The silence on this is deafening -Socialist party win absolute majority in France

[malaise]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/17/socialist-party-french-parliament
<snip>
François Hollande's Socialist party has won an absolute majority in the French parliament, giving him a free hand in his attempts to drag France out of its economic crisis through a mixture of deficit-reduction and growth measures.

The left now holds a historic concentration of power in France as it controls both the assembly and the senate. But Hollande faces the difficult task of tackling France's economic gloom, high unemployment and rising debt. His plans include raising taxes on the wealthy. An audit of the country's dire public finances will set the tone for the first summer parliament session, which begins later this month. The prime minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, appeared to be preparing France for difficult choices and sacrifices in his speech after the vote, saying: "The task ahead of us is immense."

The Socialists are predicted to take between 308 and 320 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, well over the required 289 for an outright majority.
---------
Vive La France !!!

[annabanana]

1. They won't cover what this new government DOES either..

Lest their successes reflect badly on the austerity pushers..

[Zalatix]

2. I hope France holds Hollande's FEET TO THE FIRE

[kenfrequed]

12. What does that mean?

Seriously, he just got an elected majority that doesn't have to cater to neo-liberal free market nonsense and doesn't have to get drug through the mud by reactionary right wing nonsense.

Maybe they should "hold his feet to the fire" when he has been doing the wrong thing for awhile. Or maybe we could go with a different metaphor or turn of phrase in this instance.

[Zalatix]

17. It means that Hollande is a politician. If you don't stay on a politician's ass, they may renege.

Name me one politician who has never gone back on a major campaign promise in recent history.

All politicians need to be watched like a hawk and kept under pressure by their constituents to do the right thing and not go astray. All. No exceptions. The price of freedom is ETERNAL vigilance.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

36. That's the difference between Liberal and Concervative voting

Conservatives vote for a leader they can follow and expect everyone else to follow them too or be accused of not only treason to the leader, but to the nation and even to God as they believe their critter in the sky does his works on earth through their Great Leader.

Liberals vote like it's for a union steward and watch them like a hawk for any signs of being sold out.

[Mass]

3. The best news of the day was that Marine Le Pen was defeated.

Other good news for me is that the rep for French people in North America is a socialist woman. Yeah!

[BlueMTexpat]

4. +1! eom

[malaise]

9. Great news indeed

[goclark]

38. Great news!

[madashelltoo]

5. Of course they can't cover it . . .

THAT SHIT MIGHT BE CONTAGIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Iggy]

6. Right.

I love French people; they don't f*** around when it comes to their rights.

Within minutes of arriving in Paris recently (having rode the incredible Eurostar
high speed train over from London) I witnessed a boisterous protest one block
from my hotel.

The French and Europeans in general get what? 6-8 weeks vacation per year.
What do we get? Two to four weeks, IF you happen to be fortunate enough to
build up some serious seniority in one place.

French law requires all office workers have an office with a window.

I recall a conversation I had years ago with a coworker regarding the idea of a
shorter work week. Her immediate, innate response was "But what would that
do to the economy?"

WTF?

Another thread this morning asks if the Greeks are dumb, because it appears they
voted in a conservative government yesterday.

The question ought to be: just how ignorant and spineless are we Americans?

[Diclotican]

7. Iggy

Iggy

In most of Europe we have a decent labor movement, who for the last 150-200 year have fighted hard for everyone, not just for the working man.. In the US you do not Have any labor movement to talk about - they are all afraid of being branded communist, or communist sympathizer.. Even if you talk about single payer you could be branded as a dam pinko as a communist - as I was on face book a week ago, because I defended the idea of a single payer system and higher taxes for the rich... But then I am rather on the red side of the political spectrum - si do not care to much been branded a pinko...

The day US have a Labor movement in the scale of what France, or other European nations have - then the powers to be would trimble in fear, and try their best to placade the working man... But as long as they can split and qounqeer you all then they wil be in power - and you americans would be squeesed into near serfdom... That is the tragical truth about it all..

Diclotican

[madashelltoo]

8. Serfdom for America is their goal.

And, they are on track to achieve it if people don't wake the hell up.

