Americans should take lessons from the French

[Jeffersons Ghost]

French workers vow to step up pension protests

French workers will step up their protests against pension reforms next week, a top trade union leader says.

Bernard Thibault, head of the CGT workers' confederation, made the statement ahead of a meeting of union leaders to discuss whether to hold a seventh national day of protests.

Meanwhile, rolling strikes are continuing against government plans to raise the pension age from 60 to 62.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11594000

Instead of waiting for some kind of Superman to save us we should take to the streets and protest like the French. Unlike Americans, they're out to save themselves from unpopular laws.

[Deep13]

1. Agreed. We're all okay with having no rights.

Western Europeans get mandatory paid vacation time, lengthy paid maternity leave, better occupational safety and job security, free health care and a far less dramatic difference between rich and poor than we do. Yeah, we look at them like they're the weirdos.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. as long as we're okay with it they'll keep taking our rights away

[Sal Minella]

4. I'd be curious to know what their income tax structure is like

and how they discourage their uber-wealthy from hiding assets in foreign banks, and how they tax non-wage income (bet it's more than our 15% on capital gains).

I don't have a TV -- has there been any news footage of French police bludgeoning protesters?

[daggahead]

2. That'll be the day ...

... that Americans that are actually working would take to the streets.

I would love to see a nation-wide general strike, just to make sure the corporations pay attention.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

5. it won't happen. we'd rather watch FOX criticize the French

[deaniac21]

6. I like them French fried potaters.

[katty]

7. indeed!