Retraction. Blog 12

There are two sides to every story.  

Maybe I was a little harsh on the French strikers.  

Maybe because it isn't a simple situation there is no simple answer.  

Here is the other side of the story, you can decide for yourself.  

The French government is raising retirement age from 60 to 62, the whole nation is on strike, this has been going on periodically for months.  2 years doesn't sound like it is worth this chaos to me.  But maybe, because I am not a French citizen, it is not the same.  What I have learned is that the French are upset about more than just the retirement age, they are upset because they live in a "republic" but the government is not acting like it.  President Sarkozy never mentioned this retirement reform in his plans when he ran for president, and now the French feel like he is just throwing this new law at them.  Also, he never stopped to ask what the people wanted.  I've heard that 71% of the population is against this reform, and if the government is supposed to represent the people then this law shouldn't pass.  The strikers want negotiation, they may understand that reform is necessary, but they want to participate in the decision.  Sarkozy has made it very clear that this is HIS decision, and there will be no negotiation.  

So maybe this strike has more passion in it than I accredited it with.  I suppose if I felt that my government was overstepping its bounds, and taking away my freedom, I would be upset too.  I suppose that if the government refused to listen to the voice of the people, I would be angry.  I suppose that maybe the French are justified.  Perhaps they see no other way to be heard.  In a republic, the people's opinion should matter.  The people have ideas, and THE WORLD WILL KNOW!