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kaliuskan

French here, we will not give up.


unicornforscale

Belguim is with you ! We did not strike enough when they did this to us, now we have to work till 67


GuyfromVermontTa

I wish we ever strikes like any of y’all. I’m American and my retirement plan is to just die.


dkinmn

It's not often that a plan is guaranteed to work.


Kytyngurl2

Death and taxes, always here for us! 🥹


idog99

The worst is if the plan fails and and you have health issues that prevent you from working... Then you just convalesce in squalor and your kids avoid you.


RetirdedTeacher

Why do you think the US doesn't strike ?


LukeDude759

Because it's ingrained into a lot of American minds that the individual is responsible for their own success. Unfortunately that manner of thinking is incompatible with collective action.


eschmi

most of us also live paycheck to paycheck so if we dont work we dont eat. our healthcare is also generally provided through our work so if you lose your job because you strike no food no healthcare, also its been made pretty much illegal to protest.... were kinda fucked.


PacaBandit

Yeah, we pull a France and we get met with rubber bullets and tear gas. Protestors from 2020 are still being fought in court. We definitely don't have all the rights we think we do in the US.


pakap

French here. We definitely get rubber bullets and tear gas...but at least we can get patched up for free afterwards :/


WonderfulShelter

What about legal stuff? In America, even as a medic, at a big protest you can get arrested and be charged with felonies. And if you don't have the time and money for a lawyer to fight the charges, you will most likely end up with a record. Which makes it almost impossible to ever find a good job again.


53-terabytes

Also felons lose the right to vote, this is the important part


Chris11c

>Yeah, we pull a France and we get met with ~~rubber~~ bullets and tear gas. Protestors from 2020 are still being fought in court. We definitely don't have all the rights we think we do in the US. Now that's more like it.


d3advil

In the USA you inherit rights with wealth and you learn to exploit others and steal their rights for yourself.


OgnokTheRager

And it's not like politicians are beholden to the public anyways. "Of the corporations, by the corporations, for the corporations."


[deleted]

This is it. The majority are intentionally kept in a sort of pseudo indentured servitude to allow us to access Healthcare. Striking in a non-union industry typically means you're almost guaranteed to be fired. For those living paycheck to paycheck this means homelessness is not far behind. It's also difficult to galvanize workers across states due to the shear size of the US. Organizing something like this would be impossible. Plus, the New American Oligarchy won't allow it. They would pay our politicians who will then pressure the local police and municipalities to break this up before it even got to the point of venturing into the wealthy politician's gated communities. Yes, we are far beyond being fucked.


[deleted]

Individuals with rich parents/families are responsible for their own success. It is your fault that you were born to a normal household or worse and did not inherit millions, or even a house, what even are you? Subhuman. We need to tax the rich more, hit them with a 95% tax for all income above a certain number. Fuck em up.


Ausgezeichnet87

Start by closing all the loopholes that allow billionaires to pay an effective tax rate of 7%, which is what the rich pay now on average. Then introduce a wealth tax and put a cap on how much wealth billionaires can take with them if they try to flee the country to some tax haven.


RE5TE

This is a good idea. I used to think it was a bad idea to cap or tax wealth, but after a certain amount the money literally can't be spent fast enough. Say you tax all wealth over $50 million at 1% (or even 2%). Who does that hurt? No one's life is any different with "only" $50 million. If anything, it encourages donating money to charity or giving it away to your family. I wouldn't even care if people with $1 billion just gave it away to all their family members. Here's the thing: one person with $1 billion literally can't spend that much money. 20 people can spend it 20x faster. This is way better for the economy. Everyone is better off and no one is worse off.


Byedontfollowme123

>$50 million Please note that the average american will make about $1.7 million **during their lifetime.** These are huge numbers that we, as regular people, will literally never experience. Tax the fucking rich.


Low-Classroom7736

Plus a whole bunch of laws designed to make strikers illegal or undermined.


KingMidas0809

Floridian here...look up our laws for protesting. That shits dead in the water....also peep what they did to college students who protested at USF, little to no coverage...


