OT: I'm gutted...
Discussion
As some of you might know, some 14% of the French have voted for a crook and almost as many have voted for a nazi...So by sunday May 5th we will be having either a crook or a nazi as the president 
I feel so upset it almost made me tear apart my ID card. As anyone got an idea/opinion on what's going on here; I am completely shocked and lost
I feel so upset it almost made me tear apart my ID card. As anyone got an idea/opinion on what's going on here; I am completely shocked and lost
Blame the United States of Europe, Thom
I think a minority of the French population have seen Chirac, Jospin (sp ?) et al let Germany walk all over them once again, at least this time without tanks or bloodshed. National pride is quite big in France (more so than in England, more's the pity), so I don't think the situation has exactly helped.
France also seems to have become a dumping ground for the dissatisfied of Eastern Europe as well (read asylum seekers). Maybe they think that the far right would provide a suitable alternative ?
What do you think, Thom ?
You're a bright bloke, did anybody not see this coming ? Myself, I thought Le Pen's dim light had been snuffed out years ago. I'm sorry that I was wrong.
I think a minority of the French population have seen Chirac, Jospin (sp ?) et al let Germany walk all over them once again, at least this time without tanks or bloodshed. National pride is quite big in France (more so than in England, more's the pity), so I don't think the situation has exactly helped.
France also seems to have become a dumping ground for the dissatisfied of Eastern Europe as well (read asylum seekers). Maybe they think that the far right would provide a suitable alternative ?
What do you think, Thom ?
You're a bright bloke, did anybody not see this coming ? Myself, I thought Le Pen's dim light had been snuffed out years ago. I'm sorry that I was wrong.
Too many people take democracy for granted. What they forget is that if they don't participate (i.e. vote) they will loose it.
I don't know what the turnout was in France but I believe it was low. Now a minority group have a chance to take over the country if, again, the people don't exercise their duty to vote.
Hope Chirac wins otherwise will the foreigners (i.e us British) be allowed into the country to LeMans?
I don't know what the turnout was in France but I believe it was low. Now a minority group have a chance to take over the country if, again, the people don't exercise their duty to vote.
Hope Chirac wins otherwise will the foreigners (i.e us British) be allowed into the country to LeMans?
Interesting, Thom. If 14% voted for the crook and 14% voted for the Nazi then 72% didn't. We have the same problem in Britain: we have a government in power for whom only a small percentage of the population voted.
The only people who are to blame for this is US.
At least in France (according to our papers anyway) there is a general outcry that this was possible.
That *should* mean than the normally apathetic will turn out to vote...if only that would happen here!
Actually it might....The apathetic voter usually only turns up in the polling booth to "punish" the party in power by voting against them - for almost anyone else in fact. There used to be a web-site where you could exchange "tactical" votes with others to try to ensure that the current MP was not voted in.
It'll be interesting to see if there is a "tactical" voting site come *our* next election. From what I understand I doubt that France will need such a thing...
The only people who are to blame for this is US.
At least in France (according to our papers anyway) there is a general outcry that this was possible.
That *should* mean than the normally apathetic will turn out to vote...if only that would happen here!
Actually it might....The apathetic voter usually only turns up in the polling booth to "punish" the party in power by voting against them - for almost anyone else in fact. There used to be a web-site where you could exchange "tactical" votes with others to try to ensure that the current MP was not voted in.
It'll be interesting to see if there is a "tactical" voting site come *our* next election. From what I understand I doubt that France will need such a thing...
quote:
Bloody typical though. All the pinkoes are in favour of democracy until the people vote for the "wrong" person, then they go out and trash the place.
Yep. perhaps it'll teach 'em to bother to vote next time. You can't complain about democracy if you don't bother to have your say....
Thom, that's exactly what happens when you DON'T go out to vote. Exactly the same shite as happened in GB at the last election, If people are fed up then get out and vote, the extremeists (Nazis and Greenslime and pinko barstewards) will always get their votes together so get out and vote against them but VOTE!!!!
Forgot or can't be bothered, then you deserve the sh1t that you didn't vote for!
Forgot or can't be bothered, then you deserve the sh1t that you didn't vote for!
Another example of democracy here in Hungary. Three parties in the final round of voting for the government, 70something percent of people voted, very high for here. Current 'conservative' government won 188 seats, Socialist opposition won 178, with remaining 20 going to the third party. So, who forms the next government?...
The socialists, because they will do a deal with the third party. In other words the balance of power lies with the party that won around 5% of the seats. They can choose which major party to ally themselves with. Neither of the two major parties can do anything without the support of the third party.
The socialists, because they will do a deal with the third party. In other words the balance of power lies with the party that won around 5% of the seats. They can choose which major party to ally themselves with. Neither of the two major parties can do anything without the support of the third party.
Manek,
for the last six months the polls had suggested that we would have had Jospin...he's not even in the second round
Mattjbatch,
Democracy is ok, IMO the only problem with it is that most of the time the majority is formed of irresponsible a
s.
GregE240,
You are mentioning that Germany walked over Chirac and Jospin. Could you explain please, I don't understand this.
