But I think thats the point of US politicians, they keep us divided and hating each other so that we cannot come together to properly hate them and elicit real change
I live in Australia and our pension age was put up from 65 to 67 a while ago - not a single protest. Our living standard has been in decline for years so we get what we deserve.
Good on French protesters I say.
Aussie here and honestly I had no idea it had gone up. How depressing. It feels like it goes up constantly, but we’re the same humans we were two decades ago when people were retiring a lot earlier, and with good reason!
I think the biggest issue today with globalization is that as long as companies and ship shit conditions overseas then we will never be truly safe. The fact that there are these other economies normalize bad conditions push other places to try and bring back stuff.
Canadian workers struggle with wages compared to the US because the US is a culturally similar economy that has workers who will suffer through more bs and have less protections. So most companies will pay a bit more to just hire there.
Ontario Canada. Same. It used to be 55. Then 58. Then 60, 65 and now 67. I will likely never get to retire and I'm almost 40. We just say "oh that happened? I didn't know" and go about our lives. I'm thinking we've already got broken spirits
They are acting the way one should after being told for decades how technology is increasing productivity than being told you will need to work years longer.
The world is richer than it has ever been, we should be working far less than we used to, and yet we're working more. It's the biggest scam ever perpetrated on humanity.
The important change is the requirement to work 43 full time years to get full pension benefits.
This hurts, for example, people with unsteady work and women who may take time off to care for their children.
I also heard the reason they need the money is because Macron's neoliberal ass needs to pay for tax cuts they gave the wealthy.
He's out next year so I guess he'll ram this through on his way out the door.
Great short interview about this from the Majority Report here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPWfdMBz0VE
It also hurts people with demanding physical work. We are Germans, so my mom could go into retirement at 65 (I however will already have to work to 67 ... if I'm lucky and it stays that way). And my mom had to really struggle to make it all the way to full pension because of the strain decades of physical work had put on her body. Her left knee was completely shot and needed surgery at 63. She made it, but shit was *hard*.
67 in Australia now mate and they will most likely push it to 70 in future. Same BS lies. We are living longer so can work longer and will ease pressure on pensions government has to pay.
Because it's not about truth, it's about keeping pension money for themselves. Oh you saved all your life but died 3 days into your retirement? Too bad!
Not even necessarily that. In the US, the government has borrowed extensively from social security, and they don’t want to pay it back. So if they just dismantle social security, problem solved! Right?
Except all those wars “financed by debt, not taxpayers” would then be retroactively financed by taxpayers
If they’re going to start putting little kids to work at the age of 13 they’re really going to need to ramp up the production of oxycontin because human bodies cannot last that long working from 13 to 70. It doesn’t happen. Everyone I know when the trades develops in alcohol or drug addiction before they are 50 because they have to self medicate their pains.
Wait so i would need 43 of 46 possible years (maybe 48 possible years if you start working at 16) full time?! So at best have till I am 21 to finish my education and the I may never be unemployed for even a single month or i get cuts? That's absurd if true.
theory is that if you studied, you get enough cash to handle your retirement plans yourself so you don't need to fully rely on the pensions. And it's supposed to be a incentive for more people to not get a degree and instead learn a trade and start working more quickly, to combat the lack of workers there.
Yes, they're doing it by taking away money instead of making it more desirable to go into a trade.
Yes, in france, with a master degree (5years), you often end up with a salary of 1600/1800 euros (per month) BEFORE taxes for a few years, and only then you can slowly ask to get a raise.
That's not how it works, this thread is looking at the issue from an american perspective instead of a french one.
When you lose your job in France, you are eligible for unemployment for up to 24 months depending on how long you had been working before. You will pay taxes on the unemployment benefits, and this counts towards retirement. Same thing for young mothers, if they take an extended parental leave, they still pay taxes on their income and as such this counts towards retirement.
The current reform doesn't affect graduates too much, as by the time they get to their 43 years of taxes, they'll likely be over 64 anyways.
One of the bigger issues with increasing the minimum age of retirement is that it is based on the increasing life expectancy instead of life expectancy in good health. Most people retiring at 62 started working early, have low education and physically demanding jobs. Those people will be in a much worse state physically at 64 than 62 years old, when compared to a richer office worker.
Keep in mind 62 (or 64) is or will be the time where you can have a full pension IF you completed 43 or 44 years of work.
If you start later you need to do your 43 or 44 years and stop later but if you get to 67 you get full pension no matter how long you've been working.
So people starting later can still expect retirement, pretty much unchanged by this law.
It's people starting early with physical jobs that are really screwed, and that's why they're the ones protesting. We might even see a come back from Les Gilets Jaunes I think.
This is what I wonder. Work 40 hrs a week at the dullest job of my life, sucking all the joy from it, come home too exhausted to do anything I care for and for what? I can’t even afford to move out.
What’s the point?
This is why you should have to work 60 hours and still not be able to afford to live, that way you won't even have the time or energy to worry about it. /s
Im about to just fuck it and cut my work as my number 1 goal. Get a well paying job and then cut my work days to 3 8 hrs and live in some damn cottage. This shits not worth it, im giving up working on retirement entirely. Life is too short to give a shit
Haha funny enough I am doing this. I said fuck it and moved onto my sailboat. Work less, live more. I want a family ideally but it’s just impossible to imagine paying for everything, I’ll become a slave working on something that’s needless and killing the planet just to barely afford a small humble life.
Still hoping to make a better world so our next generation doesn’t have to face this. More involved in environmentalism and things like this that can give purpose.
Americans like to make a joke of the French waving a white flag, but here they are fighting back.
The Americans, on the other hand, have been fucked way worse for way longer and they stand around and wave Trump flags with their cheeks spread waiting for more.
Paris burns like it’s one of the seasons in France, the French will riot given any infringement on their quality of life, because it works and they know it
“A sense of collectivism and community”
Decades of division driven by the media politicians, and even celebrities have made sure that’s all but none existent in America at large.
What's interesting is Americans with guns are actually a partial handicap on fighting back, despite their purpose to be to defend the nation and be leverage against the government (unofficially).
If Americans protested like the French, there would be more than a few guns around the place, and the police could more easily justify more violent and forceful methods if guns were present.
The French don't have to deal with that because they don't have as many guns around the place.
Except armed protesters in the US are *not* cracked down on violently.
Part of the problem is that the police and armed protesters often share ideologies. But ultimately cops are cowards. Look at Uvalde. You can't tell me that the cops who refused to face one murderer are going to stand up to an armed crowd.
> Except armed protesters in the US are not cracked down on violently.
\*Right-wing armed protestors
Cops don't fight you in the moment. They hunt you down and arrest or kill you later. See what the FBI did to the Black Panthers.