[Iggy]

11. Greetings Diclotican

I'm with you. I was born and raised in a union family. I myself was a UAW member for a
brief period.

This is why I sadly refer to Americans as spineless. We've allowed our workers/unions to be
crushed. Workers now wonder why they're getting paid half of what union workers earned
10-15 years ago, and with less benefits. Americans don't seem to care about history, and now
we're going to pay the price for that.

It's Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath all over again.

[Diclotican]

14. Iggy

Iggy

True, compared to europe the unions in the US is rather spineless, mostly because most americans seen to be more busy about climbing on top on the others, than work together for a greater goal.. The union busters of old did a god job, when they convinced the working man in the US, that it was better to try to climb on top of your fellow man, than to work together against the corporations when it came to rights....

The grapes of wrath is pretty clear about how bad things was in the 1920s and 1930s - and one of the main reasons US at least got some resemble of a "welfare" system in the US, is because the powers to be, got scared about how much anger it was in the population when economy was going down the toilet.. It was a lot of communist, and socialist in the US in the 1930s - and most of them was it, because they experienced the horrible condition many of them endured - for years at a time... The union busting policy who have been in place in most of US for over 100 year - and the fact that we also had the cold war, and the red scare to stomp any reasonable possibility to build up a strong union in the US, who could fight this serfdom ideology that the powers to be really want for you - Minus the fact that they have to pay for your shelter and food.. It is a form of bastard serfdom...

If the ordinary americans is to get a better deal -a new deal of sorts (Yes it was a pun about FDRs speech about dealing out the cards again in a more fair fashion) they have to cling tighter rather than believe in the fantasy, that if they just worked little harder - got little harder in the job, they would make it big.. The reality of it all, is that most would never climb over to the rich and famous - for everyone who do - ten of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands would in fact hope for be able to send their children to school, maybe college, and pay down the house and maybe be even to have some in the bank to the golden days...

The reality of it all, is that most americans, as in europe would not be living in a palace, but rather in a decent home, suited for a family.. Not in a grand palace with other serving you foot and hand...

That is the REALITY of it all....

Diclotican

[redqueen]

41. "americans seen to be more busy about climbing on top on the others, than work together ...

for a greater goal"

Precisely.

[Diclotican]

42. redqueen

redqueen

And that make it so sad, because most americans can work together when they will - and do amazing things.. Just think about it - the Hover dam - the moon landing.. Nothing of this would have been able, if not americans had band together and worked for a greater goal.. Even the world war two had US not ben able to do, if it was not for the many who worked together for the better of everyone - the crushing of the Imperial Japan and the Nazi-Germany...

When enough americans wake up, and understand what is happening - then I do believe a change will come to US. Then we all will know how mighty US indeed are, when they work together..

Diclotican

[Atypical Liberal]

46. It's called "fuck you I got mine" syndrome. n/t

[TBF]

58. Very good post here -

The myth is referred to as the "American Dream" - which is a misnomer because as one of our comedians said "you have to be asleep to believe it". The propaganda has been very thick since WWII. Most people don't realize just how wide the gap is between the very rich and the rest of us - instead they sit around fantasizing about winning the lottery or some such nonsense. Religion has also been used as a tool to keep the masses in line. This allows capitalism to flourish and it is eating our country alive.

Thank you very much for posting on this board Diclotican.

[Diclotican]

64. TBF

TBF

I for one have never understood that principe, the american dream. Maybe it is just me, but you must be insane to belive in a dream, where you could be able to climb on toop of the "food shain" just by yourself... The fact is that most of us, would be happy if we just would be able to live a decent life, with roof over our head, and food in the pantry - and some income to have a vacation for.. If we just get content, then I think we could have a good life too...

But the fact is that the Powers to be is digging their own graves if they continue to go down that road they do today. If anything is to be known from the past, is it that if enough get tired about not been able to feed their children, or have a decent roof over their head, something snap - and then all hell is out.. They might belive it wil never happend in the USA.. but history tell the same story, all over the planet, all over the past.. And the US would not be any difference..