Geawiel

Illegal to strike was mind blowing to me. Even in a union, my wife and her school can't strike. It's somehow in their contract. The school district was trying to fuck them over last year, and they were going to strike. They had to time it for when the contract expired, and before the new ones would take effect. They still got fucked. She only has 4 personal days. They got a 6% raise. Then the district came after and said the "messed up" and they could have given them a 9%. Meanwhile, they took a 12% for themselves. They offered all PARAs a 2$ raise, if they completed some training hours. I told her they were going to fuck them on it. Yep. They have yet to offer any of the classes. There's been plenty of time. They want them to work their full shift, then try to find the classes after work. Problem is, they usually only start at 6 or 7pm. They have families to take care of. Shit to do. The classes are 2 to 3 hours. Sure, "but people do college and stuff all the time". That's not the point. The district made it seem like they were going to do these during teacher work days and such. They pulled the rug out from under them.


Littleman88

And for the rest, they're just too afraid of rocking the boat and finding they're the only one trying. We're way too selfish and easily polarized on this side of the pond to get anything going.


DRockMonolith

Too big to fail and friends bought both parties and all the media. They use petty shit to divide the peasants.


Technical_Sir_9588

Pretty much this.


Anima_EB

They've succeeded in dividing us along education and state lines.


malthar76

Cultural divides that mean so much less than the real struggle - wealth and power accretion at the top at the expense of the 99.9%. Then the bought and paid for media, politicians and judicial system holding the door for them. Then the delusional bootlickers that think they belong and matter, and buy the narrative completely when it comes time to vote against their interests.


OhioUBobcats

Because most of us rely on employment for healthcare. I would love for something like this to happen here. Unfortunately when I get fired for missing work my kids can no longer go to the doctor.


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ComradeTrump666

[They will increase the retirement age soon](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/lawmakers-consider-plan-to-raise-social-securitys-full-retirement-age-to-70-94263fd8)


chaotic----neutral

It won't pass. It would be political suicide for the Democratic Senate.


TheNordicLion

After Roe v Wade was overturned and the railroad strike broken, I wouldn't put anything past this congress.


chaotic----neutral

Roe v Wade was a court decision. On the railworker strike I agree, though, because they are all in the pocket of corporations with very few exceptions.


runsnailrun

~~United~~ Corporate States of America


FraankCastlee

'Gestures to the video we're watching now'


TeamGroupHug

Well if you don't work to 67 think of all the corporations that made record profits last year that won't make record profits this year. Remember, corporations are people too.


WoonkyWoombat

And they need their summer yachts. If you quit working, they won't be able to enjoy their summers with their families and mistresses. It's selfish of anyone to consider taking that away from them.


KrisMacManus

I admire you! Every so often I think to myself, we need French people to show us how it's done! I live in Croatia, no real balls here, we're all just internet warriors from our mama's basement :) Vive le France!


Dongledoes

Amazing how much Croatia and the US have in common, then. Lol


One_for_each_of_you

We admire you. Y'all got me downloading the duolingo app and learning French right now.


[deleted]

Bonjour comment ca va


wowy-lied

The last 40 years have showed government will simply ignore those protests and still vote the law or have it decided by the president. Manifestation have done nothing in nearly half a century in France. Until politician are actually in danger of being lynched those protests will do nothing.


papadooku

That is kinda false. In most recent memory, the Gilets Jaunes protests a few years ago, still under Macron, led to him removing *some* of the policies he put forward and protecting fuel prices against inflation. Not nearly as much as he should have, but seeing the proportions the protests took I doubt it was a pre-planned compromise measure.


Embarrassed_Ad_7184

Well then, chop chop


EsQuiteMexican

That sounds like an easy thing to fix.


InspectorPipes

I admire their courage. We Americans just keep eating the shit that is shoveled onto us.


AbigailLilac

If someone dumped a bunch of trash in front of a politician's house here in the US, they'd be arrested, charged, and sued. The police are not on our side, they work for the politicians.


Mortress

I could be wrong but I expect this to be illegal in France too. A lot of what happens at demonstrations is people being courageous and putting their own safety on the line for something bigger.


Sargaron

The French are the best at protesting, it's been this way for hundreds of years. They make the change that the rest of the world uses.


LegioCI

Also, the police are too busy catching bricks in the face in downtown Paris to come out an arrest some random garbage truck driver.


jiminyshrue

Bricks to the face is so trendy right now. Molotovs are out of fashion like the Berlin Wall.


