Posted on 04/21/2012 8:17:44 AM PDT by Ooh-Ah
I shall be sorry to see Sarkozy go. His defeat, if it truly comes to that in two weeks’ time – and nobody should entirely discount his dogged tenacity and sheer bloody-mindedness in the face of adversity – will have been a fiasco of style over substance.
Sarko campaigned five years ago by telling the French to their faces that he would not cosset them. Their standard of living would rise, he said, if they worked harder. Even before the financial crisis changed everything in 2008, you should have heard the screams and guffaws of the people who, early on, had decided he was an insufferable oik. It was simplistic. It was condescending. It was ridiculous.
For 12 years, Jacques Chirac and his successive cabinets, Right and Left, had carefully avoided any “courageous” (in the Sir Humphrey meaning of the word) decisions that might cause the French to strike and take to the streets. Note that by “the French”, I really mean that category of civil servants and state employees who have tenure for life, and can bring the country to a standstill with a handful of union members.
This was because, a couple of months after Chirac’s election in 1995, France’s public services, and therefore the smooth running of the country, ground to a halt for almost two months in protest at a pretty mild reform of the country’s generous, pay-as-you-go pension system. Even though the vast majority of privately employed citizens managed to get to their workplaces, sometimes by dint of astonishing physical effort, Chirac fired his PM and decided never to try to push an unpopular reform again.
It took Sarkozy to tackle, and pass, that pensions reform. He hammered on about the unvarnished truth: ...
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
This illustrates the true danger our nation faces in the halls of government. If we elected a man/woman along with a congress that truly cut government spending, cut off Wall Street, and slashed the number of people on entitlements they would be voted out immediately and many of the reforms would be reversed.
There are too many powerful special interest groups such as unions, the professional poor, and crony-capitalists who rely on the government teat.
Not sure how telling people their standard of living is going to rise is not cosseting them.
tr.v. cos·set·ed, cos·set·ing, cos·sets. To pamper. n.
Telling them what they want to hear is pampering them. Had he said thing s will be difficult and everyone will do with less that would have been courage.
As for me i just want Merkels boy toy gone so its tougher for her.
Re: “There are too many powerful special interest groups.....who rely on the government teat.”
I think the underlying problem is more dangerous.
Fact is, a majority of American voters feel no moral discomfort when they vote themselves a share of other people’s income.
I do agree that special interest groups provide the talking points, the national organization, and the political absolution for voters who already believe in this.
“Not sure how telling people their standard of living is going to rise is not cosseting them.”
You left out the conditional statement: “if they worked harder”.
I see that as talking out of both sides of his mouth same as Obama and most other politicians. How about you need to work harder so we can lend more to Greece so they don’t collapse.
Thanks, Civ
~ NEWS ALERT ~
FIRST RESULTS IN:
In order: approximate numbers
1. Hollande 29
2. Sarkozy 26
3. M le Pen 19
4. Mélanchon 10
Maybe things went on that were not overly evident. But frankly, I thought that Sarkozy was a disappointment. He didn’t do that much to control the budget, and he didn’t do that much to control the increasing danger of Muslims in France.
And although Barry got most of the press for the Libyan war, it was Sarkozy who led the way and pushed the hardest. I suppose he thought that by doing that he would increase French access to oil and uranium, but if so, I think he was sadly mistaken. Instead, he handed North Africa to the Islamists, civilization’s worst enemies, and southern Europe will suffer the most as a result.
Not that replacing Sarkozy with a Communist will improve matters. Frankly, things don’t look too good for France.
~ BREAKING NEWS ~
PASS IT ON!
OFFICIAL RESULTS IN:
1. Hollande 28.4
2. Sarkozy 25.5
3. M le Pen 20
4. Mélanchon
Quelle merde. France will pay a steep price.
Doesn’t look like Hollande can win in the end. Will Le Pen’s votes go predominantly to Hollande?
As Alain Juppé just said “rein est joué”
There is very little difference, less than 4% (3.10%) between Sarko & Hollande and the total score of the right greater than that of the left.
The big surprise is the large score of MLP, which does send a strong message.
I join with those that don’t see the inevitability of a Hollande victory in 2 weeks. It seems to be idees recues but I don’t get it.
You may be right about Sarkozy in general — but, by itself, the statement we're discussing isn't proof of that.
I would think more of LePen’s people would move to Sarkozy than Hollande? Seems there was an article a few days ago about the MFs trying to organize against Sarkozi; if LePen is on the more far right, it seems that would drive them to him rather than Hollande.
Would Sarkozy be able to defeat this communist SOB on May 6? I really hope so...Sarkozy is the best President in the history of the French Fifth Republic but I am afraid the French are being French and do not want a strong, pro-Capitalism, and decisive leader...
The first polls show that Sarkozy will get 60% of MLP’s vote. That will probably increase, especially if she can shut her father up.
We are all praying for France. The good news is that the official vote count is in, and there is only a 2 point difference between Sarko & Hollande.
Sarko’s hometown of Neuilly-sur-Seine, a magnificent suburb of Paris voted 72% for Sarko!
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