But we can allways belive, and hope both abroad and in the US, that the large difference between the rich and poor could be lower than it is today... You might have to try another FDR I guess.... If it exist there in the US this days...

Diclotican

[malaise]

18. Nice post

Good to see you!

[Diclotican]

21. malaise

malaise

Thanks - sometime I see to hit the ball

Diclotican

ps, good to se you too

[woo me with science]

30. We also, in the US, have a carefully constructed electoral system

that requires so much money to compete that nobody who is not on board with and in the pocket of corporate interests has a snowball's chance in hell to reach the level of Democratic or Republican candidate for President. And the Congressional races are now following suit.

They don't have to worry about a left-leaning takeover here. Our only choices are corporate and even-more-extreme corporate.

[Diclotican]

32. woo me with science

woo me with science

That is also the issue - your voting system who more or less is rigged for the rich - and not for the poor.. And the Corporate US have for many decades been the one ruling the system in a way not possible in most other country in Europe... I do not know the election system in detail in any of the 30 or so european nations - but for the most idea that you could buy your reps to the Parliament is still something that most doesn't accept as "just how it is".. But then, if you go back 100 or so year we do had our form of buying for the Parliaments in most of Europe (who for 100 year was independent and had Parliaments at all) The UK version of it was infamous for many hundreds of year - and was officially not finished before reforms after WW2... And the Parliament in UK, is more or less the golden symbol all other Parliaments in europe formed itself after in one way or another - with success or not...

I do not say "our" system is better than yours - but it looks like we have more success securing our way of governance than the US have for the moment. And I am pretty sure the disdain the powers to be might have for the working class in Europe - is something they have to hide - and hide well in Europe.. Even the Obligarks of Russia, who rule as small kings in their little kingdoms here and there, have to treat the "small man" with some respect, even when they might as well have a similar disdain for us, than your obligkars might have for you in the US..

They must learn one thing - If the working class get enough, it could be very warm under some feet's when the whole thing explode... And it can explode in the US as it did under the feet of the Ancient Regime in France - the 1848 revolutions in Europe, and under the Russian revolution of 1905 and the two in 1917 (very few know, or care about that it was two revolutions in 1917, one in February who was the end of the absolute monarchy, and the abdication of Tsar Nicolai, and then the October/November revolution of 1917 where the Bolsheviks go the power, and then the start of the Soviet Union.)

But then I hope it never go to a revolution - it often cost far more than it is worth.. And never end the way the one who goes on the street hope... Ask the US revolutionary who in the mid 1770s was trying their best to trow out their former colonial owners and got released with another form of masters who until this day have dominated US...

Diclotican

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

29. The only instance in which this will be widely covered in the U.S. media

is in the unfortunate circumstance that liberal policies will fail. In that case, you will see non-stop coverage in the U.S. on an experiment gone wrong. Let's hope that doesn't happen.

[dionysus]

10. i heard about it on a news radio broadcast... they haven't covered it elsewhere?

[stevenleser]

13. I'm not sure you can make a judgment on that. News here rarely covers overseas politics.

As a result, most Americans have no idea what is going on overseas politically regardless of who wins or loses.

Most Republican voters really thought that 'W' was popular overseas and that Obama is not.

[malaise]

19. Really - it's been all Greece and Syria for weeks n/t

[bongbong]

27. for one reason

They've been yapping about Greece & Syria only to "verify" the TPTB's agenda, which is:

*) "wasteful parasitical Greeks got themselves in this mess, and we gotta avoid it here in the states by giving billionaires more money!"

*) "Syria needs to be overthrown since it is one of the few allies Iran has, and we aren't going to mention the atrocities by the 'rebels'"

[rudycantfail]

28. I have new respect for the state of Oklahoma.

Good post.

[malaise]

56. 100% correct

[jwirr]

15. Finally there is going to be a good experiment in something else besides austerity for the poor.

[kenfrequed]

16. What??

The US mainstream corporate owned media is ignoring a story about the people rising up to elect a mostly socialist government in the face of idiotic austerity solutions that US businessmen and conservative-rober-baron-fundamentalist drool over.

How can this be???!!

Oh wait...

