The far left in France, could it happen here?

Have to say I was amused by the front cover of today’s Times 2 section - one half a photo of smoke and fire in a French city street, the other half a photo of an attractive smiling woman with her 2 children - behind a table set with a cheeseboard - inc what looks like a Brie or Camembert - and baguettes.

The large print caption reads, ‘We moved to France for our children’s education. Is it time to leave?

Call me a nasty baggage if you like, but especially since I have some relatives of the type who are do love banging on about how much better everything is in France, I couldn’t help just a little bit of Schadenfreude. 😈

Lecornu said ultra-gauche too, not far left.

I'm not sure the term Far-Left in the OP and ensuing posts is completely correct. In the first few seconds of his address, Macron mentioned Ultra-gauche. I listen in the original language, not the translation. This is not "L'extrême-gauche" which would translate as Far Left.
The two are fundamentally different in the way they operate. Corbyn was very left wing, but not ultra left. We don't have the latter here, do we?

Yes, of course it could happen here.

The video clips from Paris show the rioters to be overwhelmingly young males.

They either have too much time on their hands or they have a collective mental disorder. Or they're just plain greedy, judging by the amount of looting that went on.

MawsRosie We've had repeated civil disobedience often on hot summer evenings - less so when it's cold and wet. Not for nothing do police officers welcome "PC rain", it really does make a difference to a range of crime levels.

There isn’t really an organised far left in this country anyway, they don’t have any traction?

I cant see the far-left in this Country, complaining about schooling.

Mamie

Whitewavemark2

He may have done but that is far too simplistic, and I would be cautious over accepting Macron’s explanation. Of course he is going to try to blame a group either far left or right rather than accept responsibility for the parlous state of the education system. However, whether the far left or right is taking advantage of the discontent is a different question, and undoubtedly there is always an element if this in any protest however small.

With regard to whether the U.K. could experience such widespread civil unrest. Well, the answer is - yes of course it could. But I would hope at present it is unlikely because I think the mitigating factor is the Burnham government, with its policies and rhetoric of easing the burden on the poor, the move to greater equality etc. I am also hopeful that distrust in government improves.

To my mind the biggest threat is from the far right and their links to Russia.

To be fair to Macron, it is the government that is responsible for domestic policy, including education. I think there have been years of under-investment in education in some areas, including modernisation of the curriculum. It seems that the online system for university has come in for a lot of criticism and I can't say I am surprised by that. When I first taught in French schools it felt like going back many years from the resources and teaching methods then current in UK schools. I am not surprised by the PISA results.

That seems to have been the beginning of it all.

fancythat

Macron said far-left agitators, Lecornia said far-left agitators, Julien Jegon said enacted by radical islamists and far-left agitators.

And the mayor that joined in, was far-left

TerriBull

Maybe our age demographic would rather have a cup of tea at home, but then we aren't the ones facing some of the problems that undoubtedly the younger generation are having to deal with. I certainly hope this forthcoming budget does not disadvantage business any more than RR did in her capacity as Chancellor, meaning there will be even less employment opportunities for the younger generation trying to get their first foot on the ladder.

I absolutely agree but rioting and so called looting isn’t the answer.

GrannyGravy13

Cossy schools in England have mandatory work experience in year 10.

When was this re-introduced? None of three younger children had this and they’re all still only in their twenties, yet our two older children did, and they are in their forties?

I’m very glad to hear this.

Remember

I rember riots in Brixton and near us in S London about 40 years ago and sleeping with a couple of buckets of water at the ready under our bay window. Also when D was trapped in her studio in Mare St in London because of rioting hordes rampaging down the street outside. We've had repeated civil disobedience often on hot summer evenings - less so when it's cold and wet - and some of the violence we have seen not that long ago on pro- or anti-Palestine "demonstrations" has been terrifying.
So. Short answer?
Yes

Grandma70s

I think that on the whole the British are too laid back (lazy?) to indulge in serious rioting. They’d rather have a cup of tea. Hope I’m right.

There were some worrying riots last summer with youngsters rampaging through stores, causing a huge amount of damage and looting in our major cities. I always feel riots like this can happen at any time and could easily escalate further.

OldFrill

Whilst Macron mentioned far left agitators but he said most of the protesters had legitimate grievances.

Yes, he was talking about the protests, not the riots.

Cossy schools in England have mandatory work experience in year 10.

