Should we be a bit more like the French and revolt?

I’ve thought that for years Dinahmo. We take every lousy trick thrown at us lying down.

Callistemon21

Mamie

Callistemon21

We in the UK are rather good at revolting and protesting and we have a gphistoty to prove it.

Whose Revolution came first? Did the French get the idea of a revolution from us?
The Suffragettes
The Jarrow March
Greenham Common
Poll Tax Riots (1381 and 1990)
Stop The War

There are many others, some very recent.

Farmers in many countries are becoming increasingly frustrated because they feel governments just do not care about them. After all, without farmers, without food, we are all doomed.

I don't think any of those were before 1789. 😂

Yes, I think

The Revolutions here were before the French Revolution; the Civil War 1642 - 1652, the Glorious Revolution 1688, way before that the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.

I'm sure I could think of more 🙂

Have we become more passive now?

I wondered if you meant the Civil War etc, but was confused by the recent examples. I don't think any of those revolutions had the same effect on the state in the long term.
The Republic is founded on the values of the revolution and deeply embedded in the way the state and state institutions are run and in the French psyche. I honestly don't think you can compare it to the UK.
Although demonstrations and revolution were much in the air when I went to university in 1968 I don't think we felt we had the duty to protest in the way that the French do.

Nice to have a conversation about the French mentality on here without being lambasted!
My understanding is that the French farmers are cross because among other things, there are too many foreign imports entering the French market. The issue with food, as a produce of the land, la terre, is that it is such an emotive subject so farmers automatically get wound up.

Joseann

Nice to have a conversation about the French mentality on here without being lambasted!
My understanding is that the French farmers are cross because among other things, there are too many foreign imports entering the French market. The issue with food, as a produce of the land, la terre, is that it is such an emotive subject so farmers automatically get wound up.

Indeed they are. I am watching the lunchtime news and lots of demonstrators are wandering round Leclerc picking foreign imports of the shelves and haranguing the staff. The main target now seems to be centres of food distribution.

Thanks Mamie.

What I sort of meant in relation to this thread, was that comparing the French mentality and response makes us reflect on our our own British response.

Sorry, I'm rushing to lunch.

Joseann

Thanks Mamie.

What I sort of meant in relation to this thread, was that comparing the French mentality and response makes us reflect on our our own British response.

Sorry, I'm rushing to lunch.

While I was watching it I was trying to imagine British farmers doing the same!
The last line of your post sounds very French. 😂😂😂

There is a push for Europe to produce less food.
Farmers are enticed to gve up farming the land with financial inducements.
Ireland is under pressure to stop beef farming.
We've stood by and watched the Dutch farmers land be taken out of the industry.
We no longer have the very fertile land in Ukraine available.

There are lots of factors, but in the end it boils down to enforcing the net zero policies.

This is one protest (including Germany) I feel I should read more about.

The EU exists in name only. Every country naturally protects their own interest.

Urmstongran

The EU exists in name only. Every country naturally protects their own interest.

Really? Then what was all the fuss about leaving? If we protested about foreign imports that would be about 70% of the food we eat taken out of the shops. At least the French produce the majority of their own food.

The American War of Independence 1775-1783, partly influenced the French in their own revolution.

vegansrock

Urmstongran

The EU exists in name only. Every country naturally protects their own interest.

Really? Then what was all the fuss about leaving? If we protested about foreign imports that would be about 70% of the food we eat taken out of the shops. At least the French produce the majority of their own food.

Never expect any consistent logic from a Leave voter...

Jaberwok

The American War of Independence 1775-1783, partly influenced the French in their own revolution.

Yes agreed. I did a brilliant French history course at my local French U3A and the teacher from the lycée talked quite a lot about that. The local history part of it was fascinating too. Louis XVI came through our town on his last journey in France before the revolution. Some of the audience had folk memories handed down through the generations.
I do wonder how many people in the UK would know about the implications of The Glorious Revolution. It would be an interesting comparison.