[malaise]

20. Gettingup of the floor

My bad - I am sooooooooooooo naive

[mathematic]

22. Yeah, my text-to-speech app is broken too.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-france-election-20120618,0,1858127.story
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303703004577472320195856892.html
http://world.time.com/2012/06/17/french-socialists-on-course-for-landslide-parliamentary-win/
http://www.cnbc.com/id/47850416
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/18/us-france-election-idUSBRE85G03F20120618
http://news.yahoo.com/leftists-poised-victory-french-elections-062420058.html

Standard DU meme: "I'm outraged the mainstream media doesn't cover X. {links to MSM article of X while recounting events learned from MSM articles about X}".

This type of claim was easier to get away with back in the 90s, when due to the lack of internet coverage it was hard to falsify but these days it seems a bit passé when everybody can dig up a dozen links on the topic in 30 seconds from different mainstream sources.

[malaise]

23. I am talking about mainstream TV

and cable - not a freaking word.

[jeff47]

24. As opposed to the wall-to-wall coverage of previous French parliamentary elections? (nt)

[harmonicon]

55. That shit's not even news or journalism anymore though.

TV news and news commentary are now about what I think shows like "A Current Affair" and "Entertainment Tonight" were 20 - 30 years ago.

[tex-wyo-dem]

49. Of course some national media sources...

Are going to report on this, otherwise they would appear biased and derelict. But you can be sure that, in most cases, this news will be relegated to the back pages and, in the case of network and cable teevee news, will barely get a mention.

What will be interesting is that if the socialists in France decide to put aside austerity, increase taxes on the wealthy and approach the economic problems from a perspective of providing stimulus through spending into social and other nationalized programs, and it is successful, what kind of coverage will it get. My bet is that it will be ignored, downplayed or, in some cases, misinformation and lies will be propogated to make any success look like something entirely out of the scope of reality.

This is what the poster is getting at...You have to keep in mind who controls the media.

[GoneOffShore]

25. Not exactly silence, but definitely below the fold on the NYT.

[LeftishBrit]

26. Great news!

We heard all about it, but we're next door.

[spanone]

31. k&r...

[corkhead]

33. the SCLM does not approve.

[Uncle Joe]

34. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, malaise.

[Zorra]

35. Thanks for giving me a big smile!

[ballaratocker]

37. There could be an avalanche of coverage...

ON FOX NEWS! This would give them two of their boogeymen to play with: France and Socialism.

[malaise]

39. Don't hold your breath

[Blanks]

45. They would report even positive things negatively.

... And we wouldn't know any different anyway.

It's better they don't report on it at all.

[davidwparker]

40. Let's hope the French President doesn't squander the majority he was given. n/t

[Overseas]

43. I agree that it should be covered on TV news too.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

44. Vive le socialism.

About damn time.

[TomCADem]

47. If the media does report it, then the media will blame the socialists...

...for the lack of coverage!

In other words, the talking point is that it is not the corporate media's bias, but the ineffective and incompetent media strategy of the socialists.

Yet, another method of hiding corporate sponsor bias in today's media.

[sabrina 1]

48. Just like the media was silent, and even mis-reported that Wisconsin Dems took back the

State Senate.

The Left is rising again in Europe after several disastrous years of right wing and neo liberal policies pretty much destroyed the Continent's economy.

[colsohlibgal]

50. Democratic Socialism Is The Way

It beats the Hell out of runaway capitalism which has resulted here in income inequality spiraling out of control and millions living in misery.

Thom Hartmann spent a couple of weeks in, as I recall Denmark, and says the only big issue the conservatives there worry about is immigration.

Imagine a country where everyone can get educated up through grad school, where nobody is going to go bankrupt due to illness or injury.....the medical savings from lack of stress on middle class citizens would seem to be mind boggling, a side benefit. Taxes are a bit higher but it's the bottom line that counts.

And here we stand with "Citizens United", health insurance CEOs making obscene amounts of money, college increasingly out of reach for non well to do parents.... which greatly impacts upper mobility. With Congress bought and paid for with our system of legalized bribery, it is all going off the rails.