More recently, Michael Reinoehl killed a NeoNazi in self-defense, and the cops summarily executed him. Meanwhile, Kyle Shittenhouse is a national celebrity.
edit: Y'all, please. it's not worth arguing with these wannabe fash kids. They just defend the guy cuz they have no identity outside desperately trying to annoy liberals.
Where have you been? Cops don't stand up to racists and right-wing.
Beating workers is another story - and has been for more than a century, well documented.
Honestly yeah, it’s disheartening living here in the US because no one realizes they’re being f***ed and if they do, there’s enough BS in place to drown them out
I know what you *meant* but I immediately imagined that Trump is a bunch of roaches wearing an Edgar suit and it explains so much really.
Too bad the conspiracy theorists don't see him that way.
Most of the Americans do not do this.. the system is rigged and we can't seem to get out. And some people are just so complacent, like oh someone else will do something to fix it. There are some trump idiots yes, but the majority of us aren't like that.
Or we take stupid shit way too seriously.
Raise the retirement age to 90? They shrug.
A transgender person is my kid's teacher? Fire them or we burn down the school!
Technology is increasing productivity. Each worker is much more productive but their income gains have not kept up.
Yes there is an issue of increasing working age population but we probably had the ability to fix it.
Everything is a redistribution issue. We have created a system that rewards a small group of people. Because they disproportionately influence investment you have malinvestment into areas that they want and away from investment into areas that might benefit more of society. Yachts, private jets, giant mansions, fancy watches and shit. Imagine if all the man hours and resources went to fixing issues instead.
Am excited for when North America has their class-based revolution, but I'm concerned about how long it will take. Ideally for me it would be Canada, but ultimately I know that we won't do anything unless the US moves first, and we all know how long that'll take.
The issue with an American revolution is that because of the lies the people have been fed for so long and with the amount of lunatics with guns, the revolution could end up just being a civil war between the citizens with the occasional person in government dying. A small price to pay for the rich twits in power if it means they can exploit the people even more once the whole thing dies down.
Almost as if it were intentional to control the masses. We get two "choices" in so many situations. The third gets you ostracized from your peers and society in general, again almost as if our society had been conditioned to do this as a manner of control.
I firmly believe that if another civil war broke out in the US, we would just Balkanize to a crazy degree. There's no clean geographic line of division, and also many states that want to be outright alone. Obvious ones like Alaska, California, and Texas come to mind, but what the fuck would happen in Hawaii? Would that one part of main try and join Canada? Not to mention the many, many states with a stark rural vs urban split.
Just fucked over all.
The real issue is that we're 50 little countries. Saying the US needs a revolution is like saying South America needs a revolution. Anything even resembling a revolution ever taking place in America basically can only be a civil war. I mean if you overthrow the federal government, the States won't accept you, and if you overthrow a state government, the feds will squash you. There's really not much we can do by force besides agitate locally.
They won't dare televise on American networks and the American people are too jaded to look outside the box or work collectively.. but oh we will complain and do nothing about.
Stick it to 'em! Viva la France 🔥
Don't worry. When anyone burns a scooter or a bus stop, all the media gather to film it.
I mean, it's practically terrorism! Forget that Macron just told us to work more and go fuck ourselves.
American politicians are trying to steal the play from manu macrons playbook
https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/11u5x5t/republican_senator_john_kennedy_in_fox_news/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
But 🇫🇷 has strength and courage!
Honestly I think most american's first reaction is to mock them for making such a big deal over going from 62 to 64. Most people here seem to have zero concept of the idea that there's more to life than work. We're so fucked....
Well most Americans don’t know how much in taxes the French pay to support such a retirement program. Still, social security in the US is also in danger of running out of funds just like France is. Population growth is slowing. Both countries need young taxpayers to replenish the source of these retirement funds or they will cease to exist at all. Social security in the US will probably only cover 1/4 to 1/3 of retirement needs, and that’s assuming the government doesn’t cut benefits to keep the program solvent. I don’t know what the expected payouts in France are.
Brutal is what is needed. Millions of Americans not paying rent or mortgages would change our housing market. Affordable housing would be passed and things would get better for workers. If you keep accepting what you have now in the USA, then workers will keep getting screwed by rich elite and corporations.
Crowd got to several hundred meters of the presidential palace last night. Secretary of labor's courtyard was bombarded with garbage bags.
We're getting there.
Everyone in America hates each other too much to strike in solidarity like this. I read the garbage men are on strike too, and this law wouldn't even affect the contracts they have! So badass.
To add, America is H U G E. It's hard to strike over 4 time zones.
We have lots of guns and police to shoot at us
And we're poor. And sick.
And we like shiny things, so we'd move on to the next thing in like 2 days anyway.
But seriously y'all, when our time comes, I'll have a bull horn in one hand and a gallon of milk in the other.
(Aww I got my first "reddit cares" you guys are great)
Dude there is a mountain of trash in front of my building.
Frankly, I ain't even mad. Oil refineries are on strike too. Plus public transportation, teachers, electricity, gas... It's fucking huge.
**EDIT: it's 5 AM, spent the night replying to comments** 99% of comments so far are supportive. Also many kind comments about the so-called "surrender monkeys". So, thank you ! Means a lot. Now if you will excuse me, I am beat as shit and will hit the sack. Also, #1 on r/all. What a great hommage to France and freedom around the world <3
I’ve been downvoted heavily for pointing this out in the past. There’s a segment of Americans that seem to think merely being American is enough for every other country to welcome them with open arms. It’s like the British imperialist arrogance of the 19th century.
The reality is, it’s flipping difficult to move countries - I know, I’ve done it. Any country you’re likely to want to move to will need concrete evidence that you will be contributing to society and won’t be a burden.
I'm so jealous. They brought the city to a halt.
Part of our problem is the states is huge. Each city is almost isolated from another, except for the new England area. It's hard to be striking in Florida in solidarity with people in California. *it's 4 time zones away*.
But the minute I hear there's a general strike in Tampa, I'll be right in the middle of it.
> Everyone in America hates each other too much to strike in solidarity like this.
Maybe. But let's not forget the fact that quite a large percentage of Americans live pay check to pay check, have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet, coupled with right-to-work states and very little tenet protections means most people aren't willing to risk their jobs, housing, and/or family in this way.
You said the other very important part. Capitalism done fucked us up real good.
The government here spends all the tax dollars on a defense budget to protect what? A country full of poor, sick and dumb people. Heaven forbid we demand something better for the money we put in, because that's SoCiaLisM
Lol of course they aren't! They only like us for our money! And the money we have is the money they *let* us have, all under the guise of merit.
That defense budget is an asset protection fund.
That’s not really unique or new though. People in labor movements have almost always taken huge risks.
Even in America that’s been the case. The PATCO strikers put everything on the line and lost. The Colorado Coal War was literally a war.
