What we are witnessing in France these days makes me wonder whether an entire political and social model is on a crisis and is rapidly approaching its end. A western “advanced” and progressist country, always pointed at as an example of successful society, is at the verge of collapse due to internal instability and riots (and has been for the last months/years in a similar situation). Worker class rights, maternity leaves and reduces working hours, minimum wages, national healthcare and education, tolerance, minority inclusion, democracy itself in its principles of fair and equal representation seem to be at risk and simply “not sustainable any more”. Is anyone having the same feelings?
I don’t think riots in France are evidence of societal collapse or some other broader western malady. They’re not new or confined to the last few decades.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_incidents_of_civil_unrest_in_France
I don’t know if this is just a side effect of France’s particular history or culture, but its people are willing to hit the streets and hard over rights violations and government decisions they disagree with.
This is often presented as particularly shocking to British or American sensibilities because we’d often just passively accept things the French will set fire to some parked cars over. Contrast and compare pension reforms in France and the UK.
Exactly. If anything, it’s quite a positive sign of the health of the French citizens’ mindset. Op is projecting what they have already concluded.