Almost as regular and dependable as the semi-annual sales in France is the annual university strike. It's a bit late this year (the last one started in November 2007), but here we are. I seem to have plenty of free time to work on my sadly out-of-date blog. This time it's against the government's "Masterisation" of the universities and proposals to give the university presidents more power over hiring, research allocations, etc., which is now partially decided at a national council level. Until now, many Master degrees have been awarded by specialized training schools, but it will now be up to universities to ensure this aspect of teacher training. Without teachers' committees to review research and performance, most academics feel that university presidents will have too much autonomy and fear (with good reason, because it has been announced) that teaching and research will be separated and that teachers will have heavier workloads. Funding will be privatized (the "American" model), which will likely lead to a small number of high-quality universities, with the rest falling behind.
The teachers were the first to go on strike, but individually. The students, who protested alone last year, got on board rather late this year but have been the ones to barricade classrooms and prevent classes from taking place. The next general assembly and vote will take place Tuesday; whether classes will resume this semester is anyone's guess.
Fortunately for me, the campus is still accessible and my thesis director can get to his office and I can get in to see him. With my doctoral defense coming up in a month, the last thing I need is to be locked out of the campus.
07 March 2009
23 November 2008
Revolving credit
A worrisome new trend in France during this economic crisis: the arrival and increase in popularity of store-based credit cards. In the past, it was rare for French people to have more than the one credit card issued by their bank. Now, as in the U.S., you can buy groceries or clothes on a store-specific card with revolving credit-- and yes, those interest rates do go up to 20%. You might think that recent financial news would discourage people from buying on credit, especially in a society that does not have a particularly high rate of personal and household debt, but apparently buying Christmas goodies on credit is an attractive option to many. According to French news outlets, 80% of French families with a crippling amount of debt are overwhelmed by their revolving credit bills.
("OECD data shows the debt of French households was only 89.1 percent of income in 2006. In Britain and the United States that ratio stands at 168.5 percent and 139.7 percent respectively.")
("OECD data shows the debt of French households was only 89.1 percent of income in 2006. In Britain and the United States that ratio stands at 168.5 percent and 139.7 percent respectively.")
22 October 2008
alcohol and advertising
Big news items flying around in France: a new law will ban sales of alcohol to minors (anyone under 18) and as of January 5th, there will be no more ads on the public TV stations in the evening.
As of now, those aged 16 to 18 can buy beer and cider legally, but the reality is that kids under 16 have been buying those, and even hard liquor, without much difficulty. There seems to be a national squeamishness about asking for ID. No word on whether or not "carding" will be encouraged under the new law.
And in a few months, a large percentage of the French television landscape (channels 2, 3, 4, 5...) will be ad-free after 8 p.m. In 2011, these same channels will be 100% uncluttered by advertising. The idea is to recoup the lost revenue by taxing telecommunications companies and private TV stations. Skepticism is rampant. Stay tuned.
As of now, those aged 16 to 18 can buy beer and cider legally, but the reality is that kids under 16 have been buying those, and even hard liquor, without much difficulty. There seems to be a national squeamishness about asking for ID. No word on whether or not "carding" will be encouraged under the new law.
And in a few months, a large percentage of the French television landscape (channels 2, 3, 4, 5...) will be ad-free after 8 p.m. In 2011, these same channels will be 100% uncluttered by advertising. The idea is to recoup the lost revenue by taxing telecommunications companies and private TV stations. Skepticism is rampant. Stay tuned.
08 October 2008
Sock hop: the update
As you may remember, I was amused (or was it bemused?) by the municipal elections in Perpignan, France some months ago; the conservative-party mayor was elected by less than 600 votes despite the fact that one of his overly-ardent supporters was caught hiding false ballots in his pockets and socks. While it is highly improbable that this man was able to secrete more than 600 ballots on his person, and thus throw the election, the results are sufficiently in doubt to warrant a do-over. So the good residents of Perpignan are headed back to the polls and democracy can rest easy.
