[PEN-L:1759] Re: Good News from France

[eurobrun@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Marianne Bruen)]

	I would like to see workers in other countries show solidarity with
	the strikers in France.  There should be solidarity strikes all
	over.  Whether or not the strike in France is successful, it is
	a first move, and it might rid us of the ubiquitous chorus of:
	"There is nothing we can do".  >
	
	Marianne Brun
>
> On Wed, 6 Dec 1995, James Devine wrote:
>
> > "The strike by transport workers and other public employees has
> > paralyzed France since Nov. 24 ...
> >
> > "But what has really shocked President Jacquez Chirac and his
> > prime minister, Alain Juppe, is broad sympathy among ordinary
> > French citizens for the strike -- illustrated by the hundres of
> > thousands who joined more huge protest marches across the nation
> > Tuesday -- and the level of antipaty for the president they
> > elected six months ago.
> >
> > "Instead of becoming angry at the strikers, most French are angry
> > at the government. Very angry. Candidate Chirac promised them
> > more jobs and higher salaries. President Chirac is demanding
> > major sacrifices in the sacrosanct state welfare system to reduce
> > its soaring deficit, and he has flatly refused to back down."
> >
> > -- "Public Support for Strike Stuns French Leaders," by Scott
> > Kraft, L.A. TIMES, Dec. 6, 1995.
> >
> > No only is this good news, but it suggests that Daniel Singer's
> > view that French politics became "Americanized" under Mitterand,
> > though seemingly right at the electoral level, is wrong at the
> > grassroots level.
> >
> > in pen-l solidarity,
> >
> > Jim Devine   jdevine@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Econ. Dept., Loyola Marymount Univ.
> > 7900 Loyola Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045-8410 USA
> > 310/338-2948 (daytime, during workweek); FAX: 310/338-1950
> > "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way
> > and let people talk.) -- K. Marx, paraphrasing Dante A.
> >
> >
> Jim,
>
> Thank you for posting the news about France.  I was looking for something
> like this in the past few days.
>
> The struggles in France are around the very same issues we are facing
> here.  Here is a role model for us.  We will be discussing this in an NYC
> student coalition meeting next Saturday.  We in the U.S. need to widely
> discuss the French events on our campuses and work places.
>
> Does anybody have access to NET addresses in France?  It would be great
> to get first hand information from friends in France.
>
> Behzad
>
>