very insightful and am ordering 'The Strange Non-death of Neo-liberalism'. The idea that it has survived because it no longer depends upon any sort of legitimacy because it has been enshrined in institutions is fascinating and the minute I heard it it really made sense. Also, am horrified at the soft press blackout of the gilets jaunes movement here in the UK and it has been the main reason for my finally giving up on the BBC as a serious purveyor of news. If you only relied on the mainstream media here in the UK, you would pretty much not know that the gilets jaunes were still protesting – you'd think it was a couple of small protests over a couple of weekends last year. It is good to hear this proper discussion of the horrific violence inflicted upon them, which you wouldn't know anything about from the news here. Remarkable. So thanks for his insight, have subscribed and I look forward to hearing more from you.
Tax the rich and if the rich don't like it put them in jail!
Really good discussion.
Actually it's the massive expansion of state power and crony capitalism that is causing the diminishment of free market wealth creation. Freedom creates universal wealth. Government force and the inevitable corruption it breeds is a curse on humanity. Shove your Marxist lies. Sheeeesh.
Micron the puppet of
Washington Consensus
Well, the solution is to destroy capitalism and take our money back. There are some very simple means to accomplish this.
It starts with a federal job guarantee where the workers are paid with vouchers which are not transferable and only redeemable at government owned stores (think military PX) and also for federal housing. That competes directly with capitalism and starts the process. Citizens will want to work for the government. The work that needs doing is related to global climate change and a green new deal.
Cheers,
Maui Bill
America SHOULD Do This. Go On STRIKE Until Dictator Donnie is REMOVED FROM OFFICE!!!!!!!
France knows how to strike …..United they stand ….lets do the same globally
Its long overdue at this point in the global charade that the 99% just stop 'playing nice' and take back and redistribute the wealth of the 1%.
I wish this was happening in the United States.
I dont know what those big words mean. But all i can say oppression makes a wise man mad. And as my rasta brethren say,' a hungry mob is a angry mob' Amen.
Anyone surprised?
the solution for all countries in the world…get rid of the monetary system, everyone in common equal ground, no more rich greedy bastards
everyone gets the basic needs house, food clothes, car, earns this basic needs by working in their communities ,life should be simple, the masses allow these 1% elite govern their lives and make it very difficult …….it's time to stop this sick cycle !!!
France takes $500M from Africa annually if not more. That's about to change.
As someone who lives in rural France I can tell you the strikes have had NO impact what so ever, the majority of the french public are all to well aware that the pensions of some sections of workers have to be reformed – retiring at 53 on full pay!. It is seen by a lot of people where I live as Parisians been Parisians!. In my area which is almost all agriculture people are far more concerned about paying the ever increasing fuel, heating and food costs. Get your reporters out of Paris, it's not the whole country!.
Countries from France to Bolivia know who the enemy and take to the streets as one. But not in the U. S. We live to hate each other
if only Americans were as brave as the French…
Communists disgust me. I can’t wait for Sanders to lose again.
So the French don’t want to pay taxes and they also want public services.
How does that work?
France and another world revolution. I hope so.
Here's a great speech on Justice, civil rights, housing, protests, by MLK, how to move forward: https://youtu.be/4SmB2b1fdDM
France is resilient when it comes to destroy the fundamentals of its republic; equality, solidarity and fraternity. This goes further in an historic point of view; when occupied by Nazis France were split between the "resistance" who went against Hitler power, and "collaborators " the facilitators of the temporary government of Vichy established by Germany. I think the main vector in today's France reaction is seeing Macron as the head of the "Vichy servitude" a transposition in now days where neoliberalism is the foreign power occupying France and trying to destroy its aspiration as a people. Government of Vichy had the same discourse; accept your servitude to survive, whatever is the price to pay.
Why Trump or other western countries don’t make a big deal out of these massive demonstrations? If a dozen people gather in Tehran, the whole world jumps on Iran’s ass. What a hypocrisy.
Keep your standards high, France!
France needs to adapt to more inequality? WTF? France should like being screwed because other people are also screwed and worse? Here's an idea. How about lets screw arrogant rich assholes who collect wealth for nothing but existance tax on hard working people who actually feed their rich toddler asses Since other rich assholes had their heads chopped off they should just accept it. This time the real rich- the central bankers
Its so simple TAX THE RICH.