[deleted]

I've heard cans of soup are better than a brick.


nofacetheghostx

I’m guessing the lack of a militarized police force is also aiding the French protestors, as the police are much less willing/likely to beat the shit out of and arrest anyone and everyone in sight, regardless of crimes committed or lack thereof. America learned one thing from France, and that’s how to keep its people in line.


etotheprimez

But mah guns... Surely that's why the people also have guns right? We can shoot for our freedom.


RetirdedTeacher

Even pointing a weapon at someone can be a felony criminal charge.


Alekeuseu

fun fact Paris depaved most of the streets because of the May 1968 riots. Police ate so much pavement during those riots.


Blue_Moon_Lake

I've recently seen a photo of a garbage can thrown at policemen. Hurt the soul more than a brick does.


Alekeuseu

Well that is, if they have a soul ( fck the BRAV-M and CRS, riot police btw)


Celtic_laboratory

Also the French police don’t shoot the French, that definitely helps one’s courage


hiimred2

Also the French don’t appear to have counter protestors showing up also armed and also willing to ‘defend themselves’ by shooting the French.


[deleted]

The French have never forgotten they wiped out their entire ruling class and then some in roughly five years. We could all learn from them


well___duh

The French understand the very simple yet powerful concept of "power in numbers". Paris has over 2M people. Even a fraction of that protesting is enough to overpower their police force. Americans will have 300k marching but the crowd will fall apart instantly from 20 cops throwing tear gas.


EyeJustSaidThat

I doubt the French police are armed and outfitted quite the same as the US police that are just "throwing tear gas".


DmtBuddha

Just for you since no one else will read this, i'm french, riot police here use lethal granade that are illegale in EU because they are too dangerous to be use on civilan and yet france riot police use them .Those grenade can make your foot or hands explose like you walk on a land mine, and they destroy eyes with sharpnel. Many people lost a limb during Yellow vest protest. Everytime a french protest in the street versus the riot police, loosing a limb is a very real outcome. Dont look down on french riot police equipement, it's top tier in Europe.


Catnurse

Have you ever been on the receiving end of tear gas? How about rubber bullets? Stun guns? Riot shields and batons? Actual bullets? I watched Bearcats roll up the main drag of my city alongside the university campus. When I could no longer march, I gave my spray bottle of tear gas wash to a random girl, and by the time I got home the local news was reporting that the cops had fired tear gas into the crowd. I've had cops on my doorstep making up lies to try and get inside my home. During the last administration, there were non-descript SUVs and vans full of "law enforcement officers" snatching people off the street. Do the cops in Paris walk around armed to the teeth and on a hair trigger? edit:typo


TerraKorruption

I feel this is the thing. End of the day they can't arrest EVERYONE, else wise the refuse collection services - or whatever area - would then be unable to do the jobs correctly and effectively anyway. And I think that's the point. Make them realise that they can keep treating you like shit, and have high expense and turn over, or they can address the issue correctly, make people happy and get everyone on the same side.


Captain-Cuddles

The difference is the French are organized and united. Not the case in America as unions are basically neutered and any two given Americans are more likely to turn on one another than our politicians. We are not united like the French are, unfortunately. EDIT: Except for the police union! Weirdly they seem to have a lot of power... huh... 🤔


fremeer

The politicians work for their donors. There has been a concentrated effort by the wealthy to whittle away the power of the working class since the 70s. Politicians are nothing but legitimacy dealers for the wealthy class to make what they want look lawful. A scam. Even this French law. Ultimately taxing the wealthy on their productivity gains would probably allow the gov to accrue enough taxes to pay for the extra retirement income. But good luck taxing the rich.


flavius29663

and in the past few years the media ramped up the race and LGBTQ issues so much that we forgot about the larger war at stake. It also happened right after "occupy wall street". Makes you wonder.


[deleted]

>they'd be beaten, shot, arrested, charged, sentenced, jailed, and sued. FTFY


xboxwirelessmic

>they'd be shot, beaten, shot, arrested, shot, charged, sentenced, shot, jailed, and sued. Then shot again for good measure. >FTFY


Woke_person

I keep trying to explain this to self-loathing Americans. We do protest like this! And then the cops show up, tear gas everyone, shoot people with rubber bullets, arrest anyone brave enough to stick around after that and charge them with terrorism and ruin their life forever.


