4 ms·

France, UE, Covid, democracry and the research of complete stupidity

8 points by polote 6y ago

IanDrake 6y ago
This guy is writing a bad joke. Paraphrasing... "France is in terrible shape. We've voted in a system that has an enormous regulatory environment that stifles business and kills small and medium size endeavors, which move to the US if they are to succeed. But it could be worse, we could be the US." Okay. Sure. That makes sense.
- jdsully 6y ago
  Most of Europe feels that way for better or worse.
  - IanDrake 6y ago
    Do you mean, they lament their own over regulation, while disparaging the US that has recently been tearing up regulations? Seems pretty self defeating to me. But I guess that's what you mean, for better or worse.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
jkinudsjknds 6y ago
Poorly organized, unclear thesis, unclear if serious or not, not especially well reasoned.
mensetmanusman 6y ago
Hahahaha, laughed a lot at the end “we are all going to die of climate change, that is good because it will be easier to rebuild. At least it is worse in the US.” I liked reading this perspective though, really interesting from an American perspective because some political parties often hold up France as an ideal country in many regards. California is moving in the direction of France in regards to the government being the necessary parent of ‘stupid’ citizens who want to work in non-ideal conditions. I understand where they are coming from, but there are so many obvious unintended consequences that are worse... I wish the U.S. had smart politicians as well.
alwayseasy 6y ago
Identifying true problems in a country but ending with an anti-system solution is populism: "Don't vote for a president, this is useless, they are all the same and complete garbage, the system is not designed for a competent person to be elected". Populism isn't only talking to simple minded people, it's taking the language of your audience and offering simple minded solutions that seem to make sense. That's how you get on the path of deep-state or QAnon conspiracies or countries with cults of personality veering on authoritarianism (Russia, Turkey, USA...).
- sea_sy 6y ago
  This blog post is just a bunch of bad stereotypes with no arguments and a populist conclusion. This has nothing to do here honestly (https://news.ycombinator.com/newswelcome.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newswelcome.html)
maeln 6y ago
I have no idea why this is getting upvoted. This is basically just a fellow French practising the age old sport of complaining about everything and everyone else in the country. Nobody hate French people and France more than another French, especially if they lived abroad for a bit. Then they will always tell you about how everything in country X is much better then in France. Not that his points are all invalid. But as usual it is a gross exaggeration of a complex reality. Plus, we tend to forget what is working and the progress we are making. Sure France is definitely not a country to "move fast and break things" but it doesn't mean you can't start a successful business, or change the society little by little.
- DennisP 6y ago
  Not to mention, complaining that everyone considers themselves an epidemiologist, then claiming that masks don't work, in contradiction to pretty much every epidemiologist these days. The internet is full of unfocused ill-informed rants; I don't see what's HN-worthy about this one.
  - 11235813213455 6y ago
    Covid19 is spreading mostly with hands, objects, clothes, .. Here's a specialist, explaining it (in French) https://youtu.be/CgQ3YBmiir4?t=660 https://youtu.be/CgQ3YBmiir4?t=660
    - DennisP 6y ago
      I don't know French but here are some sources that disagree: CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-nco... WHO: https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmission-of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc-precaution-recommendations https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-t... Harvard Medical School: https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/preventing-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/preve... BC CDC: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/about-covid-19/how-it-spreads http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19... UC Davis: https://health.ucdavis.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-transmission/index.html https://health.ucdavis.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-transmission... There are plenty more; I think it's clear that "pretty much" every epidemiologist agrees masks are important, even if it's not absolutely everyone.
rich_sasha 6y ago
I think frankly this is just general state of the world, and I don't mean now, I mean always. Every era has a disillusioned philosopher writing more-or-less this. France has its specific problems, but other countries have other problems. Poland technically has lower taxes and a more welcoming environment for entrepreneurs, but much lower human and financial capital to build on, something the author dismisses about France, but should compare to other places first. I think it also highlights that to make progress for oneself and for the world is always hard, uphill, thankless, and when you make it, you mostly get abuse for it. I think, accept it, or go back to Kindergarten.
xalava 6y ago
Rants might be an interesting art form, but are not information. On topics I know: - People get fired every day in France. The set of valid justifications and processes are explicit. - EU legal harmonization is a work in progress that respect sovereignty. The last part probably deserves medical attention : - vote / don't vote - Educate / don't listen - Climate change will kill / Live a pleasant life
polotics 6y ago
Wow, gross post. Here is a quote: "you can't educate greater than 25 years old people"

