-
Slakers
The French are supposedly welfare recipients who don’t work, who wait for everything to come from the state, who have privileges and receive public money or free services (such as school lunches) without giving anything in return or showing any gratitude. They would only work 35 hours a week, when they have a job. Having…
-
Financialization, deregulation and securitization transactions
Before the 1980s, banks couldn’t use people’s deposits as collateral for investments. Banks were not allowed to use their customers’ deposits to invest them. Up until the early 1980s, when you owned a share in a company, a building or a field and wanted to buy or sell other shares, the state levied transfer duties.…
-
Financiarisation, dérégulation et titrisation
Avant les années 1980, les banques ne pouvaient pas utiliser les dépôts des gens comme garanties des investissements. Les banques n’avaient pas le droit d’utiliser les dépôts de leurs clients pour les investir. Jusqu’au début des années 1980, quand on possédait une part d’une entreprise, d’un immeuble ou d’un champ et qu’on voulait acheter ou…
-
Useful Ecology
We’re hearing about a whole range of ecological measures. We need to buy eco-friendly cleaning products, insulate our homes, change our boilers and have a Canadian well, buy less plastic, sort our waste, drive eco-friendly cars, limit our speed on the roads, do not fly, limit our water consumption when we shower or flush the…
-
The richest 1% are at war with the rest of the world
“There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” Warren Buffett – Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/123058-there-s-class-warfare-all-right-but-it-s-my-class-the “Terrorism is the war of the poor. War is the terrorism of the rich.” Ustinov Peter: https://www.grainesdepaix.org/fr/ressources/sinspirer/aphorismes/le-terrorisme-est-la-guerre-des-pauvres-la-guerre-est-le-terrorisme-des-riches What does this war involve? In France, as elsewhere, the role of national education…
-
A slice of the cake
It’s not going well. Purchasing power is melting away, the standard of living is falling, and doctors are less and less available, drugs less and less reimbursed, and so on. Pouvoir d’achat : ce que disent les chiffres… et ce qu’ils ne disent pas – Radio France: https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/la-bulle-economique/pouvoir-d-achat-ce-que-disent-les-chiffres-et-ce-qu-ils-ne-disent-pas-7969607 There is clearly competition for resources. If…
-
La part du gâteau
Ca ne va pas. Le pouvoir d’achat fond à vue d’oeil, le niveau de vie diminue et les médecins sont de moins en moins disponibles, les médicaments de moins en moins remboursés, etc. Pouvoir d’achat : ce que disent les chiffres… et ce qu’ils ne disent pas – Radio France: https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/la-bulle-economique/pouvoir-d-achat-ce-que-disent-les-chiffres-et-ce-qu-ils-ne-disent-pas-7969607 Il y a manifestement…
-
EU-Mercosur
Under the EU-Mercosur agreement, goods circulate freely without controls or taxes. There is a health risk for consumers in Europe. We will be creating production conditions that are deplorable in social, human health, animal welfare and environmental terms. For example, 27% of the pesticides used by Brazilian farmers are banned in Europe. Many companies in…
-
Fair trade and organic farming
I’ve heard a lot of good ideas about fair trade and organic farming, but I have a few thoughts and reactions. First of all, I think it’s excessive to imagine a substantial change based on consumers paying more. In most European countries, our producers are paid a pittance by the middlemen because they are able…
-
Only 4,600 exhausted police officers to supervise the demonstrators
On December the 1st 2018, violence broke out in Paris. The government has decided not to properly manage the demonstration. Only 4,600 “end-of-pipe” police officers, as Yves Lefebvre of the Unité-SGP Police FO union says, were mobilized. About thirty French police officers committed suicide this year. It should be noted that in most French regions,…