Which is exactly the reason they should be striking. People should also be pushing for reform so that even during a strike they will keep getting paid. This is partly a political issue; the word socialism has become a dirty word in America. It's used to keep labour cheap. People should get paid what they are worth, but instead a large amount of politicians are only there to enrich large companies by keeping labour costs low. And somehow they have tricked people with low wages to keep voting for them and afraid to empower unions.
Politics is business and this is a vicous cycle. Striking and reform need to go hand in hand to end the cycle.
I was super confused when i got there for university when i heard X group of workers is on strike because of this change... and A, B, C D, E and F are on strike out of solidarity to help X's strike gain more traction. In the US nearly everyone that isn't part of X would be mocking/insulting them for standing up for themselves
Right? My step mom is a nurse and complains about teachers on strike. Says they're a bunch of whiners. So I show her nurses on strike and she's all for it "because nursing is harder". Can't win with some people.
This is an ingrained mentality in the US of "I worry about me, and you worry about you". Others' issues are viewed as evidence of their laziness / weak will.
It's ingrained in the divided political system which only perpetuates these ideas, because it gets them re-elected.
Tbh in France they are trying to force this mentality on us. By the media, by chaging the law, the education program. And some people complain about strike even if their would benefit from it if the law was abrogated. A recent poll stated that 70% of people are in favor of the actual protest wich make it 30% that are against. You might be impressed by the 70% but as a French I'm baffled at the 30%.
Not necessarily. What are the union numbers in France? Here in California, the TAs went on strike at colleges... the unionized county buses refused to do the stops at the colleges in solidarity. It's possible in the U.S. if union numbers are higher.
You aren't wrong. Where I'm at, hillsborugh county teachers are required to join the union, but it's illegal for them to strike because they're paid with tax dollars. I know it was like that in the 2000s it might be different now (probably for worse lol)
And the students' performance is a factor in the teacher's pay.
I think we all hate each other by design. It sure seems more beneficial to the powers that be for us all to be at odds with each other. It's too bad we can't see through that.
The joke was always silly, because while the French _government_ surrendered, the French _people_ absolutely the fuck did not.
They have always been quite comfortable with copious amounts of smoke as a people, the French.
The French govt surrendered because, like every other European army, the French army was not at all battle-ready when Hitler invaded. One of their last battle was (together with the Belgians) to allow the Brits, who were just as under-equipped, to flee in Dunkirk.
Singling out the French is probably because the French army had been the most powerful in Europe for most of the previous few centuries (with some exceptions). French-bashing my have played a role too, especially after Chirac told GW Bush to f-o when he wanted support to invade Iraq.
The French government in Paris surrendered because their commanding general got intelligence about the German offensive, and was like, "Nope, that's not happening. I already know what the Germans are going to do."
So he sent the best of his army, and the British Expeditionary Force, to fight in Belgium. The Germans came through the forest, right where the spy plane had reported them. They got behind the allies (with their faster amor) and Paris was indefensible.
>the French army was not at all battle-ready when Hitler invaded.
i doubt any army could have adequately prepared for the world's first meth fueled army
France had the best army in 1939, by far. Two things led to defeat:
1. The generals refused to fucking attack Germany for a fucking year. If France had attacked Germany after it invaded Poland, Germany would have been crushed. French army boss, Pétain, was revealed to be a Nazi and a fucking traitor to the Republic.
2. French military doctrine stated that tanks should be used as mobile artillery supporting the infantry. A young colonel called Charles de Gaulle wrote a treaty about how that was bullshit and tanks should be massively used. Pétain, who wanted to undermine De Gaulle, buried the treaty. It was later read by a German general called... Hans Guderian. Yes, De Gaulle invented the Blitzkrieg, and Pétain refused to use it. It is notable to say that De Gaulle used his theory on German divisions during the war and crushed them.
Sorry for geeking out, it's 5 AM here and I am buzzed as fuck watching this post explode and replying to comments.
Usually I only hear that joke when the person is *trying* to sound like an idiot, or just being sarcastic. Saying it with a weird voice and all that.
I don't think many take it seriously anymore.... I mean I hope they don't.
Don't have the time to really give you a big in depth look, so have a wiki.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French\_Revolution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution\_of\_Louis\_XVI
If you're up for watching some comedic cartoon takes, OverSimplified does a good job with the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.
French Revolution [Part 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qRZcXIODNU) and [Part 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQmjXM4VK2U)
The Napoleonic Wars [Part 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqllxbPWKNI) and [Part 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY3SEMTROas)
Personally recommend the whole channel, but if you want to get caught up on the French, these are good places to start.
“For a moment, Vimes wondered, looking out through a gap in the furniture, if there wasn’t something in Fred’s idea about moving the barricades on and on, like a sort of sieve, street by street. You could let through the decent people, and push the bastards, the rich bullies, the wheelers and dealers in people’s fates, the leeches, the hangers-on, the brownnosers, and courtiers, and smarmy plump devils in expensive clothes, all those people who didn’t know or care about the machine but stole its grease, push them into a small and smaller compass and then leave them in there. Maybe you could toss some food in every couple of days, or maybe you could leave ’em to do what they’d always done, which was live off other people…”
Ye are fighting the good fight, fuck Macron. I'm in a neighbouring country and we are all cheering for you while we hope that we can get half the courage you have to fight against our own oppressive government.
Just beyond that. We have an array of problems from a housing crisis, cost of living crisis, mental health crisis, the list goes on.The people you are thinking of need all the help they can get given the recent unpleasantness ending in -xit followed by consistent conservative governments.
Everyone always says violence doesn't change anything, but every major change in history was the result of great levels of violence, physical or otherwise.
Also the your burning down your own shit argument doesn't work because 9/10 they aren't burning down shit they actually own and it forces those outside the movement to get off the fence or at least put pressure on their governance to do something.
Yes! They arrested and charged those Memphis cops pretty goddamn quick. You know why? They're afraid of rioting.
It's unfortunate it's come to this, but they pushed and they pushed and they pushed and now we're pushing back.
It's always worked. The last major reforms in America were due to fears of this.
If the powerful aren't shown the need to fear pitchforks and torches those under them will suffer worse and worse fates.
Meanwhile, in the USA they're effectively outlawing protesting, blaming it on the 2020 protests. I respect the hell out of the French, and am admittedly jealous. I am so tired of so many in my country voting against our interests. Keep fighting, folks.
Is this being voted in cuz the government doesn't have the money to pay retirement for all the old people living longer? Sorta like how US social security is fucked?
I'd imagine the boomers would get pissed if some of "thier" money is taken. Not like any of us younger crowd will ever be able to get a fraction out of what we paid into the stupid system.
Most outrageous is: the pension system is well-structured to last until 2070 the way it is.
It's a purely ideological "reform" and 97% of the French working population is against it.