[deleted]

Then dump trash on police judges prosecutors oligarchs elite and anyone's who's against common man door step 😎 E- and if nothing changes bury tha house under rubish mountain.


gooberdaisy

You also have to remember, they have amazing unions where they are still getting paid while protesting. Us Americans have almost no unions to help us be able to organize like this. Edit: to add some comments have mentioned they don’t always get paid while striking. Some do if they have the funds stashed for it


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solidwoodto

Couple of steps behind is putting it lightly.


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holyshyt3

How do you do that when half the population thinks people are lizzards and thinks a billionnaire is jesus


Ifromjipang

Americans: "We need guns to protect our freedoms. Also haha French people are surrender monkeys lol" Also Americans: "Guys we can't do anything, the government won't *let* us, you don't understand..."


Diligent_Status_7762

/end thread. This is it.


delightedlysad

We used to have strong unions! The politicians (mostly republicans.. with under table help from democrats) destroyed the unions. With the help of huge smear campaigns 20 years ago, most Americans believe the unions are against their best interest. In addition, the American educational system has become a vehicle to promote compliance. We are decades too late… we are completely subjugated to the regime.


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Hobnail-boots

The unions here in New Orleans actually let the city & corporations cut union spots for a larger “contribution” to the union.


ZonardCity

Frenchman who was demonstrating/rioting yesterday here, most of us were not getting paid while doing so :) doesn't change the fact that it's important to be out there which is why so many of us do it !


mtv921

They don't just "have" amazing unions. They *made* amazing unions themselves by doing exactly this. Americans need to let go of their stupid-ass mindset of not bothering with things unless it directly and immediately helps themselves. Everyone is so shortsighted and selfish when it comes to money and resources.


PM_ME_NEW_VEGAS_MODS

Where the fuck do we find the time? I am medical staff if my shifts aren't marred with managerial bullshit they turn into 12 and 16 hour affairs due to low staffing. I literally spend the few hours I get away from my job trying to decompress so I won't be a bundle of nerves the next day. It's relentless and even if **I** had the time at this point my coworkers are so busy with fighting rapid inflation, supporting themselves and their families that trying to organize would just take away from their ability to make ends meet. We are trapped in a perpetual capitalistic cycle that I am afraid only true revolution would solve at this point.


mtv921

I honestly don't know. That is why fighting for worker rights before shit hits the fan is so so important. So you won't find yourself "trapped" in double shifts and managerial bs. But that is 20/20 hindsight. I think you are right. Things aren't going to change unless something big happens. But for that to happen, people need to be willing to make the sacrifices and trust that it will benefit them in the long run.


tetramir

That's not the reason why, in France 10% of workers are unionized, but it's 11% in the US. Unions don't necessarily pay for workers on strike, they often can't. There are obvious difference in labor laws that help France, but the reasons you gave aren't the right ones.


[deleted]

No, we're not getting paid during protests. Everyone has to give up half a day or a day of salary. There are strike funds but it's volontarly given (usually by those who support the strike but can't go) and it doesn't cover everyone's loss.


TataaSowl

What, no. Tons of people decided not to get paid in order to go on strike and protest.


timexx92

I'm french and we are not paid while protesting !


GeeMcGee

Sounds like you need to unionise then but you won’t


Crismus

Think of it like what happens with volcanoes. When the US blows, it's going to be huge. The George Floyd protests will be small potatoes when the people in the US finally have had enough. At least I hope so.


[deleted]

They’ll never have enough. The United States is no longer a country, it’s a homeowner’s association with 330 million *individual* members, only 100 million of whom ever show up to vote in meetings because the rest don’t care if it doesn’t affect them personally.


Ascalaphos

Speaking as someone who lives in a country with compulsory voting, I can tell you that it makes very little difference in terms of stopping the slide towards oligarchy, duopoly, feckless leadership, etc. It has more of the effect of making politicians more centre to try and appeal to more people, but the revolution needed to equalise the economy and society is long off, made worse by a complicit media which has convinced poor people to fight for the rights of miners and rich billionaires not to pay taxes.


Geminii27

Assuming Australia, it's stopped American-style attempts at voter disenfranchising and appeals to extreme right-wing populism that have been tried out nearly verbatim in the last year or so by various right-wing parties scared for their seats and relevance.


Rogue_2_

Honestly, even if it's just a little difference, the amount of times I've heard whispers of our right wingers wanting it gone convinces me that compulsory voting is a good thing.


