that's crazy how I'vde been busy these last few weeks... Exams, architectural presentation, no sleeping, even sometimes no lunch/breakfast/diner, ...
hard times for me, I guess =)
Anyway.
You know how French are willing to complain, to get angry about stupid things, to say that they're not happy about that or that.
that's how we are.
But it's getting more and more annoying.
Why?
Because of the strikes. I mean if people have something to say then fine, fair enough.
But please don't strike for nothing.
In France when you're not happy, you're feeling the beginning of a threaten on your business or your job, or only just the comfort in your job may be eventually threatened, then you get on strike.
Simple and clear.
But how stupid it is...
Because now, French are striking for everything and nothing. Especially the train conductors, they keep striking, striking and striking, for basically nothing.
They just don't want to work one day, it's getting cold outside, days are shorter and shorter, the weather is bad, damned, we need to strike.
They always find a "good" reason to strike. And bother all the french workers, who can't do anything to help them, who just want to go to work, and go home as quick as possible. In Paris, you better use the public transports than your car, because there are no place to park your car, and the traffic jams are absolutly crazy at the rush hour... (and not only the rush hour).
But when Train's conductors are striking, you wast sooo much time in the public transport...
They are the most evident example, but not the only one.
Usually, teachers are also striking twice a year : in December, and in April.
The train's conductor, it's more 4 times a year, or even 5 times, depends on their mood of the moment : September (when the class is beginning, holidays are over), December (for Christmas), February/march (it's cold and we're sick a nd tired of the winter), and June (Weather is nice, let's go to the parc instead of working).
I'm ironic and sarcastic but really that's how it works. And you english people are laughing a lot about Frenchies. Well, fair enough, those strikes are silly and useless. Moreover, they're loosing their meaning...
Striking is a right in the french constitution. We achieved it after the revolution in 1789 and are very proud of it.
But it's also easy to use for nothing just because you're not happy about your life and find a silly reason to say that you're striking.
This right should be used cautiously, not every time you're not happy about the changes which are about to be done...
But we're well french and we can't just stay calm as you my dear english friends. That would be inappropriate for french rude population =)
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6 commentaires:
"Especially the train conductors, they keep striking, striking and striking, for basically nothing"
This is just the stupidest analysis ever drawn on the subject.
Just go back and study the history of Unions in any country and you'll discover that these “stupid” strikes helped you to gain basically all the rights you can enjoy now.
Ask an Italian, a British about the way trains work in their country. I bet they’re gonna tell you that it’s awful and completely disorganized.
It’s so easy to go and split all your anger in this blog just a few people will read … Go ahead !
Try to talk with these lazy train conductors you despise. Try to understand what they’re fighting for. It's not just a matter of what's the weather's like in the morning.
Just try to go a little further on in your analysis but just what the mass media are repeating again and again.
And by the way, France is still far behind many other countries for its striking days.
Being French, we may tend to contest things more easily. But if you thing we should just shut our mouths and let things get mad, all right for you. I don't.
If you read properly what I said, i'm not saying that striking is useless and stupid, I'm saying that THEIR strikes are so regular that they loose their meaning, and that they're making the french strikes meaningless. Of course strikes are useful, i know that we wouldn't be at our point without them. but we have to keep in mind that people who are keeping complaining are not listened, at the end. And with our french president, strikes will become bad things if people are keeping using them for reason sometimes we don't even know.
And I know how british trains are working, and that we're lucky to have ours. But still, I think that sometimes their strikes are just abusive.
And once and again .. there are more striking days in England than in France. We are not so strikingholic as you say.
Don't worry, I perfectly understood what you were saying, "This right should be used cautiously, not every time you're not happy about the changes which are about to be done..." And I'm just so glad you aknowledge the fact we can still use it.
Nevertheless, this slight support to the concept of a strike comes only in the end of your speech.
And still, your position is conservative. Or maybe you could tell us what a "right" strike is ? Until when workers should wait for it to be relevant enough to launch a movement ? Any example ?
Probably when it doesn't trouble too much your cosy little way of life ? The strike of the Moulinex workers for instance, maybe you thought it was great. For that didn't bothered anyone, since no one cares for them. Maybe you were just sad or felt sorry for them for a few minutes of hours after you saw the news. But still, they were fired and no one cared.
"And bother all the french workers, who can't do anything to help them, who just want to go to work, and go home as quick as possible."
Well, this shows you're totally missing the point on what a strike is. But maybe that's just because like so many other French people, you've been taught again and again by the media that strikes were only a trouble for you.
You CAN do something to help them ! Just voice out your support instead of complaining !
And by the way ... "Striking is a right in the french constitution. We achieved it after the revolution in 1789 and are very proud of it."
Well, whent you're so proud of it, you should know it was gained in 1946 in the after war period.
Fair enough for the last part, I was wrong about the dates, and I should know it much better. Granted, shame on me. (lol I'm really ashamed about this mistake)
Well, I considered that a strike has a point when you're about to loose your job for silly reason and when you just can't find another one, when your work is not considered as good as it should be (like nurses), or when you're about to loose a fundamental right. The problem is that we're always saying no to any little change. And I think that it's a shame, because change is useful. Of course, sometimes it's not a good one, and then ok you need to say that you don't agree with it.
But I think that sometimes people are striking because they're affraid of changes, even when sometimes they don't really know if the change will be a wrong, or even sometimes considering the fact that it could be a good one. French are also quite famous for being a bit conservative. I can't say I'm not conservative sometimes (I'm also french), but I'm trying every day to change my point of view about lots of things.
Life is made of changes, and I guess sometimes we all need to do it. I just said that if people were striking for every change made then striking would lost its meaning.
And I also think that some people who have lots of advantages need to take some distance to realize their chance.
I know what you're about to say, for my defense i'd say that I've been actually doing it for few weeks (taking some distance about my life, etc) and yes, granted again, I've been really awful sometimes about several things. I can't deny it, but I also can change.
Again, changes can always be made and are most of the time useful.
First, I would just remind you that being "conservative", means that you are "liberal" in French. Doesn't mean you're reluctant to change yourself.
Well, well, well ... I'm just very happy you balanced the statements you made in your article that were, once again, totally stupid. Your article just looked like something written in a spit of anger. It's not the best conditions to draw an analysis.
And what I found stupid too was also the way you seemed to adress the English part of your readers, as if all of them thought French are permanent strikers. There are French readers who can read you in English, but there are also English readers who deserve more than common slandering.
That's not to say that you are stupid too ! Of course you're not ... Or at least I think so, otherwise I wouldn't spend time arguing.
It's true people act as if they were reluctant to change, but maybe that's because decisions are always coming to them in a "top down" movement and they feel the only way for them to get heard is to launch a strike.
Moreover, they're not reluctant to change when they're sure their situations' gonna improve with the changings.
Maybe the point in all this to avoid strikes would be to share more informations among organizations... And just not thing some are there to control, and some are there to obey.
"Again, changes can always be made and are most of the time useful" Change in itself is neutral. The will to change, though, has always an ideological background that should be said outloud.
Well, anyway, I really think it's our generation's duty to find new ways to share this power (the one who decides being the one that has always the power in the end ...). Meanwhile, strikes will always be the best way to protest.
Well, that was an interesting little debate between the two of you. :)
Anne-Laure, I miss you like whoa!!
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