MaizieD

vegansrock

Urmstongran

The EU exists in name only. Every country naturally protects their own interest.

Really? Then what was all the fuss about leaving? If we protested about foreign imports that would be about 70% of the food we eat taken out of the shops. At least the French produce the majority of their own food.

Never expect any consistent logic from a Leave voter...

And here it is, the first rude comment on the thread.Why oh why do posters feel the need to be personal.

In answer to the OP, I think we do have a history here of protesting as I can think of loads over the years.
The French farmers are in a league of their own tho!

Mamie

Joseann

Thanks Mamie.

What I sort of meant in relation to this thread, was that comparing the French mentality and response makes us reflect on our our own British response.

Sorry, I'm rushing to lunch.

While I was watching it I was trying to imagine British farmers doing the same!
The last line of your post sounds very French. 😂😂😂

Yeah it really does, will there be involved? I’ll join you in two minutes.😂

My history GCE period was 1685-1820. At least with the Glorious Revolution, James 11nd and family were allowed to escape unlike poor Louis. One execution was clearly enough!!

I'm sure no-one would disagree that French bureaucracy is crazy. So much unnecessary red tape must frustrate the farmers, all those rules and regulations. I remember the administrative procedures being really complicated, so I don't blame the farmers revolting in the way they have done for many generations.
One of our farmer friends in France told us that he spent half his time on his tractor and half his time in his office preparing papers. I don't think that happens in the UK? He gave up pig farming because he would have needed to borrow so much money to get his farm up to speed with all the regulations, and then more paperwork to do with loans and subsidies. (He now runs a simple business where he does ultrasounds of pregnant sows' tummies to see how many piglets will be born!).
I don't understand why governments want to make life so difficult for their workers.

Santé Mamie and Oreo.
I don't drink during the day but have just poured a little glass now home!

The average person uses Doctors and Dentists a few times a year but everyone needs farmers every day of the year.

Joseann

I'm sure no-one would disagree that French bureaucracy is crazy. So much unnecessary red tape must frustrate the farmers, all those rules and regulations. I remember the administrative procedures being really complicated, so I don't blame the farmers revolting in the way they have done for many generations.
One of our farmer friends in France told us that he spent half his time on his tractor and half his time in his office preparing papers. I don't think that happens in the UK? He gave up pig farming because he would have needed to borrow so much money to get his farm up to speed with all the regulations, and then more paperwork to do with loans and subsidies. (He now runs a simple business where he does ultrasounds of pregnant sows' tummies to see how many piglets will be born!).
I don't understand why governments want to make life so difficult for their workers.

One of our farmer friends in France told us that he spent half his time on his tractor and half his time in his office preparing papers. I don't think that happens in the UK?

I think it is becoming more bureaucratic here.

It certainly is in Australia and many Governments seem to put more and more obstacles and red tape in the way of farmers. What are they hoping for? To reduce our carbon footprint to meet targets but at the same time ignore the fact that, by importing more food from poorer countries, they allow these countries to decimate their forests, ignore international agreements?

Food security is vital.
Too much food is wasted as well.

I think it is becoming more bureaucratic here.
Maybe you're right. Jeremy Clarkson did a lot of grumbling about the red tape for running his farm.

Joseann

^I think it is becoming more bureaucratic here^.
Maybe you're right. Jeremy Clarkson did a lot of grumbling about the red tape for running his farm.

Oh yes!
He certainly highlighted some of the petty bureaucracy farmers have to endure.

I worked in Care many moons ago, and one of my clients was a Farmers wife. (Sheep) Her husband spent many hours filling in forms and other documentation, taking up most of their dining room table on a permanent basis. This was about 25 years ago!!!

I wonder where The came from as in The French? The Danish anybody? The Italian?

Odd isn't it.

I'm not quite sure what you're asking caknib, but French and Danish are nouns which when preceded by The are treated as plural, meaning the people of that particular country. When the noun stands alone and is singular, it refers to the language spoken.
Of course it can also be an adjective.