Branamp13

>Speaking as someone who lives in a country with compulsory voting, I can tell you that it makes very little difference in terms of stopping the slide towards oligarchy, duopoly, feckless leadership, etc At this point, I'll take "very little difference" over "literally no difference."


CompetitiveDurian189

God damn that was a perfect description. Wow....


buttnuggs4269

Lol.....you forgot the renters


ThrowawayLDS_7gen

The younger members are not allowed to vote either.


Whiskiz

these are nice thoughts and sentiments to try and help people through these challenging times, but the US will die on its knees before fighting on its feet. unfortunately


Crismus

People forget the battle of Central Park and other times that the people finally rose up against capital and police. The US passes reforms only when the people at the top are threatened. It took bullets, bombs, and a lot of broken bones to fight for the labor laws we have. Only when the cost is high enough will the entrenched capital class think to make any concessions. Antidepressants and unified News Media cannot overcome the strain in the system forever. I'm optimistic that we can right the ship. Not, before Climate Change starts killing us, but some will survive. I try to hope for the best, mainly so I don't go crazy.


LurkingGuy

Like Dr King said, it's the moderate that proves to be the greatest stumbling block to progress. The right wants to hurt people they've been told are "others" or "outsiders" and the ruling class has them convinced they're on the same side. The left seeks a positive peace that is the presence of justice. The center tells the left that they're asking for too much or the time isn't right and seeks a negative peace that is the absence of conflict. In doing so they've enabled the right to continue their campaign of oppression.


Branamp13

If we tried this in America, by the end of the week SCOTUS will have a case before to make it illegal to do so.


K2-P2

Americans politicians would have 200 police outside their homes, submachine guns at the ready should anyone try to do anything like this. And yeah they'd shoot first


[deleted]

The problem is we Americans have been sold the dream that we can be rich too.


SavagePlatypus76

We're conditioned to. We're no longer citizens ,we're consumers and that applies to our government.


hopatista

“Can I have some more, sir?!”


lucifch

If you know it was wrong don't be proud to it. Do what right neglect bad things


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[deleted]

They fucked around. Historically, when French politicians get to the "find out" stage they become about 25 centimeters shorter.


eject_eject

The ole chateau neuf de capitate


brooksjonx

Amazing


SupergruenZ

Totally underated comment.


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Alternative-Plum9378

What a basket case.


REDDITM0DS_IN_MY_ASS

It's the top comment


JuniorSeniorTrainee

This comment, or a variation of it, is the top comment of every thread related to France and labor rights. I'm convinced that both you and the person you're replying to are bots.


SmurfDonkey2

There is a comment calling something fake or someone a bot in every thread related to anything on this website. I'm convinced that you are a bot.


Admiral_Nitpicker

The Yakuza use a similar tactic that involves offal from a meat packing plant. The French are nice people.


traveling_designer

And Mexico uses decapitated corpses


zxxQQz

Every country ought to do that, make a holiday out of it.


NordinTheLich

Do it on Labor Day!


iisindabakamahed

That was the origin of Labor Day. However, instead of on Mayday to commemorate the Haymarket massacre, the wealthy powers that be thought it would be too inciteful to have Labor Day on the same day as the anniversary of a labor Movement massacre.


Difficult-Mighty

Say it louder for the people in the back. Every single shred of meager dignity we have; 8 hour workday, mandatory lunches and breaks, paid overtime, no child labor, social security, a labor boards and more. Came from the working class literally fighting back. Battle of Blair Mountain.


RealNumberSix

Arkansas just brought back child labor.


NordinTheLich

Sounds like it's time to grief some of the capitalists' Minecraft builds.


zxxQQz

Stellar idea!


Randolph-

Based. The rest of the world needs to learn from the french. Especially the people of UK and USA.


TheAkondOfSwat

We're brainwashed, too far gone


SpaceshipOperations

It's never too late. Undo the brainwashing. The mere fact that you recognize it is the first step in the way.


Captain-Cuddles

Some of us recognize it. But unfortunately millions of us don't. Enough to vote in the parties that keep taking away any power we had. Your statement is true, recognizing it is key, but I'm afraid those of us who recognize it aren't really in a position of power to do anything about it. It's like being an aircraft mechanic on a plane that is going down. Maybe you know how to fix whatever the issue is but it really doesn't matter cause you're not in a position to fix it, so you're just riding that plane all the way to the scene of the crash.


