FRANCE IS ALWAYS COMPLAINING

You dont have to translate.

But you are correct.  They have to start thinking outside the box, or fall to a second class status.

No dearheart, no need to translate. They have on line translators for that. And you are correct. VERY RUDE!

You don't even need translation, the drawing is enough!

Dr Guy, I dont know if they even realize that, they keep thinking about receiving allowances without doing any work or sacrifices. I think they're to used to being assisted.

Drmiler, they must think that's the only way to be heard!

I didnt see there was a drawing along with it until you mentionned it serenity!! I just read it and skipped it...

Hehehe.....that IS pretty rude.

The French have been whining since I was a child, and they'll STILL be whining when I'm old and grey.  It's a national pastime, I think. 

Then again, they might self-destruct before then. 

One of The biggest problems facing France is the over regulation of the population, to a point that the citizens have reched a point where everything must be done by law, this is a common trap many countries are experiencing, to some degree, the result is people no longer can solve problems for them selves and blame and expect the govt to solve the problems.

The other problem is France has for to long subsidised inefficent industries, now they need to change they cannot without some major pain.

As for the race issue, if you want to be a multi cultural country you won't succeed with large ghettos of poor , who will become disaffected and resort to crime, or some form of radical political org. I don't have the answer, but France is very quickly slipping into chaos.

France is a tough one, maybe a basket case.

Problem their superior attitude is going to bring them undone.

When many other countries around them have booming economies they are falling behind, into stagnation, dare I say their experiment with socialism has failed,.

France is a basket case short and simple, we used to amlign the pommes for being complainers, I think the habit has moved across the channel.

Dr Guy, I dont know if they even realize that, they keep thinking about receiving allowances without doing any work or sacrifices. I think they're to used to being assisted.

You are chugging down hill through a tunnel, and your speed is good, and all systems are go.  Everything is fine!

it is not until you hit bottom that you realize you have no way to get up the next hill.  France is close to the bottom.

Dharma:
I think they're already self destructing, a great majority of teachers are socialists who encourage the youth to go down in the streets whenever there's a minor change that exposes them. They think that makes them heroes.

Zergimmi:
You totally nailed it!
Everything France used to be proud of is going rotten, sad to say. It's a very complicated case. But I like to think that Sarkozy can change things. He's not afraid to call a cat a cat and he has ideas as opposed to the socialists. They only talk but they havent got anything in store.

DrGuy:
It sounds so inevitable Okay, maybe I should somewhere else b4 the ship sinks! I think if France cant handle the crisis on her soil she wont be able to keep her "colonies". And if this place (New Caledonia) goes independant i dont want to be here when it happens

a great majority of teachers are socialists who encourage the youth to go down in the streets whenever there's a minor change that exposes them. They think that makes them heroes.

I know someone who's a profeesor at a university in Paris, and he is almost exactly as you described. He talked one time about going on strike because his retirement (and all university employee's retirements) was going to be whittled away...so he and his secretary went out to protest. She was quite proud of the bruises she got at the hands of the gen d'arme, apparently, and he was proud that he encouraged her to go out and protest.

so, I know EXACTLY what you're talking about.

See dharma, at least you know i'm not making that up, lol!
I've had french teachers and I know they are not supposed to, but very often they share their political opinions. I even remember one telling us we were a slack generation, nothing like his generation that protested for more freedom back in May 1968. I mean what the hell are going to complain about, we were born with a silver spoon in our mouth! But that's little island_gurls opinion, cant see lot of my generation agreeing with me, lol!

nothing like his generation that protested for more freedom back in May 1968.

That was not back then, that was the here now.  I am sorry that my view is so negative.  But I cannot see their way out because they cannot see it.

Totally agree with you. I just think, that they get a sense of power by going down in the streets like that. It must be a leftover from the Revolution in 1700s

Il n’y a, je crois, nul pays au monde où l’on trouve tant de contradictions qu’en France. [Voltaire]
I don't think that there is any country in the world where you will find so many contradictions as France.

Tout homme a deux pays, le sien et puis la France. [Henri de Bornier]
Every man has two countries, his own and France.

Comment diable voulez-vous gouverner un pays où l’on compte 365 sortes de fromages ? [Charles de Gaulle]
How the hell can you govern a country where they have 365 different kinds of cheese?


Ah yes, I've been missing the frog-bashing, the blood(less) sport du jour for American conservatives.

