Eric might, or might not, like this. A nascent political movement named after our second largest local college, kind of, sort of, the University of Rochester, or the Yellow Jackets. It been a long time since the French showed much fighting spirit. It has been a long series of battles since the Battle of Puebla [1]. Yet it now appears the spirit of the French Revolution has been rekindled, from, Joel Kotkin, Orange County Register [2]
In launching their now successful protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s gas hike, the French gilets jaunes (yellow jackets) have revived their country’s reputation for rebelling against monarchial rule. It may well foreshadow a bitter, albeit largely avoidable, battle over how to address the issue of climate change.
Macron’s approach may have made him a favorite of editorial writers, who see him as the new “sun king,” but he is far more disliked by his own people than Trump is by Americans. The new French rebellion parallels the revolutionary resentments that ultimately overthrew aristocratic and clerical privilege that allowed them to live in splendor while the Third Estate, the middle class, suffered.
France is fighting a war against a largely non-existent enemy, by punitive taxes levied on the middle class [3]:
The protest movement against fuel prices mainly concerns individuals, as a number of professions and activities benefit from partial or total exemptions from TICPE.[33][34]
The protesters criticize Édouard Philippe’s second government for making individuals liable for the bulk of the cost of the carbon tax. As the carbon tax has progressively been ramping up to meet ecological objectives, many who have chosen fossil fuel-based heating for their homes, outside of city centers—where a car is required—are displeased. President Macron attempted to dispel these concerns in early November by offering special subsidies and incentives.[35]
Diesel prices in France increased by 16% in 2018, with taxes on both petrol and diesel increasing at the same time and a further tax increase planned for 2019, making diesel as expensive as petrol.[36] President Macron is bearing the brunt of the protesters’ anger for his extension of policies implemented under François Hollande’s government
No more wars fought both on and by the proletariat led by limousines liberals. We are all Yellow Jackets.
Addendum:Eric
As I said in my piece yesterday, the issues at this point include but are not limited to the fuel tax in France. With similar anger showing in the UK, Poland, Germany, and for that matter the whole of Europe, it seems clear to me that the target of this anger is leftism as a whole.
I’ve been saying for quite a while now that’s the biggest argument against reelection of leftists is leftists in power. The French are currently providing us with a prime example of that.