You also mention national pride, but please let me tell you that the French one is certainly not as "respectable" as the British one, for instance:
in France lies an empty field between the notion of no national pride and the notion of national pride. I mean either people are dangerous nazis or they don't give a toss about their country; basically French are extreme people, they can't discuss an issue: they say black or white but very seldom accept a balance.
Barter,
Like you I think voting is a duty; the prob is that Mr Dupont (read Mr "everybody") didn't bother going to vote because he was on holiday
Don,
I'm afraid the normally apathetic is not going to move his butt. Why to believe in voting if such individuals can reach the second turn?
Otherwise you (nearly?) put the nail on the head: we are led to think that people have voted for Le Pen because they're sick and tired with the unefficiency of the people in power. That seemd to be a sort of a "moaning" vote...but then I hope so. If so Chirac should make it. What really gives me stomach ache though is that I will have to vote for this to prevent the nazi from winning...
CarZee,
It has already been a "oh crap, what have we done?" period for the last 10 years...But people stubbornly keep on voting for the same guys
Kevinday,
IMO the issue in France is a bit more complex because the right wing has been nearly buried by Chirac's affairs, and with the demise of Jospin the left wing is not quite better despite the on the whole positive results of his government!
Let's put it that way: it has been naïve, at least from me, to think the French would have voted for somebody with an ounce of intelligence...
>> Edited by thom on Monday 22 April 16:23
for the last six months the polls had suggested that we would have had Jospin...he's not even in the second round
Mattjbatch,
Democracy is ok, IMO the only problem with it is that most of the time the majority is formed of irresponsible a
s. GregE240,
You are mentioning that Germany walked over Chirac and Jospin. Could you explain please, I don't understand this.
You also mention national pride, but please let me tell you that the French one is certainly not as "respectable" as the British one, for instance:
in France lies an empty field between the notion of no national pride and the notion of national pride. I mean either people are dangerous nazis or they don't give a toss about their country; basically French are extreme people, they can't discuss an issue: they say black or white but very seldom accept a balance.
Barter,
Like you I think voting is a duty; the prob is that Mr Dupont (read Mr "everybody") didn't bother going to vote because he was on holiday
Don,
I'm afraid the normally apathetic is not going to move his butt. Why to believe in voting if such individuals can reach the second turn?
Otherwise you (nearly?) put the nail on the head: we are led to think that people have voted for Le Pen because they're sick and tired with the unefficiency of the people in power. That seemd to be a sort of a "moaning" vote...but then I hope so. If so Chirac should make it. What really gives me stomach ache though is that I will have to vote for this
to prevent the nazi from winning... CarZee,
It has already been a "oh crap, what have we done?" period for the last 10 years...But people stubbornly keep on voting for the same guys
Kevinday,
IMO the issue in France is a bit more complex because the right wing has been nearly buried by Chirac's affairs, and with the demise of Jospin the left wing is not quite better despite the on the whole positive results of his government!
Let's put it that way: it has been naïve, at least from me, to think the French would have voted for somebody with an ounce of intelligence...
>> Edited by thom on Monday 22 April 16:23
Thom,
Like you I am really gutted, but I have not dared posting anything about here because I didn't... vote In the confidence that, again the traditional clivage would prevail and that we would end up with Chirac and Jospin doing the 'payoffs'. Since those 2 are blanc bonnet et blanc bonnet I simply didn't bother.
I don't believe this is a fair representation of what French people have on their mind. Certainly, we'll know more about this on May 5th.
In the end, I am not paying taxes in France so I don't really think I should have a say in the way things are managed. In my view it is slowly going pear-shaped with more and more people busy avoiding work. Sadly, work has become an evil in my country: it is not rewarded, nor is it regarded. People have no respect for the successful french businessmen, who must be exploiting others, unless he's managed to build his wealth through clever fraud mecanism that is!
Oh one last thing, the French people do not equate State money with Tax Money, this is probably because less than half of the population don't pay income tax!
I could go on and on ...
Better go back to work
Cheers
R
>> Edited by rthierry on Tuesday 23 April 15:20
>> Edited by rthierry on Tuesday 23 April 15:20
>> Edited by rthierry on Tuesday 23 April 15:22
Like you I am really gutted, but I have not dared posting anything about here because I didn't... vote
In the confidence that, again the traditional clivage would prevail and that we would end up with Chirac and Jospin doing the 'payoffs'. Since those 2 are blanc bonnet et blanc bonnet I simply didn't bother. I don't believe this is a fair representation of what French people have on their mind. Certainly, we'll know more about this on May 5th.
In the end, I am not paying taxes in France so I don't really think I should have a say in the way things are managed. In my view it is slowly going pear-shaped with more and more people busy avoiding work. Sadly, work has become an evil in my country: it is not rewarded, nor is it regarded. People have no respect for the successful french businessmen, who must be exploiting others, unless he's managed to build his wealth through clever fraud mecanism that is!
Oh one last thing, the French people do not equate State money with Tax Money, this is probably because less than half of the population don't pay income tax!
I could go on and on ...
Better go back to work
Cheers
R
>> Edited by rthierry on Tuesday 23 April 15:20
>> Edited by rthierry on Tuesday 23 April 15:20
>> Edited by rthierry on Tuesday 23 April 15:22
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