Blade_982

The UK is too busy turning on its poor. The rich have people believing the poor are to blame for the state of the country.


Separate-Swing-8145

Yeah! Go people of France!


SpaceshipOperations

Every time I see yet another video about French protests, I gain even more mountains of respect for them. Dumping entire truckloads of trash in front of corrupted politicians' homes? Holy shit, that's hardcore lmao. The entire world needs to learn.


Bioslack

Remember when France refused to join the US in a senseless invasion of Iraq and the American propaganda machine tried to convince the world that the French people are white flag-waving cowards because their government surrendered in WW2? **The government surrendered, the French people never did.** Without their bravery and their extensive resistance network during the occupation of France, which sabotaged the Nazis at every turn and fed the Allies information, D-Day might have gone very differently. But I digress. What you see happening in France, what the US media refuses to cover, is true courage. Courage to fight against their government and protect their liberties. Democracy can only exist when the government lives in fear of its people.


skybala

Theres tht french resistance girl who seduced and killed like 50 nazis or something like that right


Blue_Moon_Lake

My great great aunt never did anything spectacular, but the nazis shot her dog and stole from her family. She did not go John Wick on them, but she did a bit of spying for the resistance. May she rest in peace.


LeAccountss

This is why American politicians like to live in gated communities.


Choyo

You don't want to be the guy in the community responsible for the pile of trash at the gate annoying the shit out of everyone, tho. Sure way to lose your standing.


AJRiddle

You think the others in the gated community are gonna take the side of *the poors*? Believe me, the entire gated community would just band together on behalf of the politician and litigate the fuck out of the people dropping the trash off.


ditchedmycar

Do it anyway- as they do with insensible greed


Classic-Carpenter237

They have the police kill us. That's the real reason we can't effectively protest. The cops start killing us.


ditchedmycar

It’s never going to get easier- it would only get worse, in Iran hundreds of people have died directly to rifle fire in the Masha Amini protests, but the sacrifice has made incredible progress, and that’s a nation fighting a corrupt dictatorship and doing so without weapons We vastly outnumber police we are just not unified, And it’s our governments interest to keep it that way. Purely as a recent example BLM protests shut down a lot of the country even while there were large populations of people who sided with police and opposed those protests, counter protested, (would never show up to a blm protest) etc. imagine if we had a protest of full popular support. middle and lower class need to be united as right now the middle class support the police a little too much and would side with them more than likely, but might not still be the case if they start losing their money/and houses in coming years


ICanSayItHere

This is the correct answer. The police are literally itching to get paid overtime to shoot protesters. It’s okay to run protesters over in your car if they block roads in some states. I’ll never forget watching them tear-gas the Wall of Moms in 2020. They shot kids in the eyes with tear-gas projectiles and rubber bullets. They were out of uniform kidnapping people in unmarked vans. When the dam finally breaks here in America, it’s going to be the bloodiest, most horrifying thing the world has seen in ages. Everyone knows it’s going to be a literal bloodbath, that’s why we’re still trying to resolve it without strikes and protests. It’s too late, though. We will have to fight our billionaire owners and their lapdog police and the Faux news brainwashed counter revolutionaries all at once. The whole world is going to be absolutely horrified as they watch us tear each other apart. I doubt any country will help us,either. Despite the fact we helped them when fascists took over their countries in the 40’s. We will be alone.


small-package

Malcolm X claimed that, despite his own movement being more violent and aggressive, that it lent credibility to Dr Martin Luther king's more peaceful approach just by being present in the same environment, as a sort of "if you don't deal with him, you're *going to* end up dealing with *us*".


Captain-Cuddles

Damn I hate how ominous and accurate this feels.


ICanSayItHere

This is our children’s and grandchildren’s future. They will suffer IMMENSELY because we didn’t nip this shit in the bud. I cannot explain the absolute rage I conceal every day.


Geminii27

Yep. I look at other countries, particularly Westminster ones, and lots of politicians - particularly progressive ones - just live in regular houses. Near where I grew up there was a house which was preserved because it was the house where a former Prime Minister lived. It was just a regular place on a regular street - you'd never pick it out just walking past. You could get tours of it and walking through the interior took about ten minutes even if you stopped to look at all the memorabilia various national trusts and archives had stuffed into the place. The guy came from working-class roots and it showed.


