Happy Bastille Day!!
I remember french classes in year 10. We had to re-enact the storming of the Bastille and setting the prisoners free. I played Louis the King, declaring my innocence before being beheaded (it was really one of those crap french things you do in class). We ate “french food” which really was an excuse for croissants, chocolate and coffee 
So for any frenchies out there, happy independence day. I like France’s attitude, I like the secularism, I like that the french get pissy and stage massive protests. I think we need more people like the french, protesting, driving up and dumping lots of dung at the steps of parliament, or just getting angry at what we have to put up with for politicians and leaders of this country.
Too much apathy! that’s what we suffer from.
July 19th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
I have said the same for some time now. If we want something to get done, we should demand more from our elected representatives. Whilst the “she’ll be right” attitude of Australia is welcome at times, we take it too far.
I like a feature of the Thai electoral system (probably parts of others, but I’m not aware), the “no vote” option on the ballot. Here you can pick your party / independent, there is no way to have your vote counted as nothing, it is discarded.
I think the “no vote” option could jolt a few politicians into realising that they need to work a little harder. Imagine finding out people would rather be represented by no one rather than yourself, what a blow!
July 20th, 2007 at 12:09 am
i totally agree with you.
it would shock them into thinking about what they could do better, but to be honest, when Gen X and Gen Y become the politicians in about 10 - 15 yrs time. will we remember what it was like now?
July 20th, 2007 at 8:22 am
Predicting the future is difficult at the best of times
I’ve pondered that question myself, and it really depends on my attitudes towards humanity that particular day for the answer. On the one hand we (speaking as “Gen Y”) have seen the cynical shift of our parents from being anti-war, anti-establishment, anti-mediocrity and so on to the merchants and consumers (and since when was I to be referred to as a “consumer”, I am a citizen or person ffs) of all that stuff. I hope that some of us in 20 years time remembers that idealism we have now and tries to make a change.
After many a discussion with my old man where I talk about all sorts of problems that are likely to face me in the future (energy is my pet topic), the answer I usually get back is “don’t worry about it”. That’s all well and good for his generation, who had little to worry about, but it was their lack of foresight that led to my concerns today!
Now, not living in the baby boomer generation, I can only guess at this stage, but it appears to me that “Gen Y” are a little more upfront. I, for instance do not want to own a house. Aside from being locked out of the market, I just don’t like suburbia and its trimmings and strongly dislike the whole culture it brings (DIY - what a ghastly invention and the never ending discussion on prices - give me strength). Yet I know people in my generation who flat out admit to wanting that, and the glamorous career to finance it.
My parents’ generation loathed the idea of consumerism, yet are the main entities in both selling and buying. Again, something I think my (our?) generation is a lot more upfront about. I am not interested in consumerism, I have friends that are. We are all blunt and to the point and accept each other’s views and interests.
I also think “Gen Y” could be better prepared to demand more. There are a lot of people of both X & Y who are not interested in “the norm”. Again, I can only use myself as an example. Not interested in big career, buying stuff, house, kids, suburban living, regular music and fairly accepting to name a few off the top of my head. I imagine there are plenty of similar people out there. I think as “the norm” becomes a less % of the population, the little splinter groups may finally manage to get a look in.
On the other hand, if I am in a sour mood towards humanity, I remember that history repeats itself.
July 20th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
ah yes, and as Costello rears his head and starts spouting off about shit that not even I remember (I am a Gen X’er) and Howard’s time as treasurer, I talk to my Babyboomer parents who mutter darkly about interest rates, oil crisis? (plural) and the fact that Gough Whitlam was removed by a Coup!
Gen X are the cynical generation from all accounts, who can’t be bothered. Thing is, we call came out of school into the Great Recession we had to have, where we couldn’t get jobs for months on end, and now we see this prosperity… I hope they remember their high school economics lessons.
meh.
Rise up! and fling POO ! Just like Cows with Guns!
July 21st, 2007 at 10:34 pm
For the record, Cows with Guns use… guns. The poo flinging is done by the monkeys in Madagaskar.
However, as a comment on the French habit to dumb stuff in front of parliament and block freeways with trucks, it does pose problems as well. The most obvious one would be that due to that, the EU subsidies to farming remain untouched when they can’t manage to compete, resulting in huge amounts of meat and dairy products which several countries have a hard time getting rid of. While, no doubt, this could be used to relieve famine in other parts of the world, that would also knock out any farming done in a much more cost effective way that still exist in places which suffer from famine. Since the EU wouldn’t want to force areas suffering from famine to become dependant on free food from the developed countries, they don’t just ship off everything they got. Thus the meat and dairy mountains remain, all because (including, but not limited to) French farmers demands subsidies (they can’t make it otherwise) and the French politicians are too afraid to force reforms.
Should we really expect that coffee house holders in several countries don’t do the same and demand subsidies as they otherwise go out of business when Starbucks comes to town?