United colours of the ‘yellow vests’ (French social turmoil)

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United colours of the ‘yellow vests’ (French social turmoil)

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• Paris disturbed: The riots in Paris mean different things to different people - some may see it as the storming of the Bastille and the Paris Commune, some as the Popular Front of 1936 or May 1968, and some as the Battle of Algiers.
• A revolutionary past: France's past eggs on its present. French labour movements have used shutdowns and blockades for 150 years now, and recent protests mirror those methods.
• Collapse of French Empire: As that happened in the 1950s and 60s, the French Police became very violent in interrogation tactics, with terrible results.
• Today's "gilet jaunes": The yellow vest protests are unlike any historical parallels. This "gilet jaunes" movement has no leader, nor is it a structured movement, has elements of right and left both, and also far-right and far-left! (gilet jaunes is pronounced 'zhiley zhaun')
• What do they want? Many things, in parallel. Some want tax cuts on fuel, some want more taxes on the rich, some more public services, some more generous state benefits, some want to smash capitalist symbols, some a stronger President, some find him too strong, and some want all of it.

• Two common elements in gilets jaunes: 

1. FIRST - a deep focus on the French state, as groups have protested against government offices all over the nation,  complaining that the state isn't doing enough. President Macron's attitude (statist orientation, fondness for monarchical symbolism etc.) has added fuel to fire. Protestors are demanding solutions from this very state that they  so hate! The state is solely responsible, and is the sole guarantor. Why so? Because of the massive expansion of   French State since 1945, giving huge subsidies post 1980s‘ deindustrialisation, and entering all aspects of civil and personal economic life. Today, that very State is withdrawing - hence, anger!
2. SECOND - The protests are pan-France, and not just restricted to Paris. In fact, the island of La Reunion in Indian Ocean  (overseas French territory) is seeing traffic blockades! There is a lesson in it - as the State has withdrawn, the centre has grown well (Paris, urban areas), but the periphery (rural) hasn't.

• Fuel prices and cars: Those who live far away, rely on cars to travel, and were hit by fuel taxes the most. Public transport access is limited. Diesel incentives are going, and 61% French run diesel vehicles (+ truckers and farmers). 
• What happens now? The protests may die down slowly. But spiralling depoliticisation is a danger. The French elite need to create a new project to reduce the inequalities of French society.
• Summary : The 'yellow vests movement' (Mouvement des gilets jaunes) in France shows the dangers of an intrusive State slowly extricating itself from the economy.

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