French Election System

[cannon_fodder]

I thought everyone hated the Italians?  A Travel Society survey found them to be the worlds most hated tourist - though outright hatred for Americans was higher for some reason they make worse national guests.

A French friend of mine says that everyone hates the Germans (Germans have more $$$ than the French and make sure the French know it when they come to visit).

and as my relatives in Budapest are telling it, Eastern Europeans are really degraded by 'civilized' Europe (relatives work in Budapest, not native).

Man, there's a lot of hate on that continent.  In the United States we most recently have limited our hate to blacks, hispanics, or whites and/or jews, fundamentalist or fringe religions.  Well, except me, I hate agnostic Asian Canadians - just to be different.

[iplaw]

Well, I'm not too fond of the Amish, so go figure.

[si_uk_lon_ok]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by si_uk_lon_ok

Liberating France was not 'payback'. Defeating Nazism was doing the right thing, to do nothing would have been morally reprehensible. Stop acting like doing the right thing is something that deserves the international relations equivalent of a cookie.

Not personally skewering your opinions, just borrowing your quote, si to create a rhetorical question.

If defeating Nazism, then communism was important, isn't defeating fundamentalist Islamic terrorism at its roots?

And what does this have to do with the French electoral system? []

If you want to go down that route I think you should start a new thread. This one has already diverged far enough from the original issue. (not that I didn't have anything to do with it)

[iplaw]

Wow...

The French people have pulled their collective heads out and are finally breathing fresh air for the first time in a decade or so...

[cannon_fodder]

First of all, 85% turnout is amazing.  It might have something to do with no one having to work, but still.

Second, I understand they elected the 'conservative candidate.'  However, that is a subjective classification.  I really dont know anything about his policies... anyone know?

[Conan71]

I sure am going to miss this though:

[cannon_fodder]

" Sarkozy's programme includes the abolition of tax on overtime, big cuts in inheritance tax, a law guaranteeing minimum service in transport strikes, and rules to oblige the unemployed to take up offered work."

Hell, I might vote for him.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070507102442.ylgq09dm&show_article=1

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by RLitterell

yes, I know and work with a good many French people. Everyone of them ar arrogant and rude. They do hate the US. If not for the United States they would all be speaking German today.

The French would probably be rude and arrogant regardless, and they hate everyone, not just the US. But I concede the point.

[South_Tulsan]

I'm pround of the French because they had over an 80% turnout at the polls. We could learn a thing or two about taking part in Democracy from that example.

Additionally, I heard on NPR that in the French Presidential election, you can turn in a blank ballot as a protest vote against both candidates! LOL, I would have done that in the last election here if I had the chance. Kerry and Bush were both terrible choices.

[cannon_fodder]

Blank ballots would be a good addition, the problem would be the ease with which someone else could fill them in.

Turnout is high because it is a national holiday.  As I understand it, no one really has to work (in France, ever.) []

[si_uk_lon_ok]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

" Sarkozy's programme includes the abolition of tax on overtime, big cuts in inheritance tax, a law guaranteeing minimum service in transport strikes, and rules to oblige the unemployed to take up offered work."

Hell, I might vote for him.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070507102442.ylgq09dm&show_article=1

I hardly count that as radical when you consider where France is starting from.

I think it wrong to imagine a conservative candidate as a republican in almost all European nations apart from Poland and Italy (and maybe a few others) the whole system is skewed to the left to the extent that there are no real republican equivalents. For instance, I don't think many UK conservatives would count as that in the US for instance.