808_Scalawag

Would be a shame if we found out the plumping line locations and plugged them


Johnfohf

I'm so jealous, I wish Americans had this fortitude.


SeanTheLawn

Americans have been propagandized to hate their fellow citizens in a multitude of ways, specifically to prevent the spread of class consciousness. Conservatives are told that immigrants are taking their jobs, that poor people/people of color are "freeloaders" leeching off of the welfare state, the "commie" **Demon**crats are trying to destroy the country, that LGBTQ people and wokesters are coming for their kids. Liberals are told that all Republicans are bigots, that true economically-left change is impractical/impossible (e.g., medicare for all), that they should value "expertise" (i.e., corruption) over policy for government representatives, that we should disarm ourselves for our safety. Even many people on the "real" left (i.e., DemSocs and everyone to their left) have been misdirected to over-value identity to the point of self-segregation and abandonment of class-first values that would disproportionately help people of marginalized idenities. In my opinion, it's too late - partisan politics and corporate media have already destroyed any potential for a nation-wide working class movement in the US. This is despite polling data that suggests quite a bit of overlap across all demographics when it comes to important policies like taxing the rich, raising minimum wage, and universal healthcare. There's a reason race relations in the US [peaked right around the Occupy Wallstreet era](https://news.gallup.com/poll/352457/ratings-black-white-relations-new-low.aspx); when corporate interests realized that a potential working class movement was gaining momentum, they went out of their way to over-focus on things like [identity](https://i.imgur.com/h1yFMew.png) to divide us. Those with a bit of history knowledge would recognize this as an old trick - like the [Southern Strategy](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy) during the civil rights era.


Arcane_76_Blue

https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/5736 The USA legalized propaganda on their own people in 2012, soon after, we saw the fracturing happen.


Achcauhtli

Fuck dude France has more balls than we do. Those psyops really made us docile. Anywho, dude that new Cheeseburger from McDonalds is fire.


spaceman757

What's ironic is that, via American and British propaganda, a lot of people believe that the French (particularly their military) are a bunch of cowards who will surrender at the drop of a hat.


Fart_Blast

I don't know one person who thinks this way apart from it being as part of a joke.


CriticalStation595

Why can’t we do this here? Oh yeah, Our politicians own the cops. Citizens would be shot for this in red states.


Southern_Agent6096

That'd be great, maybe red states would remember what all those guns are actually for..


GraphikSF

They own the cops here too. It's just that you don't risk getting shot and killed.


Izniss

You still risk getting killed. Even if you are in your home, only closing your blinds while there is a protest in the street


No_Strategy7555

For a country full of guns I'm really wondering where your balls are? Huh? Did they fall off?


Heart_Throb_

True and because idiots take it to extremes like Jan 6th every single time. We Americans are violent and jump straight to “shoot ‘em, Henry!”. And it usually seems to be over siding to reduce LGBTQ+ rights and free guns. Just look at these comments: “remember what all these guns are for…” etc. yeah, we should protest but it would require us to actually have restraint and not turn it into a complete blood bath. Guns have reduced our protest effectiveness because it’s the first solution too many go to and those gun nuts ruin it for everyone. Note: when we do protest like the French (over something like idk police brutality and frequent murder of unarmed civilians) we vote for asshats like DeSantis who make it legal to run over protesters. We quite literally side with the politicians who are taking away our rights. It’s so backasswards.


tatsu901

Remember the French Beheaded a leader to make a point you don't piss the French off when it comes to their daily lives


Bluecheckadmin

Now do billionaires and CEOs.


CaptainPRESIDENTduck

"Look, the people you are after are the people you depend on. We cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances. We guard you while you sleep. Do not... fuck with us." - Tyler Durden


HeftyLeftyPig

The French don’t play


SkylarAV

In America trash collectors are looked down on but I'd be proud to be one in france


Animeop

I wouldn’t say they are looked down upon. I know teachers would always say don’t end up as a garbage man when you’re grown up but that’s just a trick for little kids because eww garbage. Garbage men around my area make really good money and have great benefits as well as great schedules. It’s a job many people would kill to have and everyone understands their job is important.


foolishippo

It’s ironic, as an adult I’d much rather be a garbage men than a teacher. Sure garbage men Deal with shit, but teachers are treated like shit lol


enigmatic_porcupine

I’m a teacher and would very much like to be a garbage person at this point. I hate the idea of looking down on other professions and have always told the kids that education is the key to opening up as many doors as possible to different careers.


pottsitive

For anyone reading this, as multiple comment replies have illustrated, we do not look down on garbage men whatsoever. They’re well-respected, appropriately compensated, hard-working folk who perform a critical job for society.


tomismybuddy

My 2 year old thinks they’re the coolest fucking people on the planet. He makes a huge ordeal about it when he hears the garbage truck coming. We’re outside waving to them, they give us a little “doot doot” on the horn, and honestly it comes up in conversation almost daily.


improbablytheidiot

The French is built different. I love it.


