France to go on strike...

[fozzie 41]

Great, so explain how this is so bad for France and the French?

The influence they can have in government.

I thought the point of a strike was because you are unhappy with the way government is running things and you want to let them know it is unacceptable. The government is there to represent the will of its people. Oh my...the people have a tool to influence government!

[_Simpson_ 250]

Disruption is the point of striking. It's not much use if no one is inconvenienced.

Great, so explain how this is so bad for France and the French?

The influence they can have in government.

That's not very clear, are you suggesting that French Unions have too big a say in French government? Examples please.

That is exactly what Im saying. Unions have much more power in France than they do here in the states.

Do you think they have very little power?(France)

[HAL 9000 96]

Why are they striking?

Thats what the french do.

Well I know that... humor and all... like Brits are all violent Hooligans too.

Why are they striking?

There not happy with the current prim ministers handling of the economic crises

Oh I see. Easy enough. Vive la France then.

[Peikko 1,575]

Disruption is the point of striking. It's not much use if no one is inconvenienced.

Great, so explain how this is so bad for France and the French?

The influence they can have in government.

That's not very clear, are you suggesting that French Unions have too big a say in French government? Examples please.

That is exactly what Im saying. Unions have much more power in France than they do here in the states.

Do you think they have very little power?(France)

and more power must automatically mean bad? However, despite that, France is doing quite nicely economically and the French seem quite content to be French and allow the unions to have the power that they have. How can this be?

Edited March 19, 2009 by Madame Cleo

[gensdad515 2]

The French on strike ??? You're Kidding !!! ???

[fozzie 41]

Why are they striking?

Thats what the french do.

Well I know that... humor and all... like Brits are all violent Hooligans too.

Why are they striking?

There not happy with the current prim ministers handling of the economic crises

Oh I see. Easy enough. Vive la France then.

[_Simpson_ 250]

Great, so explain how this is so bad for France and the French?

The influence they can have in government.

I thought the point of a strike was because you are unhappy with the way government is running things and you want to let them know it is unacceptable. The government is there to represent the will of its people. Oh my...the people have a tool to influence government!

You assume that unions are a good way of representing the people. I dont make that assumption. So by your logic it would never matter how big the union was because they are representing the people. Look at unions as a big business.

[fozzie 41]

Great, so explain how this is so bad for France and the French?

The influence they can have in government.

I thought the point of a strike was because you are unhappy with the way government is running things and you want to let them know it is unacceptable. The government is there to represent the will of its people. Oh my...the people have a tool to influence government!

You assume that unions are a good way of representing the people. I dont make that assumption. So by your logic it would never matter how big the union was because they are representing the people. Look at unions as a big business.

Businesses don't strike.

People strike. Unions are just a way for the little man to have more power through a collective and not be trampled on by businesses.

[HAL 9000 96]

Great, so explain how this is so bad for France and the French?

The influence they can have in government.

I thought the point of a strike was because you are unhappy with the way government is running things and you want to let them know it is unacceptable. The government is there to represent the will of its people. Oh my...the people have a tool to influence government!

You assume that unions are a good way of representing the people. I dont make that assumption. So by your logic it would never matter how big the union was because they are representing the people. Look at unions as a big business.

Are they so in France? I know many are like that here in the US... which is why union dues are more important than the actual members that pay them.

Great, so explain how this is so bad for France and the French?

The influence they can have in government.

I thought the point of a strike was because you are unhappy with the way government is running things and you want to let them know it is unacceptable. The government is there to represent the will of its people. Oh my...the people have a tool to influence government!

You assume that unions are a good way of representing the people. I dont make that assumption. So by your logic it would never matter how big the union was because they are representing the people. Look at unions as a big business.

Businesses don't strike.

People strike. Unions are just a way for the little man to have more power through a collective and not be trampled on by businesses.

I wish that's how they'd be in the US.

[fozzie 41]

Great, so explain how this is so bad for France and the French?