Forgetting how much you have in common, and what the young republic owed to the French in its struggle to survive, France - so 'disloyal' over Iraq and daring to oppose anglo-saxon economic wisdom has become the poster child for the folly of refusing American leadership. That France has problems is glaringly obvious; that America and most other nations also do, should be also. And if you really aren't sure about America and France having "much in common" then consider these words:

Comment définir ce gens qui passent leur dimanche à se proclamer républicains et leur semaine à adorer la reine d’Angleterre,
How to define a people who spend their Sunday proclaiming themselves republicans and their week adoring the Queen of England'

qui se disent modestes mais parlent toujours de détenir le flambeau de la civilisation,
who call themselves modest but are always speaking of holding aloft the torch of civilisation

qui placent la France dans leur coeur mais leurs fortunes à l’étranger,
who place France in their heart, but their fortunes abroad

qui détestent que l’on critique leurs travers mais ne cessent de se dénigrer eux-même ?
who hate having their idiosyncracies criticised but never cease to denigrate themselves. -

Bisous à tous

I'm not saying France should bow down to america, but i think instead of criticizing others they should solve their own problems first. And it's not going to be easy, i wish good luck to the next President!

The main problem with France is that they have no rallying point. The people there know things have to change but they are afraid of their future. And there is very little trust in the established political parties, so the people just try to hold on to the things/rights they currently have. It is a very natural reaction. What France needs is a strong leader who can inspire the people again and make the necessary changes in the country. Like Thatcher did in the UK. And it propably will require some significant disaster for such a leader to emerge.

But despite all, the big French companies appear to be doing allright. So it is not a complete basket case yet

Ah yes, I've been missing the frog-bashing, the blood(less) sport du jour for American conservatives

Chak, IG is not American, and I dont know if she is conservative either.

France is a country best served radiated.

One of The biggest problems facing France is the over regulation of the population, to a point that the citizens have reched a point where everything must be done by law, this is a common trap many countries are experiencing, to some degree, the result is people no longer can solve problems for them selves and blame and expect the govt to solve the problems.

This is called, and is the ultimate destination of, Socialism. Let the government handle everything, and they'll screw it all up. Bureaucracy is the antithesis of logic, efficiency and common sense.

Hi Maurice, thank you for the insightful comment. It's true that the different parties have dont gather around a one leader, and they actually make a fool of themselves most of the time. Just look at the 'guignols' which is a caricature of the current events. Their main puppets are the politicians, heh! Anyway as for a one strong leader I'm afraid LePen could be that one. But I hope not...

The big french companies are probably doing ok now, but for how long? I saw a documentary the other day. It compared the building activity in America and in France. It showed that the americans built a level per week and the french a level per month. The quality was the same (supposedly) the only thing that changed was the working hours. It's just an example among others and it's probably not the best one. But you get the point.

Dr Guy:
Oh yeah btw, I should have mentionned that I am French, and that I live on a French Island. So I'm not bashing for the sake of it. I'm just a bit disgusted with how things are going at this point.

Moderateman:
What about the french wine, and cheese, and croissants?? lol

Rightwinger:
I think the government can have a role, but it shouldnt handle everything of course. The problem with the french is that when you give them a thumb, they want the whole arm. And to get the whole arm they throw tantrums, lol!

I hope a great leader will find the right balance between liberalism and socialism because i think we need both. But how the hell you mix the two without contradicting yourself, I have no idea tho ...

Dr Guy: Oh yeah btw, I should have mentionned that I am French, and that I live on a French Island. So I'm not bashing for the sake of it. I'm just a bit disgusted with how things are going at this point.

Chak is new, but good!  He has to learn the characters yet.

And for the record, You are the best thing the French have created yet!  The wine and cheese are second and third!

Haha! Thanks DrGuy, flatteur...

Hey my article is in the Featured JoeUser Articles!!! Weeeheee!

*please excuse this excess of childish pride, you may now go on with your JU blogs, thank you*

Hey my article is in the Featured JoeUser Articles!!! Weeeheee!

WTG!!!!!!

Chak is new, but good! He has to learn the characters yet.

Mon cher docteur, you are indeed flatteur (perhaps like Monsieur Renard, who could smell the cheese from a mile - oops kilometer - away . Just a little something for the fans of La Fontaine's fables)

Anyway, I am not so new, nor has Island_gurl been away so long, that I was unaware that she is from la Nouvelle Calédonie. If you look above one more time at the little cornucopia of Frenchiness that I offered you will find this little insight:

qui détestent que l’on critique leurs travers mais ne cessent de se dénigrer eux-même ? who hate having their idiosyncracies criticised but never cease to denigrate themselves. -

It is probably a universal trait. All nations reserve the right to criticise themselves mercilessly (so Island_gurl has every right ro avail herself of her patrimoine), but no nation likes it coming from outside.

In view though of your French blood, I think I overlooked your own inherited right to épater les frogs. Je m'excuse.

Moderateman: What about the french wine, and cheese, and croissants?? lol

I am currently boycotting all french products, because they as usual sold us out just before the mess in Iraq started, they said they will fight with us, then did what they do best surrendered before they even went there. baah!