In more serious news, the French financial wunderkind are all over the TV these days, trying to reassure the Gauls that their savings and deposits are in no danger. France has no investment banks per se; everything around here is a commercial bank with only a certain percentage tied up in things like toxic financial waste. We are told that there is "no chance" a French bank will go belly-up and that, by the way, if it does, we are all guaranteed up to 70,000€ in reimbursement. Since my bank balance is usually about 1/70 of that, I'm not in a hurry to withdraw my wealth from the Crédit Lyonnais. We're also told that all of that toxic debt in French banks "only" amounts to 20 billion (euros, I think), so we're all supposed to be able to "sleep on our two ears", as the French say. Speaking for myself, my ears are grateful, but dubitative.
In more serious news, the French financial wunderkind are all over the TV these days, trying to reassure the Gauls that their savings and deposits are in no danger. France has no investment banks per se; everything around here is a commercial bank with only a certain percentage tied up in things like toxic financial waste. We are told that there is "no chance" a French bank will go belly-up and that, by the way, if it does, we are all guaranteed up to 70,000€ in reimbursement. Since my bank balance is usually about 1/70 of that, I'm not in a hurry to withdraw my wealth from the Crédit Lyonnais. We're also told that all of that toxic debt in French banks "only" amounts to 20 billion (euros, I think), so we're all supposed to be able to "sleep on our two ears", as the French say. Speaking for myself, my ears are grateful, but dubitative.
22 September 2008
Ascendency of the Know Nothings
My father grumbled on the phone yesterday that the Know Nothing party certainly seems to have a hold on the U.S. electorate. How true. Although perhaps they should be renamed the Don't Know, Don't Care, Keep Lying to Me party.
Created in the mid-19th century as the American Republican Party, Native American Party (nothing to do with American Indians), or the American party, the party gained its nickname because members were supposed to "know nothing" about its dealings. So much for 19th-century transparency. The group opposed immigration, especially Irish Catholics (see "Gangs of New York" for a graphic rendition). "America for white, Protestant European-Americans" would seem to have been their slogan. The party didn't last long, and most of its members went on to join the Republican party.
Fast forward to our sound bite era, and not much has changed. With few exceptions, white Protestants still run America. Polls show that Obama could lose 6 percentage points in November because of the color of his skin. A woman whose foreign-policy experience has been expressed as "I can see Russia from here" can claim that she always opposed a certain "bridge to nowhere" when incontrovertible evidence proves otherwise, and the fact that the media brings the discrepancy to the attention of the public is seen as harassment. The truth is just too much of a nuisance for some people, many of whom are so caught up in the anti-intellectual backlash sweeping the country that inexperience is seen as a qualifying attribute in political candidates. Wars are fought on less evidence than it takes to condemn someone to life in prison. More people care about who wins "American Idol" than the presidential race. And maybe they're right, since the outcome of the November elections won't lessen the hold of the Know Nothing party on the country.
Created in the mid-19th century as the American Republican Party, Native American Party (nothing to do with American Indians), or the American party, the party gained its nickname because members were supposed to "know nothing" about its dealings. So much for 19th-century transparency. The group opposed immigration, especially Irish Catholics (see "Gangs of New York" for a graphic rendition). "America for white, Protestant European-Americans" would seem to have been their slogan. The party didn't last long, and most of its members went on to join the Republican party.
Fast forward to our sound bite era, and not much has changed. With few exceptions, white Protestants still run America. Polls show that Obama could lose 6 percentage points in November because of the color of his skin. A woman whose foreign-policy experience has been expressed as "I can see Russia from here" can claim that she always opposed a certain "bridge to nowhere" when incontrovertible evidence proves otherwise, and the fact that the media brings the discrepancy to the attention of the public is seen as harassment. The truth is just too much of a nuisance for some people, many of whom are so caught up in the anti-intellectual backlash sweeping the country that inexperience is seen as a qualifying attribute in political candidates. Wars are fought on less evidence than it takes to condemn someone to life in prison. More people care about who wins "American Idol" than the presidential race. And maybe they're right, since the outcome of the November elections won't lessen the hold of the Know Nothing party on the country.
16 August 2008
"It's just common sense"
A Texas school district's reaction to the increase in gun violence in schools: let the teachers bring guns to school. "It's just common sense," says the school superintendent.
Oh really?
I suppose it's much easier to arm teachers than to decrease the gun traffic and limit (or eliminate) easy access to weapons. In the U.S., the homicide rate is 5.7 per population of 100,000; in France, where guns aren't sold on every street corner and the news isn't filled with stories of school shootings, the rate is 1.64. (This according to a 2006 United Nations survey of crime trends.)
