France's New President

[Gawain 0]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6630797.stm

...and in a sudden swing to the right, a pro-US, pro-reform, comparatively conservative president elect: Nicolas Sarkozy

Congratulations, and good luck.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[Frenchy68 0]

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6630797.stm

...and in a sudden swing to the right, a pro-US, pro-reform, comparatively conservative president elect: Nicolas Sarkozy

Congratulations, and good luck.

Politically, I am not quite convinced that Sarkozy is any more conservative and to the right than Chirac and some of his previous governments were. However, for the first time, France has a baby boomer at the helm, which brings a new perspective to French society.
IMO, France needed to get rid of the political "elephants", being from the right or the left, who were not always in touch with today's realities, being on economics, social, and foreign affairs matters. (I believe the US is faced with very similar issues, and it will be interesting to see how things develop over the next 1.5 years).
In that regards, having a runoff between Sarkozy and Royal was already a huge step forward, as both of them are somewhat political "newcomers".
Let's see what happens...

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Hey! He wants to keep the trains on time.

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He is also expected to bring forward policies to cut taxes and keep trains running during strikes, in the first 100 days after he takes office on 16 May.

[ErricoMalatesta 0]

...told ya

[rushmc 23]

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Hey! He wants to keep the trains on time.

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He is also expected to bring forward policies to cut taxes and keep trains running during strikes, in the first 100 days after he takes office on 16 May.

And he has mentioned a (dam say it isn't so) 40 HOUR WORK WEEK Oh the pain of it all

Of course I am not saying he will or will not be able to change it.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[Andrewwhyte 1]

He sounds like he could be France's Margaret Thatcher; the good lord knows they need one.

[shropshire 0]

I woululdn't wish that woman on my worst enemy

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Andrewwhyte 1]

She saved your country.

[ErricoMalatesta 0]

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She saved your country.

from?

[rushmc 23]

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She saved your country.

WOW, the response to this response is an eye opener!!

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[shropshire 0]

Did she F*ck.

Her government (not just her) was responsible for the growth in greed culture, they drove the country to the extreme right.
Their legacy was rot and self interest and marked by greed, high unemployment, civil unrest and greed!!!!

They started a presidential style of leadership, increased the number of unelected policy makers gave power to big buiness and cared nothing for the common man... She makes my blood boil to this day.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[rushmc 23]

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Did she F*ck.

Her government (not just her) was responsible for the growth in greed culture, they drove the country to the extreme right.
Their legacy was rot and self interest and marked by greed, high unemployment, civil unrest and greed!!!!

As opposed to what, socialism?

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[shropshire 0]

There's no correctness in either extreme.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[rushmc 23]

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There's no correctness in either extreme.

I understand that positions all come from where one is starting from. If Thatcher was as extreem as you say, as least from your point of view, I wonder where your center is? Not a shot, just trying to help you understand my thoughts

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[shropshire 0]

That's a perfectly valid question. I guess that my political leanings (not that I'm political, more like the values that I tend to support) have moved as I have grown older. I am now more aligned with our centre party (Liberal Democrat), in the main.
I support our national health service (which, by the way our current suposedly Socialist government is in the throes of destroying).
And our social income but detest scroungers.
I'm pro-Europe (would support the Euro currency) but anti-most of their half baked ideas.
I'm anti-globalisation by means of massive heartless, souless corporations.
I'm pro-Proportional representation as a voting mechanism.
I dont have a majour problem with immigrants, except when they transgress my personal scrounger rule.
I want more police on the street and less in offices
I detest outsourceing and the sell off of our national infrasrtucture (water, electricity, gas, communications, healthcare, transportation (Rail), Council [public] Housing)
I detest how the old are being treated and poorly repaid for their past service. They are not a burden, they are our history, our family our past.
I hate the waste of our taxes on stupid wars and the replacement of trident.

I'm just a normal person really
.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[rushmc 23]

Quote

That's a perfectly valid question. I guess that my political leanings (not that I'm political, more like the values that I tend to support) have moved as I have grown older. I am now more aligned with our centre party (Liberal Democrat), in the main.
I support our national health service (which, by the way our current suposedly Socialist government is in the throes of destroying).
And our social income but detest scroungers.
I'm pro-Europe (would support the Euro currency) but anti-most of their half baked ideas.
I'm anti-globalisation by means of massive heartless, souless corporations.
I'm pro-Proportional representation as a voting mechanism.
I dont have a majour problem with immigrants, except when they transgress my personal scrounger rule.
I want more police on the street and less in offices
I detest outsourceing and the sell off of our national infrasrtucture (water, electricity, gas, communications, healthcare, transportation (Rail), Council [public] Housing)
I detest how the old are being treated and poorly repaid for their past service. They are not a burden, they are our history, our family our past.
I hate the waste of our taxes on stupid wars and the replacement of trident.

I'm just a normal person really
.

Wow, thanks. You and I are extreemly apart in some areas and maybe closer than either of us might admit (if we had to)

Extreemly diverse or, if you you were in the US, all over the place.
I have tried to follow Frances politics a lillte but I really have no idea.
Thanks

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[shropshire 0]

<> - I'd have to agree and that's the underlying difficulty of voting in a 2 (or 2.5 in our case) party system. You have to vote for the balance of a basket of policies and take the rough with the smooth. Not all parties can mirror everyones personal political view (which can change over time too).

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[rushmc 23]

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<> - I'd have to agree and that's the underlying difficulty of voting in a 2 (or 2.5 in our case) party system. You have to vote for the balance of a basket of policies and take the rough with the smooth. Not all parties can mirror everyones personal political view (which can change over time too).

True, and I understand you point. Over here howerve, gov provided healt care would be an (and this is my opinion) exteem shift to the left. Hell, I have not seen a gov yet that runs anything good, let a lone health care.

When I posted the " all over the place" comment I was just comparing US and France. The topics you listed would be left and right here and as I said, some would be extreem shifts

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[shropshire 0]

I certainly agree that most government industries tend not to be very well run. Generally through laziness, I guess. That even goes, to a large extent, for the military, where the procurement process is laughably overpriced.

So, for a country did not have government industry, I can understand why you may not want them... But, in our case, we the people (heard that before somewhere)... owned some very valuable infrastructure that was sold off under valued through greed based politics. (Phone company, Water, Rail, Electric etc..). Now these are owned by private companies (often foreign for f*cks sake). Our Birthright has been squandered and we do not, all-in-all have a better service.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome