Or should we say “the Paris mob” instead?

Since about 1787 or so, mobs have been a seemingly inescapable part of the French system of government. Regardless of what they call it: democracy, republic, empire, monarchy. Fairly frequently, the streets of Paris (and I admit, sometimes other cities and even towns and villages) are filled with angry crowds of people who quickly go from protest (chanting and stomping and shouting) to mayhem and destruction: burning trash and furniture and building then destroying barricades, while beating on each other and getting beaten on and beating troops or whomever. The invention of automobiles just gave them more things to beat on and burn.

This time (and far from the only time it has happened), the initial cause of the protest-riot-destruction was a stupid act of government. As reported in Breitbart, on Thursday the 16th, the current elected dictator (they like calling their dictators presidents or emperors), Marcon, tried a sneaky trick of raising the retirement age by two whole years without even pretending to have a vote of their National Assembly, or a referendum. He did this by taking advantage of some part of the French constitution.

You see, that is how democracy works. At least French style. It is all about “we the people” and popular votes and transparency and then you come up with workarounds to shaft the people and make them do what the globalist, Tranzi elites want to be done. Then the volatile French populace goes out and builds and burns barricades, smashes windows of businesses and government buildings, gets tear gassed (or shot or bayonetted) by the gendarmes, and other fun “democratic” things. Much like what happens in woke American cities these days. And in the third act, the new edict goes into effect anyway, with a few bits of sparkles or graffiti or bogus “compromises” added on to appease the mob. Until the next time.

They’ve been doing this for 230+ years. The French Revolution was not much like the so-called American Revolution (War for American Independence) of a decade-plus earlier. It had much more in common with the failed and successful revolutions in France and the rest of Europe right on up to the early 21st Century: needless and often senseless violence, massive ideological screamings, propaganda, destruction, and substituting one set of rulers for another, claiming a different ideology and always, more pie in the sky by and by.

(Not saying that the American “Revolution” didn’t have some commonality with that – but when you get right down to it, the power elites didn’t really change that much, and for a while we ended up with a looser system that allowed a lot more personal liberty.)

France just changed the color of their tyranny, because virtually all the players are firm statists and even worshippers of the state, of government. It is just they want their flavor of government on the boots they lick.

This Thursday night folly – excuse me, exercise in democratic rituals – was made more exciting by the results of several weeks of a strike by (government) union workers against their (government) bosses, which meant that the trash didn’t get collected for some time and was piled high in the streets. Unlike the US, Western Europe seems to be having a milder than usual winter, so the trash had dried out enough to burn really nicely. (Bet it stank just as badly.)

Now, by traditional American standards, the French people are pretty lazy. The current retirement age is 62, and Macron (evil Tranzi globalist monster that he is) is raising it to 64. Whereas, here in the States, it is officially 68, I think, with murmurers in Congress talking about raising it to 60. Gutless though American politicians are, I am reasonably certain that will be done with a vote of Congress. Even Uncle Joe’s advisors (puppet-masters) aren’t as stupid as Macron and his toadies. Though it will probably be buried in some omnibus bill or as an amendment establishing yet another National Monument.

In both cases. the reason for raising the retirement age is the same: the vaunted social democracy Ponzi schemes are going broke. Again.

Will the American response be the same as the French one? Unlikely. For many reasons beyond what we can talk about here. Historical and social and political reasons.

This latest example of democracy in action in Paris and Marseille and Nantes and elsewhere reminds us of unpleasant facts. First, that government – including democratic government – is the common factor in destroying the peace and prosperity of people. Second, that government by its very nature is untrustworthy and seeks mastery over us. And third, liberty does not win by playing the game by the politician’s rules.