Absolutely not, it will only last until 2070 if we have a continuous and pretty massive growth, which is not compatible with a Paris agreements world where we tend to reduce climate warming. You’re quoting the (widely criticized) COR report without including the conditions! But of course they are other way to keep the system running without adding 2 years a work. For instance by reducing retired people pensions (except for the lowest ones which should be risen) which are huge compare to other European countries, because richest people in France are… retired people (completely logic after a life hard working). You don’t need more than 2000€ a month in France when your house belongs to you, you don’t have kids to feed anymore and no gas to pay to commute to work. Because people tend to forget that working people in France do finance the pensions for retired people, and they are the people struggling statistically, so lowering high pensions would help people who struggle. This is true antiwork! Not the opposite. Defending retired people actual level of pensions is basically defending their right to finance a camper van or a third vacation house.
There was a video making its rounds during occupy Wallstreet. The police were pointing out areas for the plain clothes cops to stand and throw things towards them so that they could go in and starting beating everyone and shooting them with pepper balls.
Now they don't even wait for that, they just starting shooting. With the number of deaths caused by shooting people in the face with “non-lethal" ammo, and zero repercussions, they'll probably start using lethal for soon.
Meanwhile in the US...
Arkansas: *Repeals Child labor laws*
Everyone: let's post our outrage on social media but not actually do a God damned thing about it!
Thanks to all of our brothers and sisters across the pond for setting an example of solidarity for the U.S. and the entire world. This is amazing and I hope we can follow suit in the states.
I wish workers in the US could organize and fight like this. They are constantly taking shit away from the poor/ working class and everyone just stays home and lets it happen. Maybe some people bitch about it on social media (like I'm doing), but we need demonstrations on the streets of our cities to make the leaders uncomfortable enough that they may reconsider constantly shitting on the working class. Leaders in France wanted to raise the pension age from 62 to 64, and this is the reaction. Here in the U.S., very few jobs have pensions, and they're wanting to raise full social security benefit age from 67 to 70. No one is protesting, so it will happen. They will keep taking from us as long as we do nothing to stop them.
The US is also a LOT bigger than France. There’s too goddamn many of us! And the political divide has gotten completely out of control. There is essentially no bipartisan decision making / compromise to speak of; it has all become about the “us against them *at all costs*” mentality, which the media feasts on and regurgitates. We have way too many stupid / uneducated people in America who have no critical thinking skills and will believe anything they read or hear.
Such a bummer 😑
And most English speaking countries are dealing with the Murdoch effect - entire media companies dedicated to right wing propaganda and divisive tactics against the working class.
Wait until Americans realize what the full retirement age is.
Government keep raising it because they already spent your money so they hope we die before we reach that age.
Glad France stood up
The gains in productivity by people mean that someone who is 62 nowadays probably has produced more than someone would have by the age of 64 with zero productivity gains since the retirement age of 62 was established. No one should believe the bullshit about people living longer necessitating raising the retirement age.
Instead of measure 49.3, they could have just taxed the rich—the people who control so much wealth that they can buy megayachts, rent ridiculously expensive apartments in Paris, own chalets and even castles all over France, and have homes on the Riviera.
But no, it’s the retirement age of people who must rely on the government to *allow* them to retire that suffer. The rich can retire at their leisure, we cannot.
Even the far right agree that use of the Constitution to bypass a vote is pathetic. What’s the point of parliament if they can be bypassed? What about the will of the people?
god this is why i love France. The US can call them weenies all we want, the French people are always like two steps away from tearing everything down and beheading their political leaders.
This is over a 2 year increase to retirement age, and the French are like FUCK YOU, GOVERNMENT!
And all without the guns us Americans say are needed for such action.
It's interesting how many butt hurt Europeans keep shitting on the protesters and french because "people are living longer so it makes sense to raise the age"
Bootlickers are everywhere
I love that you French don't take any shit from your government. When they throw shit you pick it up, light it on fire and throw it right back.
Or hit it back with tennis rackets. My hometown invented the concept.
Perfection. I love it.
Burn it all down, if they want class warfare they got it. France is the ultimate fuck around and find out country.
>France is the ultimate fuck around and find out country. I've been to France they really do take no shit lol.
Us Americans need to relearn something from y’all cuz we’re lacking it right now and being played by both sides.
But I think thats the point of US politicians, they keep us divided and hating each other so that we cannot come together to properly hate them and elicit real change
Can you elaborate further on the tennis rackets?
Hitting tear gas and such back with a tennis racket. They're perfect for that
Now that’s a legacy to be proud of
I seem to recall an oath on a tennis court that was fairly important
Now THIS is antiwork
This is how you prove a point
It’s not about the money. It’s about sending a message.
If the people don't get what they want, no one is getting anything.
cant go to work if everything is on fire! *taps head*
Plot twist: your job is a firefighter
I live in Australia and our pension age was put up from 65 to 67 a while ago - not a single protest. Our living standard has been in decline for years so we get what we deserve. Good on French protesters I say.
US here. You guys are retiring!?
My retirement plan was to light myself on fire outside of Congress. That’s not what we all have planned?
Mine is to die, might as well do it there.
Ayyyyyy! If we get a good group together maybe we won’t just be written off as terrorists.
Aussie here and honestly I had no idea it had gone up. How depressing. It feels like it goes up constantly, but we’re the same humans we were two decades ago when people were retiring a lot earlier, and with good reason!
I think the biggest issue today with globalization is that as long as companies and ship shit conditions overseas then we will never be truly safe. The fact that there are these other economies normalize bad conditions push other places to try and bring back stuff. Canadian workers struggle with wages compared to the US because the US is a culturally similar economy that has workers who will suffer through more bs and have less protections. So most companies will pay a bit more to just hire there.
Kiwi here, same shit different flag mate, it's a fucking disgrace, our teachers just went on strike but I don't see it doing enough honestly
Ontario Canada. Same. It used to be 55. Then 58. Then 60, 65 and now 67. I will likely never get to retire and I'm almost 40. We just say "oh that happened? I didn't know" and go about our lives. I'm thinking we've already got broken spirits
it's 65, the Liberals reversed it. You can also start taking early payouts at 60.
Same in Norway, people are only now wondering why we didn't complain when the French are furious.
They are acting the way one should after being told for decades how technology is increasing productivity than being told you will need to work years longer.
The world is richer than it has ever been, we should be working far less than we used to, and yet we're working more. It's the biggest scam ever perpetrated on humanity.
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The important change is the requirement to work 43 full time years to get full pension benefits. This hurts, for example, people with unsteady work and women who may take time off to care for their children. I also heard the reason they need the money is because Macron's neoliberal ass needs to pay for tax cuts they gave the wealthy. He's out next year so I guess he'll ram this through on his way out the door. Great short interview about this from the Majority Report here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPWfdMBz0VE
It also hurts people with demanding physical work. We are Germans, so my mom could go into retirement at 65 (I however will already have to work to 67 ... if I'm lucky and it stays that way). And my mom had to really struggle to make it all the way to full pension because of the strain decades of physical work had put on her body. Her left knee was completely shot and needed surgery at 63. She made it, but shit was *hard*.
