• AA5B@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          We’re all donating our time and attention to Lemmy, which is worth something even on a non-commercial site.

          But yes, some of us also help with the costs and chores. I appreciate everyone who does but I also appreciate everyone who makes this an interesting place worth chipping in for

      • Snapz@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        10
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        [Deep breath in…]

        Wealthy men that are perpetually insecure in life because their fathers didn’t show them any outward affection when they were children are blindly and joylessly driven to increase a bank balance that they couldn’t meaningfully decrease in a thousand lifetimes in the hope that it will make their fathers ghosts smile and pat them on the head (ghosts who don’t even put out the effort to haunt their children anyways)

        I’m dizzy, what just happened?

      • dustycups@aussie.zone
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        31
        ·
        5 months ago

        I asked chatgpt & it said this: " The internet can feel overwhelming or negative at times due to various factors like misinformation, toxicity in online communities, and the sheer volume of content. It’s important to curate your online experience by choosing reliable sources and engaging in positive communities that align with your interests and values. Taking breaks from the internet or limiting exposure to certain types of content can also help maintain a healthier online experience. Don’t share sensitive info. Chats may be reviewed and used to train our models. Learn more ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info. " I think that a better answer might have something to do with commercial interests.

  • lennybird@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    97
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    5 months ago

    Ah yes, right-wing authoritarianism that helped cause mass immigration from regional instability thanks to ignoring climate change and sowing global conflicts… Let’s just give the fox the keys to the henhouse.

  • VeganPizza69 Ⓥ@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    65
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    5 months ago

    Thanks to social media, youth unemployment, an uptick in asylum seekers, ballooning energy prices and oodles of nationalist right-wing cash, Macron is no longer the only politician with the regal ability to play Jupiter on TV. There are now a record 4,005 candidates running in the first round, with many fabled divinities to choose from.

    There’s your problem. Defund the rich.

    • Noedel@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      It’s also the fault of neoliberal governments around the world for actively looking down on middle class people for not caring as much about the climate, refugees and other matters that you can care about when you actually have enough money to have the time to care about those things.

  • Jo Miran
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    51
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    5 months ago

    …the French, in principle, rarely distinguish between fact and impression.

    The author comes out swinging and still manages to bore quickly.

  • acargitz@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    45
    arrow-down
    8
    ·
    5 months ago

    What’s (not) funny is that the French far right is just slightly to the left of the US Republicans.

    • Noedel@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      5 months ago

      I think a quick look overseas will show you it’s migrants, the queer community, women, and to a certain extent any intellectual. Now where have I seen this before.

  • Jayjader@jlai.lu
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    24
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    5 months ago

    The French political system, casually referred to as the “Republic of Friends,”

    Where does the author get this? I’m French and have never heard of our system called as such - especially not by a French person.

  • Mango@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    18
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    5 months ago

    How is it France falling to this? Don’t they riot every other month about government bullshit?

    • Biotron1@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      18
      ·
      5 months ago

      We went to the streets for months against the new retirement system and they’ve beaten the shit ouf of us. We couldn’t make us heard by a so called democratic and moderate government. Not a big surprise that a lot of people are trying another way. No excuse for them to be fascists assholes. But Macron is carrying an heavy responsibility for the current situation.

      • Mango@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        5 months ago

        Ok so forgive my ignorance but if they’re trying to overturn government decisions that are a burden on everyone, why are they fascist?

        • ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          5 months ago

          Because people are dumb. A lot of them don’t even realize these people are really fascists, because for them fascism was an ideology that did evil things for the sake of evil, and the moment they had a semi-reasonable explanation why they hated minorities, people believed them. Also they’re avoiding classic signifiers of fascism, like swastikas, fasceses, and calling themselves fascists.

        • McKee@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          5 months ago

          They are not even trying to overturn the decision. The far right has consistently walked back on every social mesure they had in the past 2 weeks to the surprise of noone who knows what right means.

    • VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      Yeah but s lot of those are self serving right wing ideals, for some reason everyone ignored this and just assumed the old revolution was ongoing. I guess like people who still talk about Russia as communist

      • BrightCandle@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        5 months ago

        All of the western democracies are telling their people the reason their quality of life is declining is due to immigrants and the disabled and poor. A lot of people seem to believe them. I agree its about inequality and bringing the far right in will only accelerate the process.

      • egeres@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        5 months ago

        Right, I see your point. I also wonder sometimes if the excess of social media consumption and the battle to gobble more eye balls has somehow influenced people making them more susceptible to manipulation via charisma and populist opinions, I’m not sure how different it is nowadays than a couple of decades back. I might be wrong about this anyways

    • Dremor@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      5 months ago

      Macron made an irresponsible gamble, at the worst possible timing, without taking in account his current lack of popularity. To no one surprise it blown up in his face.