Some pundits opine that if there were fewer guns, then knife attacks would increase dramatically. I certainly can't prove that theory wrong, but come on: when was the last time someone sprayed a classroom or a McDonald's with an automatic...knife thrower? (Machine knife? I can't even find an expression to fit.)
Appalling.
Oh really?
I suppose it's much easier to arm teachers than to decrease the gun traffic and limit (or eliminate) easy access to weapons. In the U.S., the homicide rate is 5.7 per population of 100,000; in France, where guns aren't sold on every street corner and the news isn't filled with stories of school shootings, the rate is 1.64. (This according to a 2006 United Nations survey of crime trends.)
Some pundits opine that if there were fewer guns, then knife attacks would increase dramatically. I certainly can't prove that theory wrong, but come on: when was the last time someone sprayed a classroom or a McDonald's with an automatic...knife thrower? (Machine knife? I can't even find an expression to fit.)
Appalling.
29 July 2008
News round-up
It's been awhile since I posted a message, although I have nearly managed to post one several times about various things, everything from doping in the Tour de France to gun control (or the notable lack thereof) in the United States. Today, though, I'm moved to write after reading this little gem about worms doing calculus to find food:
http://www.livescience.com/animals/080723-what-to-eat.html
I mean, I think I'm hot stuff if I can mentally calculate the total cost of my groceries while I'm standing in line to pay. The only across-the-board testing done in the U.S. (that is to say, in all states), the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), showed that 31% of American 13-year-olds performed at a proficient level in math in 2007. The levels attributed are apparently below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced.
And the lowly worm, that which gets eaten by early-rising avian types, can do calculus. Plus, most are hermaphrodites, and most of the rest reproduce asexually--which means they really do have things figured out down there. Who are we to consider ourselves a superior species?
In other news, the various French ministers went on holiday yesterday, well-deserved or not, but not without first receiving a complimentary copy of Carla Bruni's latest album, Comme si de rien n'était (As if Nothing Happened), on which she sings dreamily and breathily of, amongst other things, her love for her husband. The fact that her husband is the diminutive French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, turns the unusual gift into a shameless publicity stunt, especially since the story was relayed by countless French news outlets.
Finally, the mayor of Paris is considering the development of a fleet of 4,000 electric cars for the purposes of short-term car-sharing. Which means that one will be able to enjoy those Parisian embouteillages without the nuisance of knowing that one is polluting the environment at the same time.
http://www.livescience.com/animals/080723-what-to-eat.html
I mean, I think I'm hot stuff if I can mentally calculate the total cost of my groceries while I'm standing in line to pay. The only across-the-board testing done in the U.S. (that is to say, in all states), the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), showed that 31% of American 13-year-olds performed at a proficient level in math in 2007. The levels attributed are apparently below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced.
And the lowly worm, that which gets eaten by early-rising avian types, can do calculus. Plus, most are hermaphrodites, and most of the rest reproduce asexually--which means they really do have things figured out down there. Who are we to consider ourselves a superior species?
In other news, the various French ministers went on holiday yesterday, well-deserved or not, but not without first receiving a complimentary copy of Carla Bruni's latest album, Comme si de rien n'était (As if Nothing Happened), on which she sings dreamily and breathily of, amongst other things, her love for her husband. The fact that her husband is the diminutive French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, turns the unusual gift into a shameless publicity stunt, especially since the story was relayed by countless French news outlets.
Finally, the mayor of Paris is considering the development of a fleet of 4,000 electric cars for the purposes of short-term car-sharing. Which means that one will be able to enjoy those Parisian embouteillages without the nuisance of knowing that one is polluting the environment at the same time.
24 April 2008
Cherry-picking activists
Oppression of an indigenous population through military means and occupation, suppression of freedom of speech and of the press, the imposition of the oppressor's language, police brutality, plundering of natural resources, denial of the people's right to identify with their homeland, massive displacements, summary executions, large-scale imprisonment, torture...
