Posted on 12/04/2018 2:23:24 AM PST by reaganaut1
France’s violent Yellow Vest protests are now about many domestic concerns, but it’s no accident that the trigger was a fuel-tax hike. Nothing reveals the disconnect between ordinary voters and an aloof political class more than carbon taxation.
The fault line runs between anti-carbon policies and economic growth, and France is a test for the political future of emissions restrictions. France already is a relatively low-carbon economy, with per-capita emissions half Germany’s as of 2014. French governments have nonetheless pursued an “ecological transition” to further squeeze carbon emissions from every corner of the French economy. The results are visible in the Paris streets.
President Emmanuel Macron and his Socialist predecessor François Hollande targeted auto emissions because they account for about 40% of France’s carbon emissions from fuel combustion compared to 21% in Germany. But this is mainly because France relies heavily on nuclear power for electricity. Power generation and heating account for only 13% of French emissions, compared to 44% across the Rhine. French road-transport emissions were a mere 0.4% of global carbon emissions in 2016, when overall French emissions were less than 1%.
Yet Paris insists on cutting more, though transport emissions are notoriously hard to reduce. Cleaner engines or affordable hybrids have been slow to emerge. Undeterred, Mr. Macron pushed ahead with a series of punitive tax hikes to discourage driving.
The protesters in Paris will be expected to pay much of the up to €8 billion annual tab for a minuscule global benefit—that’s how much tax revenue Mr. Macron thinks his levies will raise. This is preposterous in an economy that still has an 8.9% jobless rate (21.5% for the young) and will struggle to hit 2% annual GDP growth. Yellow Vests from less prosperous rural areas, who depend on cars for daily life, know it.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
the EU utopia
Are they following Trumps lead without knowing it? They gotta be leftists. That means they support this crap they’re rioting against.
“Are they following Trumps lead without knowing it? “
I read that rioters where chanting, “We need Trump, we need Trump.”
People who have spent time in France told me that the rural French are decent, hard working and very pleasant. It’s the suburban’s who are the nasty layabout Leftists.
The protesters in Paris will be expected to pay much of the up to €8 billion annual tab for a minuscule global benefit
...
The jackasses only care about the money. They could care less about the environment.
The best way for the globalists to get to their goal is to create chaos in sovereign countries, whether France, US, or anywhere else. They want the pro-driving people to be rounded up and arrested, hence they will try to make them look like criminals.
In this country they want the right to all be labeled far right, starting with Trump. But Trump is normal and nationalist and keeps proving them wrong. We will not riot and burn cars but the left will do that and pretend to be far right. We have to be vigilant.
They want a government that gives but does not take. That’s like asking for a dog that eats but doesn’t ****. All the taxes France charges for gas is just to punish them, nothing more. The money will go to refugees who give them nothing but their hate.
It’s the suburban’s who are the nasty layabout Leftists.
That seems to be a trend world wide.
the We want Trump video was from Britain. there were no yellow vests and the word “police”, not “gendarmes” was everywhere. note the replies:
France, on their way to becoming a 3rd world country chants. WE WANT TRUMP
https://twitter.com/HorseRacingCOO/status/1069438669562494976
that is not to say there aren’t people among the yellow-vests who like Trump. am sure plenty do wish they had a leader like him.
I think Trump is becoming the envy of the downtrodden world.
https://theblacksphere.net/2018/12/french-citizens-shock-leftists-with-chant-we-want-trump/
remember Obama saying:
“Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.”
the Paris agreement is about a lot more than just electricity. give thanks President Trump has announced the US withdrawal, tho it is ridiculous it takes so long from his announcement for the withdrawal to take effect. just like Brexit takes forever - the UN/EU are not democratic institutions.
The Left is all about screwing the downtrodden. It's what they do best. Trump offers hope to the downtrodden -- the Left hates him for that.
L8r
French government backed down and suspended the tax hikes.
Its a victory for the gillets jaunes after weeks of escalating protests.
Looks like the French government may be waving a white flag...
A moratorium on increases. Can’t wait to see the fine print. ..
Thanks for the outline tip.
Thanks for the article and the Outline tip.
The fine print: the moratorium is temporary.
My bet: It’s only there until the French government can get laws in place to infringe on the right to protest/assemble.
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