        • Dremor@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          Basically, his party got beaten so badly at the European elections (barely got half of the far-right votes, and almost got the third position after the Socialist), that he decided to trigger a “Dissolution”, which literally stop the current assembly mandate and call for flash-election. His gamble was to make himself the only alternative to the far-right by counting on the left division and the fear of the far right…
          Which blown up to his face since the left kinda united itself and the far right still got a good advance. Even worse, this time its party got third by a long shot, and may loose a lot of its seats at the National Assembly.

          • egeres@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            Okay, I think I saw this somewhere but I didn’t really read further into it

  • Wanderer@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    arrow-down
    47
    ·
    5 months ago

    According to the BBC

    Alongside policies for giving French citizens “national preference” for jobs and housing, they want to cut VAT on energy and allow under-30s to escape income tax.

    existing promises on immigration, crime and insecurity as well as tax cuts to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

    plans to abolish droit du sol, the right to automatic French citizenship for children born to foreign parents

    Sounds like some good policies no wonder they are getting loads of votes. The reduction in taxes always comes back to bite you and that’s probably a mistake but the lower tax for the youth allowing them to get started in life instead of being in debt is a great idea. I haven’t heard anyone have such a progressive idea.

    • TheFriar@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      27
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      It’s called populism for a reason. Trump ran on a populist platform in 2016. Populism can be Democratic or authoritarian, meaning it can be genuine concern about capitalism and the imbalance between the ownership class and the working class or it can be the sugar coating on a bitter, authoritarian pill—or, in other words, a fuckin lie.

      • Wanderer@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        5 months ago

        Yea. You hope that the more centrist parties look at what the population are desperate for and will do anything for. And then you hope democracy works and people get to vote for that they believe is right. Hopefully that happens in conjunction with sane and stable leaders listen to the demands of the people.

        Currently large amount of the people feel ignored or certain issues and feel only the fair right is listening to them. If they had anyone else to vote for I’m sure they would.

        • TheFriar@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          5 months ago

          Right, but the lower tax burden isnt worth the authoritarianism. The assholes who can stomach sacrificing poor minorities and immigrants for a few gimme policies are not doing something noble. These are politicians we’re talking about. They’re not here for us. They’re here for themselves, and they are lying and antagonizing in order to get power because they know what people want and what certain people are afraid of. Their goal is to bait people with fear, entice them with populism and then…what? You catch more flies with honey and a hatred of honeybees.

    • Jomn@jlai.lu
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      Most young people do not pay income taxes currently, only the wealthy ones. So this reduction would only apply to already rich people.

      • Wanderer@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        Tax in francs starts at €10,778.

        You think anyone under 30 that earns more than €10,778 is rich. Come on.

        • Jomn@jlai.lu
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          10
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          5 months ago

          You clearly do not know how things work in France. We have tons of things fiscally in place that make it so that in practice, you have to earn much more than that to truly pay taxes.

          I don’t have time currenty to enumerate all of that, but I’ll come back to you later if I don’t forget.

      • Wanderer@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        5 months ago

        Poland’s a great country. I went there and loved it way more than I thought I would. Lovely people, lovely culture, lovely country. Wages going up every year. They seem on a good path.

    • bitwaba@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      10
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      Unfortunately that’s exactly what Nationalism Socialism was all about. Great socialist policies to support and bolster the in crowd. Unfortunately those policies aren’t extended to the out crowd. And the out crowd is pretty easily defined when you’ve got “Nationalism” in your political party’s name.

    • Miaou@jlai.lu
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      Debt? What debt are you talking about? You know how taxes work?

      • Wanderer@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        9
        ·
        5 months ago

        Young people are more likely to go into debt at the start of their lives. Whether it be for things like rent, buying a car, buying a house, education.

        If taxes are lower they can either have more savings or pay of debt faster.

        Come on it’s not that hard to realise more take home means you have more money. Christ this website is so financially illiterate.

        • Miaou@jlai.lu
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          Glad to know people taking on 30 year long loans pay slightly lower taxes for a few years, that’s certainly helping a lot. Few because no one’s giving a 20 years old a loan for a house/flat lol so you’re probably closer to 30 when you actually can and do want to settle.

          You might be financially literate, but you’re not human literate if you think this tax reform is anything but catering to the young and non-politicised.

          • Wanderer@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            The tax break allows you to save. Means you will accumulate a deposit earlier in life, all else being equal.

            What’s wrong with catering to the young? They need help.