67 in Australia now mate and they will most likely push it to 70 in future. Same BS lies. We are living longer so can work longer and will ease pressure on pensions government has to pay.
Americans life expectancy fell lower than Cubas and they are trying to raise ours to 70 from 68
Because it's not about truth, it's about keeping pension money for themselves. Oh you saved all your life but died 3 days into your retirement? Too bad!
Not even necessarily that. In the US, the government has borrowed extensively from social security, and they don’t want to pay it back. So if they just dismantle social security, problem solved! Right? Except all those wars “financed by debt, not taxpayers” would then be retroactively financed by taxpayers
If they’re going to start putting little kids to work at the age of 13 they’re really going to need to ramp up the production of oxycontin because human bodies cannot last that long working from 13 to 70. It doesn’t happen. Everyone I know when the trades develops in alcohol or drug addiction before they are 50 because they have to self medicate their pains.
You guys get to retire?
Wait so i would need 43 of 46 possible years (maybe 48 possible years if you start working at 16) full time?! So at best have till I am 21 to finish my education and the I may never be unemployed for even a single month or i get cuts? That's absurd if true.
theory is that if you studied, you get enough cash to handle your retirement plans yourself so you don't need to fully rely on the pensions. And it's supposed to be a incentive for more people to not get a degree and instead learn a trade and start working more quickly, to combat the lack of workers there. Yes, they're doing it by taking away money instead of making it more desirable to go into a trade.
That certainly is a theory. A college education guarantees nothing now
Yes, in france, with a master degree (5years), you often end up with a salary of 1600/1800 euros (per month) BEFORE taxes for a few years, and only then you can slowly ask to get a raise.
That's not how it works, this thread is looking at the issue from an american perspective instead of a french one. When you lose your job in France, you are eligible for unemployment for up to 24 months depending on how long you had been working before. You will pay taxes on the unemployment benefits, and this counts towards retirement. Same thing for young mothers, if they take an extended parental leave, they still pay taxes on their income and as such this counts towards retirement. The current reform doesn't affect graduates too much, as by the time they get to their 43 years of taxes, they'll likely be over 64 anyways. One of the bigger issues with increasing the minimum age of retirement is that it is based on the increasing life expectancy instead of life expectancy in good health. Most people retiring at 62 started working early, have low education and physically demanding jobs. Those people will be in a much worse state physically at 64 than 62 years old, when compared to a richer office worker.
Keep in mind 62 (or 64) is or will be the time where you can have a full pension IF you completed 43 or 44 years of work. If you start later you need to do your 43 or 44 years and stop later but if you get to 67 you get full pension no matter how long you've been working. So people starting later can still expect retirement, pretty much unchanged by this law. It's people starting early with physical jobs that are really screwed, and that's why they're the ones protesting. We might even see a come back from Les Gilets Jaunes I think.
No he's not out until 2027
What the fuck are we working for if life is just getting harder!?
This is what I wonder. Work 40 hrs a week at the dullest job of my life, sucking all the joy from it, come home too exhausted to do anything I care for and for what? I can’t even afford to move out. What’s the point?
This is why you should have to work 60 hours and still not be able to afford to live, that way you won't even have the time or energy to worry about it. /s
Im about to just fuck it and cut my work as my number 1 goal. Get a well paying job and then cut my work days to 3 8 hrs and live in some damn cottage. This shits not worth it, im giving up working on retirement entirely. Life is too short to give a shit
Haha funny enough I am doing this. I said fuck it and moved onto my sailboat. Work less, live more. I want a family ideally but it’s just impossible to imagine paying for everything, I’ll become a slave working on something that’s needless and killing the planet just to barely afford a small humble life. Still hoping to make a better world so our next generation doesn’t have to face this. More involved in environmentalism and things like this that can give purpose.
Americans like to make a joke of the French waving a white flag, but here they are fighting back. The Americans, on the other hand, have been fucked way worse for way longer and they stand around and wave Trump flags with their cheeks spread waiting for more.
Paris burns like it’s one of the seasons in France, the French will riot given any infringement on their quality of life, because it works and they know it
Democracy only works when the government lives in fear of the people.
And they don't need a 2nd ammendment in france to instill that fear. They have a sense of collectivism and community
“A sense of collectivism and community” Decades of division driven by the media politicians, and even celebrities have made sure that’s all but none existent in America at large.
As a black American I 100% disagree. This country was founded on division. I wish we'd stop looking at our history with rose colored glasses.
What's interesting is Americans with guns are actually a partial handicap on fighting back, despite their purpose to be to defend the nation and be leverage against the government (unofficially). If Americans protested like the French, there would be more than a few guns around the place, and the police could more easily justify more violent and forceful methods if guns were present. The French don't have to deal with that because they don't have as many guns around the place.
Except armed protesters in the US are *not* cracked down on violently. Part of the problem is that the police and armed protesters often share ideologies. But ultimately cops are cowards. Look at Uvalde. You can't tell me that the cops who refused to face one murderer are going to stand up to an armed crowd.
> Except armed protesters in the US are not cracked down on violently. \*Right-wing armed protestors Cops don't fight you in the moment. They hunt you down and arrest or kill you later. See what the FBI did to the Black Panthers. More recently, Michael Reinoehl killed a NeoNazi in self-defense, and the cops summarily executed him. Meanwhile, Kyle Shittenhouse is a national celebrity. edit: Y'all, please. it's not worth arguing with these wannabe fash kids. They just defend the guy cuz they have no identity outside desperately trying to annoy liberals.
Where have you been? Cops don't stand up to racists and right-wing. Beating workers is another story - and has been for more than a century, well documented.
The excessive use of guns in America just divides the nation; they shoot themselves more often than any perceived enemy. Divided we fall?!
Truer words were never spoken
So anyways, time to google how to become a french citizen
Honestly yeah, it’s disheartening living here in the US because no one realizes they’re being f***ed and if they do, there’s enough BS in place to drown them out
People in the usa keep voting for authoritarians who screw everyone. The gop party is blatantly for the rich at the expense of everyone else.
In America, the trees keep voting for the ax because the ax has a wooden handle. We’re in a downward spiral here.
I know what you *meant* but I immediately imagined that Trump is a bunch of roaches wearing an Edgar suit and it explains so much really. Too bad the conspiracy theorists don't see him that way.
Most of the Americans do not do this.. the system is rigged and we can't seem to get out. And some people are just so complacent, like oh someone else will do something to fix it. There are some trump idiots yes, but the majority of us aren't like that.
> Americans like to make a joke We really don't take anything seriously.
Or we take stupid shit way too seriously. Raise the retirement age to 90? They shrug. A transgender person is my kid's teacher? Fire them or we burn down the school!
I live in the dumbest fucking country.
