The French Are At It Again

legion · 04-04-2006, 05:39 AM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/france_job_protests

More proof that having everything provided for you without having to lift a finger just turns you into a spoiled rich kid.

1967 R50/2 · 04-04-2006, 06:09 AM

I think this is rather old news at this point. Rioting and France just go together. What this has to do with some guy spitting fire and performing other carnival tricks...I don't know.

sammyg2 · 04-04-2006, 08:07 AM

Just as a summary, the french kids want a guaranteed job for life, even if they don't perform. They don't like the idea that they can get fired for not performing so they riot and burn.
Sounds reasonable, on some other planet.

When I was that age I got a job as a millwright and I worked my butt off doing the things the older guys didn't want to do. I made a point of working harder and faster than them, basically I earned my position. The company didn't want to fire me because I was worth as much as the other guys but my wage was a little lower. In a few years I was promoted to foreman and had the older guys working for me. If the french kids can't work hard and earn their keep, they don't deserve a job.

Deschodt · 04-04-2006, 11:35 AM

I agree, and that is where I am from ! The country is turning into a bunch of gov't-assisted lazy-asses asking for hand-outs and refusing to face the realities of the modern economy... 35h work week and free medical coverage is not enough. 6 to 9 weeks of vacation + over 10 holidays is not enough ! To think that particular gov't plan was actually designed to stimulate employment for young people !!! Nah, I say let them strike and be unemployed... It needs to get a bit worse still before someone cleans house down there..

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

How can these idiot kids not realize their cause is soooo self-defeating?

Jim Richards · 04-04-2006, 11:46 AM

How come they haven't forced the French gov to surrender?

scottmandue · 04-04-2006, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Deschodt

snip...
35h work week and free medical coverage is not enough. 6 to 9 weeks of vacation + over 10 holidays is not enough !
snip...

Holy freholes where do I sign up!

Of course I would have to learn to speak French... and I am partial to taking daily showers... and I don't smoke... hmmmmm don't know if I could pull it off.

Deschodt · 04-04-2006, 12:01 PM

Ah, the good ol' stereotypes.. All in one page... The showers, the surrendering, someone should come up with armpit hair anytime soon now ;-)

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

And the women don't shave their pits!

Moneyguy1 · 04-04-2006, 01:26 PM

Now THAT didn't take too long!!

Thanx, red.....

Hee hee...

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

has anyone mentioned 'victories'..???

ryan

jkarolyi · 02:30 PM

The problem with stereotypes is that they're all too often true.

Colleague who is a tenured college professor: "I'm voting all Democrat"
Me: "Of course you are, pretty much all college professors do"
"That's just a stereotype!"
"How can you complain about my stereotyping college professors WHEN YOU'RE PERPETUATING THE STEREOTYPE!"

That made him think a little.

The Francos rioting are perpetuating the Franco stereotypes.

jorian · 04-04-2006, 06:10 PM

Much of the earlier furor was over the fact that the reforms would allow an employer to fire an employee without cause during the first two years of employment and avoid minimum wage laws. Chirac amended the proposed reform but it hasn't taken the fire out of the riots. I doubt that the majority of the rioters are actually passionate critics of the reforms. More than likely they are just hoodlums who see the protest as an opportunity to cause trouble. France can really only blame itself however, their liberal immigration policies are ruining that country.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I'm just happy to see Dominique de Villepin, the author of this law, twist.

jyl · jyl's Garage

I think the protests are misguided.

However, having a job without the traditional (for France) protections does carry some penalties that aren't obvious. For example, in France the banks typically will not make a mortgage for someone who has an "at-will" job or a job with a fixed duration.

Also, De Villepin used through this law (the CPE law) essentially in secret, bypassing the normal legistative debate and public scrutiny. I think part of the anger is about that as well. The French presumably think that major changes to the social structure deserve a more public debate.

Again, I think the CPE law is a step in the right direction. But I can understand why France is having a hard time getting there.