The influence they can have in government.

I thought the point of a strike was because you are unhappy with the way government is running things and you want to let them know it is unacceptable. The government is there to represent the will of its people. Oh my...the people have a tool to influence government!

You assume that unions are a good way of representing the people. I dont make that assumption. So by your logic it would never matter how big the union was because they are representing the people. Look at unions as a big business.

Are they so in France? I know many are like that here in the US... which is why union dues are more important than the actual members that pay them.

Great, so explain how this is so bad for France and the French?

The influence they can have in government.

I thought the point of a strike was because you are unhappy with the way government is running things and you want to let them know it is unacceptable. The government is there to represent the will of its people. Oh my...the people have a tool to influence government!

You assume that unions are a good way of representing the people. I dont make that assumption. So by your logic it would never matter how big the union was because they are representing the people. Look at unions as a big business.

Businesses don't strike.

People strike. Unions are just a way for the little man to have more power through a collective and not be trampled on by businesses.

I wish that's how they'd be in the US.

Its how they are meant to be everywhere, unfortunately corruption and greed are human nature and very difficult to erradicate from our society (here or in france). I am sure the french have problems with their unions too but to dismiss the idea of the unions is to dismiss the people who rely on them.

[_Simpson_ 250]

Disruption is the point of striking. It's not much use if no one is inconvenienced.

Great, so explain how this is so bad for France and the French?

The influence they can have in government.

That's not very clear, are you suggesting that French Unions have too big a say in French government? Examples please.

That is exactly what Im saying. Unions have much more power in France than they do here in the states.

Do you think they have very little power?(France)

and more power must automatically mean bad? However, despite that, France is doing quite nicely economically and the French seem quite content to be French and allow the unions to have the power that they have. How can this be?

we are talking about power that union has and the influence it can have in politics with that power.

France is not doing good economically. Link

Do you know of the problems that can exist with you unions?, why its not all good? How it can put a strangle hold on a business, a business that has to worry about checks and balances. There is a happy medium and I think due to the amount of power that unions in France have that it has become more about what the union can do for the people than what the people can do for the business.

[_Simpson_ 250]

Unions - all about the little guy. If only....

Edited March 19, 2009 by looking_up

[HAL 9000 96]

Its how they are meant to be everywhere, unfortunately corruption and greed are human nature and very difficult to erradicate from our society (here or in france). I am sure the french have problems with their unions too but to dismiss the idea of the unions is to dismiss the people who rely on them.

Absolutely. Unions will be necessary in any capitalist system where profit is the bottom line.

[_Simpson_ 250]

Great, so explain how this is so bad for France and the French?

The influence they can have in government.

I thought the point of a strike was because you are unhappy with the way government is running things and you want to let them know it is unacceptable. The government is there to represent the will of its people. Oh my...the people have a tool to influence government!

You assume that unions are a good way of representing the people. I dont make that assumption. So by your logic it would never matter how big the union was because they are representing the people. Look at unions as a big business.

Businesses don't strike.

People strike. Unions are just a way for the little man to have more power through a collective and not be trampled on by businesses.

Im trying to get you to look at unions different. A union is a business and there in the business of keeping the "little guy" happy. Its easy to love unions if you just look at them just as a mouth piece for the 'little guy' but thats not reality. They can be as easily corrupted as any other business. I would be very weary of any business that has influence in government.

[Peikko 1,575]

Laying aside your notion that unions are just a business, I am not conversant with US unions but what I know of unions in other countries, this is simply not the case, but no matter, laying that aside for now, surely if you are wary of any business that has influence on the government, you should be in a constant state of alert. There are hundreds of businesses in the US that have huge influences on the US government, and they represent very, very few people. I guess I don't get what you think you are trying to say against unions that you have little to no knowledge of.

As for the French economy, it's certainly not in any worse a state than any other economy currently it's not like the US, UK or other economies are booming and theirs is bust, now is it?