8 points by polote 6y ago

This guy is writing a bad joke. Paraphrasing... "France is in terrible shape. We've voted in a system that has an enormous regulatory environment that stifles business and kills small and medium size endeavors, which move to the US if they are to succeed. But it could be worse, we could be the US." Okay. Sure. That makes sense.

jdsully 6y ago
Most of Europe feels that way for better or worse.
- IanDrake 6y ago
  Do you mean, they lament their own over regulation, while disparaging the US that has recently been tearing up regulations? Seems pretty self defeating to me. But I guess that's what you mean, for better or worse.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

jkinudsjknds 6y ago

Poorly organized, unclear thesis, unclear if serious or not, not especially well reasoned.

mensetmanusman 6y ago

Hahahaha, laughed a lot at the end “we are all going to die of climate change, that is good because it will be easier to rebuild. At least it is worse in the US.” I liked reading this perspective though, really interesting from an American perspective because some political parties often hold up France as an ideal country in many regards. California is moving in the direction of France in regards to the government being the necessary parent of ‘stupid’ citizens who want to work in non-ideal conditions. I understand where they are coming from, but there are so many obvious unintended consequences that are worse... I wish the U.S. had smart politicians as well.

alwayseasy 6y ago

Identifying true problems in a country but ending with an anti-system solution is populism: "Don't vote for a president, this is useless, they are all the same and complete garbage, the system is not designed for a competent person to be elected". Populism isn't only talking to simple minded people, it's taking the language of your audience and offering simple minded solutions that seem to make sense. That's how you get on the path of deep-state or QAnon conspiracies or countries with cults of personality veering on authoritarianism (Russia, Turkey, USA...).

sea_sy 6y ago
This blog post is just a bunch of bad stereotypes with no arguments and a populist conclusion. This has nothing to do here honestly (https://news.ycombinator.com/newswelcome.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newswelcome.html)

maeln 6y ago

I have no idea why this is getting upvoted. This is basically just a fellow French practising the age old sport of complaining about everything and everyone else in the country. Nobody hate French people and France more than another French, especially if they lived abroad for a bit. Then they will always tell you about how everything in country X is much better then in France. Not that his points are all invalid. But as usual it is a gross exaggeration of a complex reality. Plus, we tend to forget what is working and the progress we are making. Sure France is definitely not a country to "move fast and break things" but it doesn't mean you can't start a successful business, or change the society little by little.

DennisP 6y ago
Not to mention, complaining that everyone considers themselves an epidemiologist, then claiming that masks don't work, in contradiction to pretty much every epidemiologist these days. The internet is full of unfocused ill-informed rants; I don't see what's HN-worthy about this one.
- 11235813213455 6y ago
  Covid19 is spreading mostly with hands, objects, clothes, .. Here's a specialist, explaining it (in French) https://youtu.be/CgQ3YBmiir4?t=660 https://youtu.be/CgQ3YBmiir4?t=660
  - DennisP 6y ago
    I don't know French but here are some sources that disagree: CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-nco... WHO: https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmission-of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc-precaution-recommendations https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-t... Harvard Medical School: https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/preventing-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/preve... BC CDC: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/about-covid-19/how-it-spreads http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19... UC Davis: https://health.ucdavis.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-transmission/index.html https://health.ucdavis.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-transmission... There are plenty more; I think it's clear that "pretty much" every epidemiologist agrees masks are important, even if it's not absolutely everyone.

rich_sasha 6y ago

I think frankly this is just general state of the world, and I don't mean now, I mean always. Every era has a disillusioned philosopher writing more-or-less this. France has its specific problems, but other countries have other problems. Poland technically has lower taxes and a more welcoming environment for entrepreneurs, but much lower human and financial capital to build on, something the author dismisses about France, but should compare to other places first. I think it also highlights that to make progress for oneself and for the world is always hard, uphill, thankless, and when you make it, you mostly get abuse for it. I think, accept it, or go back to Kindergarten.

xalava 6y ago

Rants might be an interesting art form, but are not information. On topics I know: - People get fired every day in France. The set of valid justifications and processes are explicit. - EU legal harmonization is a work in progress that respect sovereignty. The last part probably deserves medical attention : - vote / don't vote - Educate / don't listen - Climate change will kill / Live a pleasant life

polotics 6y ago

Wow, gross post. Here is a quote: "you can't educate greater than 25 years old people"