Parasitic France is sucking the blood of 14 countries ( neo liberal COLONIES) on the continent of Africa, STOP IT!
Don’t use such simple dichotomic ’modern/reformist’ vs ‘radical’ unions. This is the same trick that get micron elected, he was the ‘modern’ guy but in fact just implementing 70 years pull back for all modern reforms , in the same Tatcher way that make so much good to UK ! One say in France is that this union (CFDT) would ‘negociate’ the weight of the chains if the government decide to re-establish slavery (so much for modernism no ?)
Too bad no mention of the incompetence of the french government system and the unfair burden
of the strikes on the poor, who will never be the beneficiaries of maintaining early retirement.
Unions go on strike and disrupt everyone except the government officials to whom their rage should be directed.
Take a 06:00 paris metro and see how many of these people have pensions, and barely a living wage!
I listen to a lot of news, but no news anywhere have related / attached the American money problem to the forever wars. I am not speaking generally but specifically about the fraud in the creation and allocation of the money we use. The money we are dependent on is mostly created by private corporations, managed, allocated, and they use it to monopolize corporation, businesses, inventions, hard assets everywhere. No politician has that kind of power, the president don't even come close. The bankers have been so successful in the developed world that they want to export this corporate fascist state the world over.
I have watched foreclosure cases where judge, defendant and plaintiff all act as though the banks have actually gave any consideration. It is like watching the children's tale THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, it is a spectacle because the bank gave nothing but in the end the bank gets a FREE house or whatever was put as collateral. They have not risked any kind of wealth, either theirs or anyone else. Fractional Reserve Lending was debunked decades ago as simple data has shown that they dont lend from deposits. I eventually came to learn that they are using the debtors own signed promissory notes to finance the illusory loan which it makes it even more outrageous.
They are using the money they get from interest and the wealth from getting free collateral to buy hard assets, buy politicians and command the Pentagon. Economist provide the hard data but they don't related it to the finance-corporate take over. And business news never touched on this corporate monopoly. Two ships passing in the night.
I can understand mainstream media not reporting this because the owners are part of this conglomerate but I don't understand how come RT News and other Alternative news outlet never report on this relation. So for now all you could do is read data and see how it relates to events. No one is talking about it.
News
I agree with the French people. They are just an example of a world problem. We are all being treated simply livestock. Or work animals. The world needs to stand with the people of France. We are all in the same situation.
Eu is one step towards a one world government and enslaved population
Good work !
Back in the late eighties when computerization was rapidly coming into our workforce, my union put out booklets about the future of workers in a computer age. Pretty much this. Explains why working class unions needed to disappear; Neoliberal agenda assault was just beginning to take off and we unions were voicing it's secret goals.
Aristocratic goals, Imperial goals and Capitalist goals have merged into a Fascism that is at the heart of every Plutocrat. And at the core of the goals is subjugation of 99% of the world's population and Nature. And violence may be the last resort, but when the Big Con doesn't work anymore, what is an Oligarchy supposed to do?
Macron will rip people off as much as you let him. Stop this guy, don't pay anything to support him, his greedo friends and his war policys.
Take your pension out of collective and invest it youselves in your neighborhood businesses and healthy companies.
They had it all to vote for Melonchon but instead, they mobilised behind Macron despite all the negative policies he stood for when running the French economy and making clear during the campaign and debates, the policies he’s applying now. He did not lied to them so they have what they wanted. Hélas. Hope they’ve learned a good and fair lesson.
It's time we won the class war, permanently.
you all are wrong you have a problem when you flood your country with immigrants and they come with hands open and you let them flood your housing and schools and heath care and then you have crime to deal with to and your taxes are not going to your own people to do for the old and for your kids and you work only to give away your resources to outsiders that are not trying to become french or want to they push your city's and towns to the point they want to dominate all things from no go zones and food in school to making girls and boys segregated in pools and in all kinds of money for there needs they demand and push as much as you let them Intel you start to feel the pinch of it all and you look around and think what the hell did we do
Why are the other NATO nations not supporting France to overthrow the violent Macron Regime…? Why is regime-change and intervention so selective?
That is a very bad title for the video. Here's why: Strikes are a symptom of Neoliberalism? Well, back to dictatorships then. I assume that's not what you mean.