[graham4anything]

51. Vive la France!!! The world is turning left

people tend to forget, (because of our horrible rightwing media here in the states) that
most of the European leaders were right wing lately, not liberals.

the world is moving toward the left, not the other way around.

France is at the forefront as always, and their system should be our system.
Their healthcare is (again discount the lies we read about in the rightwing media in the USA)one of the best worldwide.
You pay in your yearly taxes when working, when ill, you have no worry you are taken care of,
when you get better and go back to work, then you pay into the system again.

Unlike ours here where you get sick, lose your job, insurance then is lost and you go broke paying for ones healthcare.

also, due to our media in the US, liberals get greedy here and pounce on our president for every perceived slight, when more cannot be gotten.

As Abraham Lincoln stated, “We could not secure the good we did secure if we
grasped for more" (which he could have been talking about President Obama's Healthcare,
and how no matter what outcome SCOTUS does, Americans will have in their healthcare MORE than ever because of what Obama did, and wishing for things that couldn't have happened
then, will now one way or another happen.

all America has to do is reelect President Obama and the next democratic candidate in 2016 and 2020 and bring the SCOTUS back to the greatness it was in prior courts.

[AllyCat]

52. That's it! I'm moving to France. Don't speak French, but there is bound to be a Rosetta Stone

Now if I can figure out how to make a living

[Spitfire of ATJ]

54. Now if I can figure out how to make a living

English is getting common in Europe now as a universal fallback language because all of the young folks take it for the web.

[AllyCat]

62. That helps us get started, but I would like to learn the language of any country I wanted to work in

or even some if I am visiting. It's just more fun and polite!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

63. If you move there, yes.

I spent Christmas with friends a while back in Feldkirch, Austria. A medieval town nestled in the pass between the Swiss and Italian Alps.

https://maps.google.com/maps?num=100&hl=en&safe=off&q=Feldkirch

[img][/img]

[img][/img]

All of the shop owners spoke English.

Travel is really easy too. You can take an electric bus to an electric train to the next town and board another electric bus to a place where you can rent an electric town car.

Gas? Who needs it?

[AllyCat]

66. Lovely! Now I do speak enough German to get by.

Also some Dutch. Maybe Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, or Austria should be in our family's future

[Spitfire of ATJ]

67. High German is the most popular

And if you speak Dutch that helps a lot as much of the shipping is done though Dutch ports so I don't think you'd have a problem getting work. I have a friend there who speaks seven languages. I have to warn you though, they drive like maniacs on those winding mountain roads.

[AllyCat]

69. I'm a nurse by profession, but maybe this will help my husband :)

I really think I could pick up German again quickly. Dutch is tough because I mix up the two languages a lot!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

70. I mix up the two languages a lot!

Like I said, English is becoming the fallback language of Europe.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

68. BTW: It's called the Schattenburg Schloss, the "Shadow Castle"

But it's not one of those luxury type castles. It was more of a Keep to guard the pass in medieval times. It's now a museum and restaurant. They serve a GREAT wiener schnitzel there!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kick_me/5509568589/

[chknltl]

53. bookmarking thread because of Diclotican

Not saying the news in the OP isn't worthy of note and my KnR but this DUer, Diclotican, throughout this thread, holds a mirror up that all America needs to look at in my opinion.

[malaise]

59. As usual

It's great to see Diclotican on any thread.

[Diclotican]

65. chknltl

chknltl

Oh, thank you

Diclotican

[Egalitarian Thug]

57. The latest example of how the world has passed us by over the last 20 years.

We no longer make things, we do not innovate (except of course marketing and profitable gadgets) any more, and our economic growth for 30 years has become ever more extractive and leveraging equity built since WWII. Scientific advances are being made elsewhere, medicine is advancing elsewhere while we expend our efforts inventing ever more unstable ways of leveraging nonexistent capital through the financial industry.

We are clearly on a path to our own demise, yet we prefer to live in the fantasy world where we are still the King of the Hill.

[Blue_Tires]

60. ttt

[Marr]

61. How strange. When they elected a right-wing government, it was

big news here in the states, with all the pundits agreeing that it was a sign of the times and an indicator of future trends both in and out of France.