            • Miaou@jlai.lu
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              edit-2
              5 months ago

              Because it’s populist crap, obviously. We don’t need MBAs and business school grads to pay lower taxes, quite the opposite. There’s one party proposing to smoothen tax brackets across the board, which would also have a huge impact on the younger, and it’s not Bardella’s.

              This tax cut is also a drop in the ocean compared to what they want to do to the retirement reform, but young people think they will never be old, and the old one sacrifices the youth at every turn so not many actually care this stuff despite the impact.

              Lastly, I’m not sure there’s even a plan for financing such tax cut. That’s why people call it far right populist bullshit. The man did his entire campaign on tiktok and is only where he is because he married into the Le Pen family.

      • Wanderer@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        9
        ·
        5 months ago

        I think helping everyday working class people is a good thing. That’s what they want.

        Sure if you want to help businesses fuck the common people. Keep wages low and prices high and keep the upper class rich.

        Most people don’t think like that though.

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          11
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          I think helping everyday working class people is a good thing

          Just cut taxes bro. Just one more time dawg. I promise it’ll work this time, dude. Just one more tax cut. One more time bro I promise. It’s going to stimulate the economy homey. This time we swear.

          • Wanderer@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            3
            ·
            5 months ago

            There is a big difference between tax cuts in general and tax cuts on the poorest people in society.

            But I agree. Tax cuts across the board are a bad thing usually but I can see why people vote for that. People feel they need more money and it’s not coming from wage increase.

            • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              6
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              5 months ago

              tax cuts on the poorest people in society

              Are functionally no different than higher wages. But without public infrastructure - housing, education, health care, etc - what does an extra couple grand actually buy?

              We’ve seen this in the US for decades. A pittance of tax cuts pitched as a percentage of income is presented as this enormous boon. But then wages stagnate, prices skyrocket, and debts soar in the face of new privatization.

              And then we’re worse of than when we started.

              The tax cut doesn’t buy anything in an inflationary economy

              • Wanderer@lemm.ee
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                5 months ago

                Yes so we agree. Wages need to be increased and the best way to do that is to stop businesses undercutting wages by hiring cheap foreign labour. Demand for labour goes up and with it wages.

                Inflation is largely a global issue.

                • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  5 months ago

                  Wages need to be increased and the best way to do that is to stop businesses undercutting wages by hiring cheap foreign labour.

                  Urban density increases the efficiency of public services. Wage rates do not.

                  Trying to keep populations small and fragmented does nothing to improve domestic quality of life. And rising domestic populations don’t hurt overall household incomes. Cartelized labor markets are what do that.

                  Inflation is largely a global issue.

                  Prices vary enormously by local regions. And price gouging is increasingly difficult over large distances.

                  Inflation is most commonly a consequence of local commodity monopolization, not global price trends.

        • Draedron@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          They dont want to help working class people though. They say they want to help working class people whö they consider french enough. Just like the NSDAP said they wanted to help working class people they considered german enough. It’s a lie to get votes. Their actual policies would hurt working class people.

          • Wanderer@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            French citizens.

            No country is responsible for the wellbeing of others. The days of empire building are over.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      5 months ago

      Where do you target your fear mongering if you don’t share a border with scary brown people? Where do you build a wall?

      • Wanderer@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        5 months ago

        You don’t need a wall. Just don’t let people in.

        It’s not fear mongering if it is already happened and people can see first hand the impacts. That’s why people vote the way they do they see the reality of the situation and the current parties are telling them things that are lies.

        • Chadus_Maximus@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          The thing with being in Schengen area is you literally just let people in LMAO. If you don’t check passports of anyone coming in by the Italian border, you don’t get to find out who is an EU citizen and who isn’t.

          Do you even live in EU buddy? Life isn’t as simple as you think it is.

          • Wanderer@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            The stats I’ve seen have shown that immigrants from Schengen contribute more than average and commit less crime than locals.

            As such on a purely data driven view there is nothing wrong with Schengen. For most people the issues isn’t with movement within the people that have lived in Europe for generations. You know they are European, they have European values and there is a back and forth movement/ different perks. In a way Schengen works the way it was designed and works well.

      • Wanderer@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        5 months ago

        They are their policies. People vote for policies. Um that’s how politics works.

        Those policies seem to me something that would attract people. They currently have the largest amount of votes. So if people are voting for the parties policies what are they voting on? Their favourite party colour?

        • Miaou@jlai.lu
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          In case you’re seriously asking, they vote based on how nice looking the head of the party is, not on policies. Democracy is dead when you see rednecks telling journalists they vote for the man because they like his tiktok channel.