TOP 100 NEWS SITES
| |||
|
| |||
| |||
|
| |||
| Hungary Toxic Mud Spill Kills 6 The death toll from Hungary's toxic sludge spill rose to six after one of the 150 people injured died and another person who had been reported missing was found dead. online.wsj.com |
'Je lutte des classes': anatomy of a French conflict | Martine Bulard The strikes against pension reforms have united young and old, suggesting a broader class struggle aheadThey were younger, more numerous and more militant. The number of French protesters who marched on Tuesday in most of the country's cities exceeded 3 million, according to the unions (according to the police, the number was 1.2 million). Beyond the numbers, it is significant to note that the movement has been joined by school and university students, employees from private companies (including 11 French refineries out of the country's 12) and public sector workers. There is little doubt that a milestone has been reached, just when the government was counting on "protest fatigue" and the fragmenting of the movement that would have allowed its pension reforms safe passage.Last June, when the first of these burgeoning protests took place, a sense of resignation in the face of reforms which were deemed "necessary" prevailed among the French people. And yet, a few months on, the rejection of the government's plans by the French population cannot be ignored.Several factors explain this reversal. First, unions remain united on challenging this specific reform, in spite of other differences of opinion. This has allowed them to bring together employees company by company and to give maximum publicity to the arguments.Second, suffering at work is more and more keenly felt by workers. Many protesters were on the record as saying that they simply "could not keep their job until 67 or older" – they are fighting to prevent being destroyed by their jobs. Finally, a feeling of great injustice has played a role in the French workers' current resolve. As the "necessary" reforms were pushed through, the public learned that one of the richest people in France, L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, had received a cheque from the treasury through the tax shield, which is seen by many as a gift to the "super-rich".Does this mean that we are on the verge of another "May 1968", as we sometimes hear mentioned? Some aspects of the conflict may point towards this: there is a palpable sense of discontent within wide sections of the working population, shocking inequalities have been noted and many share the feeling of being left on the bottom rung of the employment ladder, without any hope of climbing even a few steps – never mind reaching the top. This "ras-le-bol" is conducive to social explosions. But the events of May 1968 were carried at the time by a solid, militant left, which very much had its eyes on power. The left back then represented a willingness to finally put an end to more than two decades of a rightwing political domination that seemingly was without end. It also was a time when public intellectuals took up the cause of a social upheaval.Current political prospects aren't as clear. Today, the socialist left is hesitant about social reforms. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, one of the possible presidential candidates, was on record last May as saying that we could not "continue to retire at 60". The "extreme" leftwing parties remain divided on bigger issues, even if they did find common ground with the pension reform campaign. As for intellectuals, apart from a collective called Les Economistes Attérés (the Appalled Economists), which is critical of the neoliberal position taken by the government, they are conspicuous by their silence.In its scope, determination and with its new slogans, the movement is in many ways something that has not been seen before in France. One of the most popular badges during the marches is one invented by designer Gerard Paris-Clavel and his workshop Ne Pas Plier: "Je lutte des classes" (literally, "I class struggle") – a play on words that combines, in one phrase, the individual and collective battles taking place. We are indeed witnessing a comeback of the class struggle, which has been buried away since the 1980s. The union between the young (worried about their future) and older adults (worried about their retirement) is a promising development. Will it be successful? The answer will come in part from the next protest, which will be held this Saturday.• This article was translated from French by Jessica ReedFranceNicolas SarkozyMartine Bulardguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Benitez fumes at ex-Reds owners Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez criticises the club's ousted owners and current managing director Christian Purslow. news.bbc.co.uk |
U.S. Hopeful on Climate Deal The top U.S. climate-change negotiator said after a "constructive" meeting with his Chinese counterpart that "there's a deal to be had" at the upcoming global-warming summit. online.wsj.com |
Jabbawockeez Premieres New Show: MÜS.I.C. - Video World-Famous Dance Crew, Jabbawockeez, Premieres New Show 'MUS.I.C.' at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino Friday, October 22 feedproxy.google.com |