On 9 December 1905, a law was passed in France separating the church and the state. However, today in the United States of America, the President takes an oath on the Bible to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic. To the French, it may sound inconceivable to see President Jacques Chirac basing his speech on Bible verses. So what do Americans think when Mr Sarkozy, a free-market defender, quotes Jean Jaurès, the founder of the communist paper L'Humanité? Actually, each country has its own way of thinking, even if they have similar cultures.
The French 2006 labour protests were analysed quite differently; many journalists linked these demonstrations with the 2005 civil unrest in France. Other nations compare these demonstrations with what has happened in their own countries. By observing what the whole world thinks about a local problem is one of the best ways to understand what the real cause of it is. This is why we will look into the international press to go deeper into the 2006 labour protests issue.
[...] By involving these suburbanites in the labour market, but with ambiguous social conditions (risk to be laid off on a whim), a fake reform is created that weakens the most damaged whilst at the same time strengthening the most privileged. France needs reforms, yet this manner is not appropriate The connection with the 2005 civil unrests As the fourth text highlighted it, suburban youths raised the issue of racial discrimination when getting a job. Actually, these riots just confirmed that the problem does not boil down to a certain social class; it is a major problem that concerns the whole country. [...]
[...] France must stop its recurrent resistance to change The USA rarely has the strikes and street protests that France is almost as famous for as its cheeses[7].This quote stresses that France gets used to strikes and resistance to change, everybody is aware that France needs reform but how to do it is another problem 21 A necessity to reform Politics of Make-Believe”, “French protests, again”, “French take to the streets to preserve their economic fantasy”, etc . These titles emphasise the idea that the French do want to protect social benefits; yet, these ones are the main causes of its current collapse. [...]
[...] Such contrast discredited the 2006 labour protests[12], especially for an Anglo-American audience, which rather backed the youth labour law. Even French intellectuals such as the vice president of the Avignon University considered it a rebellion by the petite bourgeoisie[13]. Moreover, the description of a French standard protester confirms the lack of seriousness of these demonstrations. The UNEF claims that “real jobs” might seem quite funny to liberal societies where job flexibility is a birthright. This unwillingness to liberalise the economy makes France a sort of world “lame duck” or “sick man of Europe” to many countries. [...]
[...] We often learn from our history but the 2006 labour protests did not prove this. Indeed, the French are not aware that such riots discredit France with its business partners. Nonetheless, The French political decision to tackle the high youth unemployment rate was not that idiotic but they did not pay attention to the May 69 lessons. This global willingness not to change France and, even for some, to return to the past is characteristic of the French current state of mind The tyranny of the minority I was directly concerned with the 2006 labour protests. [...]
[...] It can New York Times mars 2006 “Before you scoff at the French, consider the U.S. connection”, USA Today mars 2006. Editorial, riots of spring” mars 2006 “French protests, again”, International Herald Tribune mars Sites internet http://www.senat.fr/rap/r00-386/r00-386113.html The French elite is leaving the country, highlighting that France has strong weakness concerning income, security, quality of life and housing. Return on Investment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_civil_unrest_in_France Union Nationale des Étudiants de France or UNEF SAMUELSON, Avril 2006, Politics of Make-Believe”, Newsweek, p SCIOLINO, March 2006, “French Youth at the Barricades, but a Revolution? It Can [...]
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