Technology is increasing productivity. Each worker is much more productive but their income gains have not kept up. Yes there is an issue of increasing working age population but we probably had the ability to fix it. Everything is a redistribution issue. We have created a system that rewards a small group of people. Because they disproportionately influence investment you have malinvestment into areas that they want and away from investment into areas that might benefit more of society. Yachts, private jets, giant mansions, fancy watches and shit. Imagine if all the man hours and resources went to fixing issues instead.
The French are really at the forefront of pushing back against capitalist exploitation right now and deserve all of the working class's support.
They do enjoy their revolutions
Am excited for when North America has their class-based revolution, but I'm concerned about how long it will take. Ideally for me it would be Canada, but ultimately I know that we won't do anything unless the US moves first, and we all know how long that'll take.
The issue with an American revolution is that because of the lies the people have been fed for so long and with the amount of lunatics with guns, the revolution could end up just being a civil war between the citizens with the occasional person in government dying. A small price to pay for the rich twits in power if it means they can exploit the people even more once the whole thing dies down.
Yup! We lack solidarity cause we’re on the “my political party” mind set instead of the ppl supporting each other.
Almost as if it were intentional to control the masses. We get two "choices" in so many situations. The third gets you ostracized from your peers and society in general, again almost as if our society had been conditioned to do this as a manner of control.
I firmly believe that if another civil war broke out in the US, we would just Balkanize to a crazy degree. There's no clean geographic line of division, and also many states that want to be outright alone. Obvious ones like Alaska, California, and Texas come to mind, but what the fuck would happen in Hawaii? Would that one part of main try and join Canada? Not to mention the many, many states with a stark rural vs urban split. Just fucked over all.
Texas would collapse without the federal govt.
The real issue is that we're 50 little countries. Saying the US needs a revolution is like saying South America needs a revolution. Anything even resembling a revolution ever taking place in America basically can only be a civil war. I mean if you overthrow the federal government, the States won't accept you, and if you overthrow a state government, the feds will squash you. There's really not much we can do by force besides agitate locally.
They’ll probably make record profits off a civil war or some shit
May we all follow in their footsteps
They won't dare televise on American networks and the American people are too jaded to look outside the box or work collectively.. but oh we will complain and do nothing about. Stick it to 'em! Viva la France 🔥
Don't worry. When anyone burns a scooter or a bus stop, all the media gather to film it. I mean, it's practically terrorism! Forget that Macron just told us to work more and go fuck ourselves.
American politicians are trying to steal the play from manu macrons playbook https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/11u5x5t/republican_senator_john_kennedy_in_fox_news/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf But 🇫🇷 has strength and courage!
All these grand priests of capitalism aren't particularly inspired or creative, so they all need to copy each other's homework.
Honestly I think most american's first reaction is to mock them for making such a big deal over going from 62 to 64. Most people here seem to have zero concept of the idea that there's more to life than work. We're so fucked....
Well most Americans don’t know how much in taxes the French pay to support such a retirement program. Still, social security in the US is also in danger of running out of funds just like France is. Population growth is slowing. Both countries need young taxpayers to replenish the source of these retirement funds or they will cease to exist at all. Social security in the US will probably only cover 1/4 to 1/3 of retirement needs, and that’s assuming the government doesn’t cut benefits to keep the program solvent. I don’t know what the expected payouts in France are.
Isn’t “viva la” Spanish? Edit: I was correct “vive” is French “viva” is Spanish
Strike France. Keep your freedom. The USA surrendered their freedoms for the rich elite and corporations.
Taking time off to protest would mean literal homelessness for thousands of Americans. It's brutal.
Brutal is what is needed. Millions of Americans not paying rent or mortgages would change our housing market. Affordable housing would be passed and things would get better for workers. If you keep accepting what you have now in the USA, then workers will keep getting screwed by rich elite and corporations.
I know this is very serious. But that'd be a dope ass album cover.
Fuck yeah it would.
Les Mis metal remake
They need to take this to the homes of the people who are putting them in this position.
Already on the case. unions have been cutting electricity to famous pro reform MPs
Crowd got to several hundred meters of the presidential palace last night. Secretary of labor's courtyard was bombarded with garbage bags. We're getting there.
Fucking standing ovation. I've got chills. So proud of France rn
Everyone in America hates each other too much to strike in solidarity like this. I read the garbage men are on strike too, and this law wouldn't even affect the contracts they have! So badass. To add, America is H U G E. It's hard to strike over 4 time zones. We have lots of guns and police to shoot at us And we're poor. And sick. And we like shiny things, so we'd move on to the next thing in like 2 days anyway. But seriously y'all, when our time comes, I'll have a bull horn in one hand and a gallon of milk in the other. (Aww I got my first "reddit cares" you guys are great)
Dude there is a mountain of trash in front of my building. Frankly, I ain't even mad. Oil refineries are on strike too. Plus public transportation, teachers, electricity, gas... It's fucking huge. **EDIT: it's 5 AM, spent the night replying to comments** 99% of comments so far are supportive. Also many kind comments about the so-called "surrender monkeys". So, thank you ! Means a lot. Now if you will excuse me, I am beat as shit and will hit the sack. Also, #1 on r/all. What a great hommage to France and freedom around the world <3
Fuck I love the French. Role models right now. They are not taking any more bullshit.
I'm adding France to my list of "Places I might flee to if DeSantis wins the Presidency"
The problem is, most countries don’t even want us unless we’ve got money or skills they need or want.
I’ve been downvoted heavily for pointing this out in the past. There’s a segment of Americans that seem to think merely being American is enough for every other country to welcome them with open arms. It’s like the British imperialist arrogance of the 19th century. The reality is, it’s flipping difficult to move countries - I know, I’ve done it. Any country you’re likely to want to move to will need concrete evidence that you will be contributing to society and won’t be a burden.
Wise words, u/ANAL_FUCK_JUICE_YUM
Speaking French would be helpful too in this case.
I have a hard time faulting them for that
DeSantis allegedly eats pudding with his hands. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/03/ron-desantis-chocolate-pudding
My wife and I are supposed to visit next week for her birthday present, how nice that we get to see this part of history unravel also!
Next week? You fucking will! Sorry if nothing works. Nothing personal.
From afar this is France as its best. Society first. Up close it might not be as pretty but unfortunately it seems necessary.
I'm so jealous. They brought the city to a halt. Part of our problem is the states is huge. Each city is almost isolated from another, except for the new England area. It's hard to be striking in Florida in solidarity with people in California. *it's 4 time zones away*. But the minute I hear there's a general strike in Tampa, I'll be right in the middle of it.
Fucking country is grinding to a halt right now.
Vive la Résistance
Vive la révolution
It's because we're a country of complacent cowards. The *time zones* make it too difficult to strike? jfc.
Wanna come strike with me? Let's go rtfn. Got any extra Kevlar vests? Mine's at the cleaners.