Whitewavemark2

He may have done but that is far too simplistic, and I would be cautious over accepting Macron’s explanation. Of course he is going to try to blame a group either far left or right rather than accept responsibility for the parlous state of the education system. However, whether the far left or right is taking advantage of the discontent is a different question, and undoubtedly there is always an element if this in any protest however small.

With regard to whether the U.K. could experience such widespread civil unrest. Well, the answer is - yes of course it could. But I would hope at present it is unlikely because I think the mitigating factor is the Burnham government, with its policies and rhetoric of easing the burden on the poor, the move to greater equality etc. I am also hopeful that distrust in government improves.

To my mind the biggest threat is from the far right and their links to Russia.

To be fair to Macron, it is the government that is responsible for domestic policy, including education. I think there have been years of under-investment in education in some areas, including modernisation of the curriculum. It seems that the online system for university has come in for a lot of criticism and I can't say I am surprised by that. When I first taught in French schools it felt like going back many years from the resources and teaching methods then current in UK schools. I am not surprised by the PISA results.

fancythat

Macron said far-left agitators, Lecornia said far-left agitators, Julien Jegon said enacted by radical islamists and far-left agitators.

It is entirely in all these people's interests to blame the left.

To most people who think for themselves it is clear that the violence and crime are not at all political, it's just opportunism on the part of the violent and criminal.

I certainly hope this forthcoming budget does not disadvantage business any more than RR did in her capacity as Chancellor,

There are businesses and there are big businesses. I am fine with SMEs, which are the lifeblood of our economy, but the big corporations, often foreign, which focus only on extracting as much wealth as they possibly can from the rest of us (or from the state) need reining in.

They, of course, are the ones which spend a great deal of money lobbying hard and donating to political parties to gain influence. I would hope that Healy will ignore them in the budget, but I fear that he won't.

Macron said far-left agitators, Lecornia said far-left agitators, Julien Jegon said enacted by radical islamists and far-left agitators.

Whilst Macron mentioned far left agitators but he said most of the protesters had legitimate grievances.

He may have done but that is far too simplistic, and I would be cautious over accepting Macron’s explanation. Of course he is going to try to blame a group either far left or right rather than accept responsibility for the parlous state of the education system. However, whether the far left or right is taking advantage of the discontent is a different question, and undoubtedly there is always an element if this in any protest however small.

With regard to whether the U.K. could experience such widespread civil unrest. Well, the answer is - yes of course it could. But I would hope at present it is unlikely because I think the mitigating factor is the Burnham government, with its policies and rhetoric of easing the burden on the poor, the move to greater equality etc. I am also hopeful that distrust in government improves.

To my mind the biggest threat is from the far right and their links to Russia.

TerriBull

Maybe our age demographic would rather have a cup of tea at home, but then we aren't the ones facing some of the problems that undoubtedly the younger generation are having to deal with. I certainly hope this forthcoming budget does not disadvantage business any more than RR did in her capacity as Chancellor, meaning there will be even less employment opportunities for the younger generation trying to get their first foot on the ladder.

Interestingly I heard a piece on the car radio today about this very subject.

Youths at Secondary schools stated they’d like mandatory work experience returned and one 15 year old spoke very eloquently about some work experience he’d recently done and how much he gained from it.

Stats also show a very very slight decrease in unemployment.

GrannyGravy13

I thought it was the Prime Minister of France who referred to far left agitators

One assumes he had been given intelligence on this.

Melelenchon is a threat to the neoliberal establishment, of which Macron is a prime example. I expect that 'intelligence' may well be whispering in Macron's ear, but it will be a very receptive one. Le Pen, being of the 'right' is part of this 'establishment' so is more easily tolerated.

I'd say that he is similar in many ways to Corbyn, but far more French and fiery. He certainly offers more hope to the young than any neoliberal politician but it seems that his blank spot is Russia, which he appears to support. Why a country which is a prime example of predatory capitalism and autocracy in action should hold any appeal for a socialist with strong left wing views is a mystery.

Doodledog

As long as people can be persuaded that behaviour of which they disapprove is ‘far left’ or ‘far right’ there will be a bandwagon to jump on, and wagons to hitch to. Obviously, agitators are aware of this, so adapt their language accordingly.

Extremists at either side of the political spectrum are dangerous.

We need to stop looking at anti social behaviour and more serious violent behaviour crimes as “left” or “right”, but simply as unacceptable and look to have it stamped out.