South Africa? The Americas? Australia? Somewhere in the Middle East? In this case, I'm talking about Tibet. Yet many activists who champion invaded populations elsewhere in the world are turning a blind eye to the situation in Tibet or, worse, questioning their right to independence and thus at least tacitly supporting the Chinese government (which, most of us can agree, does not have an excellent human rights record when it comes to its minority and dissident populations).
Why this seeming hypocrisy? Could it be that some left-wing activists are leery of criticizing a government who once operated on Marxist ideals? Do they feel squeamish about the strong religious overtones to the struggle? Is it the 20-year funding (early 50s to early 70s) of Tibetan resistance fighters by the CIA before the U.S. government decided to send Kissinger to China? (I'll grant you, that one should set off alarm bells. I mean, we know that the boys and girls of the CIA don't have a record of playing fair in the sandboxes of the world.) It would appear to come down to this: guerrilla warfare and resistance funded by the left are good--funded by the right, automatically bad.
But doesn't concern for human rights transcend party lines? It should, anyway. Monks and nuns being stripped and tortured should make people condemn the oppressors without asking where on the political spectrum they fall or who is funding the resistance. Children being forced to abandon their own language and learn the language of the occupying government -- doesn't that make anyone think twice? Why are the same people who condemned apartheid and who devote their time and energy to fighting for human rights in Gaza / Afghanistan / Iraq / Nicaragua / fill in the blank--why are these same people so reluctant to recognize the atrocities that have taken place and are still taking place in Tibet?
As for the the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet and a figure of some controversy: I read his autobiography, Freedom in Exile, when it came out almost twenty years ago. In it, he acknowledges CIA support for Tibetan exiles. For years, he has been accused of many things, chief among them being too conciliatory with the Chinese (pushing for autonomy instead of independence and, more recently, not calling for a boycott of this summer's Olympic Games). I have heard people say that he was a religious monarch before going into exile in 1959 and that China actually did Tibet a favor by forcing him out. Other people, of course, revere him as an articulate spokesperson for Tibet-in-exile, and the Nobel Committee awarded them their highest honor, the Peace Prize. I don't know him personally, and so can't vouch for his integrity, but it seems to me that he has been a consistent voice for nonviolence, most recently in his statement that he will step down as Tibet's spiritual leader if Tibetan resistance becomes violent and spirals out of control.
So I'm disappointed by the reaction of some people around me and certain activists who either ignore Tibet or criticize their struggle for one reason or another. I don't think the Olympic Committee should have ever given the games to China in the hope that they would suddenly release jailed dissidents and improve their human rights record. The fact that American and European countries are doing huge business in China turns my stomach. The thinking that increased trade with an oppressive regime would make them see the error of their ways and treat their minority populations with respect, seems naive at best and is probably ingenuous. We should all continue to fight for human rights wherever they are trampled, which is to say, just about everywhere in the world, especially in our own backyards. We certainly can't count on the support of the UN, whose own Human Rights Council cut off discussion of Tibet at their meeting last month after pressure from Chinese officials.
From Amnesty International's website, http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/tibet-oral-statement-un-human-rights-council:
"Amnesty International has previously documented a pattern of torture and other ill-treatment of detainees in Tibet by China’s security forces, especially those accused by the Chinese authorities of “separatist” activities. Moreover, China has long banned independent human rights monitors from Tibet, and the region is now virtually sealed. For these reasons AI fears for the safety of those recently detained."
I'll end by pointing out, though it should be obvious, that I have nothing against the Chinese people. I respect my Chinese friends and their ancient culture. I especially respect Chinese citizens who dare to protest the policies of their government, knowing full well that they risk prison or worse.
South Africa? The Americas? Australia? Somewhere in the Middle East? In this case, I'm talking about Tibet. Yet many activists who champion invaded populations elsewhere in the world are turning a blind eye to the situation in Tibet or, worse, questioning their right to independence and thus at least tacitly supporting the Chinese government (which, most of us can agree, does not have an excellent human rights record when it comes to its minority and dissident populations).
Why this seeming hypocrisy? Could it be that some left-wing activists are leery of criticizing a government who once operated on Marxist ideals? Do they feel squeamish about the strong religious overtones to the struggle? Is it the 20-year funding (early 50s to early 70s) of Tibetan resistance fighters by the CIA before the U.S. government decided to send Kissinger to China? (I'll grant you, that one should set off alarm bells. I mean, we know that the boys and girls of the CIA don't have a record of playing fair in the sandboxes of the world.) It would appear to come down to this: guerrilla warfare and resistance funded by the left are good--funded by the right, automatically bad.