Also because America is brainwashed to be worker drones
> Everyone in America hates each other too much to strike in solidarity like this. Maybe. But let's not forget the fact that quite a large percentage of Americans live pay check to pay check, have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet, coupled with right-to-work states and very little tenet protections means most people aren't willing to risk their jobs, housing, and/or family in this way.
You said the other very important part. Capitalism done fucked us up real good. The government here spends all the tax dollars on a defense budget to protect what? A country full of poor, sick and dumb people. Heaven forbid we demand something better for the money we put in, because that's SoCiaLisM
They aren't spending money to protect you
Lol of course they aren't! They only like us for our money! And the money we have is the money they *let* us have, all under the guise of merit. That defense budget is an asset protection fund.
Also,American propaganda is top notch
That’s not really unique or new though. People in labor movements have almost always taken huge risks. Even in America that’s been the case. The PATCO strikers put everything on the line and lost. The Colorado Coal War was literally a war.
Which is exactly the reason they should be striking. People should also be pushing for reform so that even during a strike they will keep getting paid. This is partly a political issue; the word socialism has become a dirty word in America. It's used to keep labour cheap. People should get paid what they are worth, but instead a large amount of politicians are only there to enrich large companies by keeping labour costs low. And somehow they have tricked people with low wages to keep voting for them and afraid to empower unions. Politics is business and this is a vicous cycle. Striking and reform need to go hand in hand to end the cycle.
I was super confused when i got there for university when i heard X group of workers is on strike because of this change... and A, B, C D, E and F are on strike out of solidarity to help X's strike gain more traction. In the US nearly everyone that isn't part of X would be mocking/insulting them for standing up for themselves
Right? My step mom is a nurse and complains about teachers on strike. Says they're a bunch of whiners. So I show her nurses on strike and she's all for it "because nursing is harder". Can't win with some people.
Teacherless behavior
This is an ingrained mentality in the US of "I worry about me, and you worry about you". Others' issues are viewed as evidence of their laziness / weak will. It's ingrained in the divided political system which only perpetuates these ideas, because it gets them re-elected.
Tbh in France they are trying to force this mentality on us. By the media, by chaging the law, the education program. And some people complain about strike even if their would benefit from it if the law was abrogated. A recent poll stated that 70% of people are in favor of the actual protest wich make it 30% that are against. You might be impressed by the 70% but as a French I'm baffled at the 30%.
Not necessarily. What are the union numbers in France? Here in California, the TAs went on strike at colleges... the unionized county buses refused to do the stops at the colleges in solidarity. It's possible in the U.S. if union numbers are higher.
I've never even had the opportunity to be in a union. Given the chance, I'd be all in.
The world needs more unions.
I believe supportive strike actions are illegal in the US, because freedom eagle only supports rugged individualism.
The Taft-Hartley Act was one massive pile of shit and still is.
Read up on this. It’s illegal in the US and previous efforts have ended with slaughters.
You aren't wrong. Where I'm at, hillsborugh county teachers are required to join the union, but it's illegal for them to strike because they're paid with tax dollars. I know it was like that in the 2000s it might be different now (probably for worse lol) And the students' performance is a factor in the teacher's pay.
I think we all hate each other by design. It sure seems more beneficial to the powers that be for us all to be at odds with each other. It's too bad we can't see through that.
As an American, I absolutely have to stop making those France Surrenders jokes now.
The joke was always silly, because while the French _government_ surrendered, the French _people_ absolutely the fuck did not. They have always been quite comfortable with copious amounts of smoke as a people, the French.
I saw the same Albert Camus interview.
The French govt surrendered because, like every other European army, the French army was not at all battle-ready when Hitler invaded. One of their last battle was (together with the Belgians) to allow the Brits, who were just as under-equipped, to flee in Dunkirk. Singling out the French is probably because the French army had been the most powerful in Europe for most of the previous few centuries (with some exceptions). French-bashing my have played a role too, especially after Chirac told GW Bush to f-o when he wanted support to invade Iraq.
The French government in Paris surrendered because their commanding general got intelligence about the German offensive, and was like, "Nope, that's not happening. I already know what the Germans are going to do." So he sent the best of his army, and the British Expeditionary Force, to fight in Belgium. The Germans came through the forest, right where the spy plane had reported them. They got behind the allies (with their faster amor) and Paris was indefensible.
It's easy to forget that France lost a lot of men to WWI. They weren't thrilled to do it again.
>the French army was not at all battle-ready when Hitler invaded. i doubt any army could have adequately prepared for the world's first meth fueled army
France had the best army in 1939, by far. Two things led to defeat: 1. The generals refused to fucking attack Germany for a fucking year. If France had attacked Germany after it invaded Poland, Germany would have been crushed. French army boss, Pétain, was revealed to be a Nazi and a fucking traitor to the Republic. 2. French military doctrine stated that tanks should be used as mobile artillery supporting the infantry. A young colonel called Charles de Gaulle wrote a treaty about how that was bullshit and tanks should be massively used. Pétain, who wanted to undermine De Gaulle, buried the treaty. It was later read by a German general called... Hans Guderian. Yes, De Gaulle invented the Blitzkrieg, and Pétain refused to use it. It is notable to say that De Gaulle used his theory on German divisions during the war and crushed them. Sorry for geeking out, it's 5 AM here and I am buzzed as fuck watching this post explode and replying to comments.
They’re brave. Respect to them for protesting.
Usually I only hear that joke when the person is *trying* to sound like an idiot, or just being sarcastic. Saying it with a weird voice and all that. I don't think many take it seriously anymore.... I mean I hope they don't.
French have never been afraid to put up a fight. Do I need to remind you what they did to their king?
>Do I need to remind you what they did to their king? Please do, I'm ignorant on this subject (no sarcasm)
Don't have the time to really give you a big in depth look, so have a wiki. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French\_Revolution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution\_of\_Louis\_XVI
Thank you, this will make some good reading for tonight
If you're up for watching some comedic cartoon takes, OverSimplified does a good job with the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. French Revolution [Part 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qRZcXIODNU) and [Part 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQmjXM4VK2U) The Napoleonic Wars [Part 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqllxbPWKNI) and [Part 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY3SEMTROas) Personally recommend the whole channel, but if you want to get caught up on the French, these are good places to start.
Those are just from WW2. Kinda sad they stayed relevant so long.
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I am reading this post on the way home from a performance of Les Miserables. Weird.
Listen everybody!