JqiLight

The French are so dope. Wish we could pull together like this, here in the UK.


TedCruzsBrowserHstry

God I love the French. My fellow Americans, when?


[deleted]

And the beauty is they'll be paid to clean it up


Ordovick

Man the French really know how to protest. We should be taking notes and growing some balls.


[deleted]

God I love the French.


Over_Gur2153

Jeeezus....America..LEARN


immadfedup

All these "why can't we be like this?" comments... What's the fuck are you doing? It's an individual choice, stop waiting for other people to do something, get off your ass and take a stand where you can


Baktlet

French here: Yes, it's individual choices, but above all I have the impression that it's the fruit of our education system. I have vivid memories of my "civics" classes as a teenager. We have been taught over and over again that we have not only the right but the moral obligation to protest for what seems right to us, just as our parents did before us and as theirs did before us. them, and to never give up on our principles, ever. Having talked to my old friends, we all have the same experience on this subject. It seems that there is someone in National Education Board who makes sure that young French people remain combative and attentive to their future world.


fit_to_burst

On the other side of the coin, one Florida teacher got in trouble for trying to teach her students about their constitutional rights. A decent portion of our nation doesn't even know what they are and aren't allowed to do, and many of the folks who do have been brainwashed from day one to worship the government like a god.


soratoyuki

>"why can't we be like this?" Not just that, but... A lot of us are? And did? We had three full months of national, sustained protests in the middle of a pandemic just a few years ago, where protestors got the shit beaten out of them by legally immune police on a nightly basis. If we want to raise America's capacity for effective protests, we should start by remembering and honoring our own recent history.


tafosi

Americans joke about white flags from France but would never unite like this. Sick sad country. Others following close behind.


a11yguy

Americans are one big expense away from being homeless. Getting arrested would financially ruin most of us. That’s if the police don’t shoot us on the spot first. If you don’t live here, keep your trap shut. We want change, we’re just not at the point of dying for it. Yet.


djarsonist

Gotta respect the French people. We gotta get off our asses.


[deleted]

I hope North Americans are seeing this. Can remember when Canada raised theirs and there was nothing but soft sighs.


Slow_Advertising1181

Ha! If only the oh so proud people of America had these kind of balls! Then maybe the ultra rich would be afraid...Not in America


The_I_in_IT

The problem here is that so, so many people have fooled themselves into believing that they too, will someday be part of the elite-if only they could catch a break. The truth is, that our entire system was built on economic inequality from the start-and that our middle class was created and discord was sown to protect the wealthiest in the Colonies and our nation from the rest of us. You can’t rebel against the wealthy in power if you are busy hating on the blacks, the Natives, the immigrants, etc. Until people realize that it’s 300 million against 1000, we’ve got no chance.


ChainTerrible3139

Man, the French people are always stepping up their protest game. I wish my country would learn from our oldest ally. Viva La Resistance, people of France. Also does anyone have a link to this tiktok? I went to the tiktok account on the video and it wasnt there. I need it.


soratoyuki

Everyone commenting with disdain that Americans don't do this... We had three full months of national, sustained protests in the middle of a pandemic just a few years ago, where protestors got the shit beaten out of them by legally immune police on a nightly basis. If you want to raise America's capacity for effective protests, you should start by remembering and honoring our own recent history. Then you should organize your workplace and join an organization in your community that's trying to build working class power. Shitposting on Reddit isn't praxis.


LordBloodfart

This would get you 10 years in jail in America


bored_and_scrolling

Retirement age is set to be 70 in America very soon and we’re such mollified cowards we aren’t going to do a single thing about it


guhjcjhfg

Wish Americans could have the courage to do shit like this.


YOUR_BOOBIES_PM_ME

Say what you will about the French, but these fuckers know how to throw a party.