But doesn't concern for human rights transcend party lines? It should, anyway. Monks and nuns being stripped and tortured should make people condemn the oppressors without asking where on the political spectrum they fall or who is funding the resistance. Children being forced to abandon their own language and learn the language of the occupying government -- doesn't that make anyone think twice? Why are the same people who condemned apartheid and who devote their time and energy to fighting for human rights in Gaza / Afghanistan / Iraq / Nicaragua / fill in the blank--why are these same people so reluctant to recognize the atrocities that have taken place and are still taking place in Tibet?
As for the the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet and a figure of some controversy: I read his autobiography, Freedom in Exile, when it came out almost twenty years ago. In it, he acknowledges CIA support for Tibetan exiles. For years, he has been accused of many things, chief among them being too conciliatory with the Chinese (pushing for autonomy instead of independence and, more recently, not calling for a boycott of this summer's Olympic Games). I have heard people say that he was a religious monarch before going into exile in 1959 and that China actually did Tibet a favor by forcing him out. Other people, of course, revere him as an articulate spokesperson for Tibet-in-exile, and the Nobel Committee awarded them their highest honor, the Peace Prize. I don't know him personally, and so can't vouch for his integrity, but it seems to me that he has been a consistent voice for nonviolence, most recently in his statement that he will step down as Tibet's spiritual leader if Tibetan resistance becomes violent and spirals out of control.
So I'm disappointed by the reaction of some people around me and certain activists who either ignore Tibet or criticize their struggle for one reason or another. I don't think the Olympic Committee should have ever given the games to China in the hope that they would suddenly release jailed dissidents and improve their human rights record. The fact that American and European countries are doing huge business in China turns my stomach. The thinking that increased trade with an oppressive regime would make them see the error of their ways and treat their minority populations with respect, seems naive at best and is probably ingenuous. We should all continue to fight for human rights wherever they are trampled, which is to say, just about everywhere in the world, especially in our own backyards. We certainly can't count on the support of the UN, whose own Human Rights Council cut off discussion of Tibet at their meeting last month after pressure from Chinese officials.
From Amnesty International's website, http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/tibet-oral-statement-un-human-rights-council:
"Amnesty International has previously documented a pattern of torture and other ill-treatment of detainees in Tibet by China’s security forces, especially those accused by the Chinese authorities of “separatist” activities. Moreover, China has long banned independent human rights monitors from Tibet, and the region is now virtually sealed. For these reasons AI fears for the safety of those recently detained."
I'll end by pointing out, though it should be obvious, that I have nothing against the Chinese people. I respect my Chinese friends and their ancient culture. I especially respect Chinese citizens who dare to protest the policies of their government, knowing full well that they risk prison or worse.
06 April 2008
20 March 2008
Anti-war protest in Montpellier
To mark the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by U.S. and coalition forces, Americans for Peace and Justice demonstrated on the Place de la Comédie in Montpellier last Saturday. Not having enough people for a worthwhile march through the streets, we set up a table to distribute information and put up some eye-catching banners. Despite the chilly, breezy, and occasionally drizzly weather, we were able to talk to a lot of people and attracted a fair amount of attention. The key to the whole thing is Jack
's Spin Machine, a contraption that has to be seen to be believed. Bells clank and balloons wave as a hand crank turns the machine, effectively "spinning" the information fed to us by the government. There's a link to a short YouTube video below, with Lawrence playing the role of the anti-war "carny" (I'm the one in the red coat off to the left). Even the Midi Libre gave us a mention the next day. Despite the fact that we are "preaching to the choir" (the French were massively against the invasion, their government was not part of th
e Coalition, etc.), most of us find it important to make ourselves heard and show people that there are Americans willing to speak out against our government's actions and not just say, well, it's been 5 years, the next president will get us out of there. And that view seems justified when French people come over to thank us for our efforts and views and Americans in the area who didn't know about us come over to express interest in joining the group.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeClGj7JLNQ
Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that matter.- Martin Luther King Jr.
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