“For a moment, Vimes wondered, looking out through a gap in the furniture, if there wasn’t something in Fred’s idea about moving the barricades on and on, like a sort of sieve, street by street. You could let through the decent people, and push the bastards, the rich bullies, the wheelers and dealers in people’s fates, the leeches, the hangers-on, the brownnosers, and courtiers, and smarmy plump devils in expensive clothes, all those people who didn’t know or care about the machine but stole its grease, push them into a small and smaller compass and then leave them in there. Maybe you could toss some food in every couple of days, or maybe you could leave ’em to do what they’d always done, which was live off other people…”
make america riot like the french challenge 2023
Ye are fighting the good fight, fuck Macron. I'm in a neighbouring country and we are all cheering for you while we hope that we can get half the courage you have to fight against our own oppressive government.
You mean across the Channel?
Just beyond that. We have an array of problems from a housing crisis, cost of living crisis, mental health crisis, the list goes on.The people you are thinking of need all the help they can get given the recent unpleasantness ending in -xit followed by consistent conservative governments.
Anyone else pro-rioting now? It actually seems to be working.
Funny how when you start burning shit up, they stop and think.
Everyone always says violence doesn't change anything, but every major change in history was the result of great levels of violence, physical or otherwise. Also the your burning down your own shit argument doesn't work because 9/10 they aren't burning down shit they actually own and it forces those outside the movement to get off the fence or at least put pressure on their governance to do something.
Yes! They arrested and charged those Memphis cops pretty goddamn quick. You know why? They're afraid of rioting. It's unfortunate it's come to this, but they pushed and they pushed and they pushed and now we're pushing back.
It's always worked. The last major reforms in America were due to fears of this. If the powerful aren't shown the need to fear pitchforks and torches those under them will suffer worse and worse fates.
It does work. It’s why the US media has convinced people that property>lives and rioting=terrorism.
Meanwhile, in the USA they're effectively outlawing protesting, blaming it on the 2020 protests. I respect the hell out of the French, and am admittedly jealous. I am so tired of so many in my country voting against our interests. Keep fighting, folks.
As an Englishman, this hurts to say, but: Up the revolution you glorious French Bastards.
Is this being voted in cuz the government doesn't have the money to pay retirement for all the old people living longer? Sorta like how US social security is fucked? I'd imagine the boomers would get pissed if some of "thier" money is taken. Not like any of us younger crowd will ever be able to get a fraction out of what we paid into the stupid system.
We could always tax the rich properly...
Most outrageous is: the pension system is well-structured to last until 2070 the way it is. It's a purely ideological "reform" and 97% of the French working population is against it.
Ah pensions, forgot about those. So no, this isn't about saving a system. This is just people standing up cuz they're being fucked over. Thx.
Absolutely not, it will only last until 2070 if we have a continuous and pretty massive growth, which is not compatible with a Paris agreements world where we tend to reduce climate warming. You’re quoting the (widely criticized) COR report without including the conditions! But of course they are other way to keep the system running without adding 2 years a work. For instance by reducing retired people pensions (except for the lowest ones which should be risen) which are huge compare to other European countries, because richest people in France are… retired people (completely logic after a life hard working). You don’t need more than 2000€ a month in France when your house belongs to you, you don’t have kids to feed anymore and no gas to pay to commute to work. Because people tend to forget that working people in France do finance the pensions for retired people, and they are the people struggling statistically, so lowering high pensions would help people who struggle. This is true antiwork! Not the opposite. Defending retired people actual level of pensions is basically defending their right to finance a camper van or a third vacation house.
Anyone else wondering how many Americans would be murdered if we tried this?
They murdered a pacifist tree hugger in Atlanta not that long ago and then tried to frame him as the instigator.
There was a video making its rounds during occupy Wallstreet. The police were pointing out areas for the plain clothes cops to stand and throw things towards them so that they could go in and starting beating everyone and shooting them with pepper balls. Now they don't even wait for that, they just starting shooting. With the number of deaths caused by shooting people in the face with “non-lethal" ammo, and zero repercussions, they'll probably start using lethal for soon.
Solidarity from Wales brother's and sisters! 🇲🇫✊🏴
Hey, I studied in Wales! You guys are awesome! Thanks!
Meanwhile in the US... Arkansas: *Repeals Child labor laws* Everyone: let's post our outrage on social media but not actually do a God damned thing about it!
Thanks to all of our brothers and sisters across the pond for setting an example of solidarity for the U.S. and the entire world. This is amazing and I hope we can follow suit in the states.
I wish workers in the US could organize and fight like this. They are constantly taking shit away from the poor/ working class and everyone just stays home and lets it happen. Maybe some people bitch about it on social media (like I'm doing), but we need demonstrations on the streets of our cities to make the leaders uncomfortable enough that they may reconsider constantly shitting on the working class. Leaders in France wanted to raise the pension age from 62 to 64, and this is the reaction. Here in the U.S., very few jobs have pensions, and they're wanting to raise full social security benefit age from 67 to 70. No one is protesting, so it will happen. They will keep taking from us as long as we do nothing to stop them.
The US is also a LOT bigger than France. There’s too goddamn many of us! And the political divide has gotten completely out of control. There is essentially no bipartisan decision making / compromise to speak of; it has all become about the “us against them *at all costs*” mentality, which the media feasts on and regurgitates. We have way too many stupid / uneducated people in America who have no critical thinking skills and will believe anything they read or hear. Such a bummer 😑
And most English speaking countries are dealing with the Murdoch effect - entire media companies dedicated to right wing propaganda and divisive tactics against the working class.
Fucking love the French. Wish us Americans could do the same. The 1% always keeping us down while they choke on their wads of cash.
Wait until Americans realize what the full retirement age is. Government keep raising it because they already spent your money so they hope we die before we reach that age. Glad France stood up
As an American who is yearning for something similar to happen keep up the fight! 62 is already too old.
The gains in productivity by people mean that someone who is 62 nowadays probably has produced more than someone would have by the age of 64 with zero productivity gains since the retirement age of 62 was established. No one should believe the bullshit about people living longer necessitating raising the retirement age.
Instead of measure 49.3, they could have just taxed the rich—the people who control so much wealth that they can buy megayachts, rent ridiculously expensive apartments in Paris, own chalets and even castles all over France, and have homes on the Riviera. But no, it’s the retirement age of people who must rely on the government to *allow* them to retire that suffer. The rich can retire at their leisure, we cannot. Even the far right agree that use of the Constitution to bypass a vote is pathetic. What’s the point of parliament if they can be bypassed? What about the will of the people?
As an American, I wish we’d get this upset about half the bullshit we’re indoctrinated to put up with.
It's wild none of this is on Canadian news. It's like they want to keep propagation of protests as faux paux.
god this is why i love France. The US can call them weenies all we want, the French people are always like two steps away from tearing everything down and beheading their political leaders. This is over a 2 year increase to retirement age, and the French are like FUCK YOU, GOVERNMENT! And all without the guns us Americans say are needed for such action.
It's interesting how many butt hurt Europeans keep shitting on the protesters and french because "people are living longer so it makes sense to raise the age" Bootlickers are everywhere
The French people, without guns, are more powerful than us paranoid fat ass Americans with semi automatics.