Nobody has called me yet to ask if I would like to contribute my share of the next 100 billion euro bailout fund, must be a problem with the answering machine perhaps. Still, just in case M. Sarkozy et Mme Merkel are reading this in a tea break at the ‘Hey, lets save the euro again’ conference the answer is no thanks.
I don’t remember ever gaining a single cent in benefit from dodgy loans by banks to countries that couldn’t afford to borrow the money – so I’m not keen on half my taxes going in payments to bail out the banks and bankers that did benefit.
I would happily join one of the burgeoning ‘Occupy Everywhere’ groups if there was one close to hand, but I think the closest to here is Paris, and by the time I get there they might have all gone home.
Although come to think of it a few weeks sleeping in a field with hundreds of French protestors would do wonders for my French language skills.
I suppose it might be more effective if I just ‘occupy’ my local village, bang a drum and wave a banner around – the locals would ignore me but every expat newspaper in France would rush over to see what I was making such a fuss about in no time at all. I might even get that 15 minutes of fame we are all apparently so keen on having.
Speaking of governments and money apparently France are having their credit rating assessed by Moody’s next week. Seems their decision to impose excessive taxes on French second home owners might not save the economy after all, and frankly I can’t say I’m surprised.
Luckily the socialist presidential candidate has a more cunning plan if he is elected which involves undoing some of the recent austerity measures, creating 60,000 new government jobs, and generally doing whatever the unions ask for. Not quite sure that sounds like a good way to keep France out of recession but at least it will make 60,000 people happy, which is a start.
Meanwhile I’m busy knitting woolly hats and refusing to shave so I can look cool in a field of young protestors – I’m pretty sure I could provide plenty of entertainment around the campfires by telling entertaining ‘true stories’ of some of the people I met when I worked in an investment bank…
You just worry about these politicians that think you can end the debt by borrowing more. Like her or not it would never have happened in the UK with Mrs T at the helm. and as for taking on MORE civil servants what planet is he on.
60,000 more! OMG, we don’t get a vote but I would never give it to M.Hollande,F( no e). Our area will mainly turn out for the Socialists and as I’ve said before it will all end in tears.
I am not sure French really need any support from a so individualistic-liberal-country citizen for strike actions! To go on strike is still our national speciality.
I understand as it is against Europe, civil servants, trade-unions, and tax on petty-bourgeois second home owner, Rosbifs are immediately called up. Of course when the topic is about common good, brotherhood, solidarity, access to equal treatment or opportunity, a French strike is immediately described as insane or outdated.
Even with 10 years of experience, I am not sure the term society rings out the same echo between a frog and a rosbif. Sure my first reaction in that story is certainly not what could I gain in benefit from any agreement. Rather a typical individualistic capitalistic anglo-saxon reaction. Good news, I cannot vote in the UK, you cannot in France! (with 2 exceptions)
Hi Dominique, not quite sure I follow you. The ‘occupy’ movement is not a strike, it is a movement by people who believe that the greed and self-interest of banks and big business is benefiting a very samll percentage of the population at the expense of everyone else. I don’t think anyone (myself included) who supports the movement is thinking ‘what would I gain from it’ – except for a fairer world for everyone, which I guess is quite close to what you would think a society should be fighting for?
A demonstration, a strike, a movement, a protest, whatever the name, is a gathering of people having an united interest, point of view. It could be for private schooling system, a pay rise, war protest, abortion rights, unregularized immigrants or the ambition to pay less taxes.
As you start explaining the topic using share, bailout, euro, loan, money, payment, bank words, I understand that your sensibility is “business-oriented”. This movement is a kind of melting-pot with people protesting together against different things, future tax level or next planning society. And when I read your pernicious attacks against Europe (= France + Germany in an UK vocabulary) and number of civil servants in the country, I cant stop myself making notice that your imaginary expat “occupy” protest in Lot and Garonne would lead to misinterpretation by your French neighbours, who dont understand the occupy movement the same way.