France - Macron Wins

[Terrell]

Fun fact:

For the first time in history, the President of France will speak better English than the President of the United States.

How do previous French presidents compare to Bush 43?

 

[Crazy Eddie]

The moral of this episode is that the voters of the US need to eat more escargot.

Unfortunately, we'll just end up eating more French Fries.

 

[Will Wiley]

Just like many other EU countries France's debts are a serious issue

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/france/government-debt-to-gdp
ance recorded a government debt equivalent to 96 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2016. Government Debt to GDP in France averaged 56.07 percent from 1980 until 2016, reaching an all time high of 96 percent in 2016 and a record low of 20.70 percent in 1980

Thanks Vlad.

You'll find out all about if you are hoping to get a government pension Mickey

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Thanks Vlad.

You'll find out all about if you are hoping to get a government pension Mickey

Thanks Vlad the Second.

 

[Derec]

Macron is overall slightly better than LePen, but he has made clear he intends to do nothing about the chief threats to Europe - mass migration and islamization.

Europe is currently being invaded by hundreds of thousands of migrants each year. Vast majority of them come from countries like Bangladesh or Nigeria and are in no way "refugees".

Europe simply must shut down these mass migration routes and deport mass migrants who have managed to get in. That means that if migrants are "rescued" at sea, they must not be brought to any European ports but should be sent back to where their boat took off from. But under Macron leadership I do not see France pushing for sensible policies like that. Instead, more chalets will be built for more migrants at places like Calais or Dunkirk.

 

[Elixir]

... if migrants are "rescued" at sea, they must not be brought to any European ports but should be sent back to where their boat took off from.

Why bother returning them anywhere? They're claiming to be refugees who will be killed if returned, so why not just sink 'em.

 

[dismal]

Wow, hard to believe but the good guys finally won an election!

Well the much less worse guy won.

Yes, they had a chance to elect a Trump-like candidate but went for the rich white male businessman with no government experience instead.

https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/861575501877452800

 

[jonatha]

Well the much less worse guy won.

Yes, they had a chance to elect a Trump-like candidate but went for the rich white male businessman with no government experience instead.

https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/861575501877452800

That's the rich white male businessman who was appointed Minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs in 2014 to you, fella....

 

[Speakpigeon]

At least it shows the French, by and large, haven't sunk to the level of fear and ignorance that Americans have. On other boards, Trumptards are going apeshit over this. France is going to be under Sharia law, etc.

Which I think speaks to their national character, if you will. The atmosphere is very tense and continued to be so with armed soldiers on every other corner in Paris streets, and far more attacks recently than has taken place in the U.S.

Hmm, not really, no. You're still much more likely to die drinking too much red wine and eating too much cheese than being blown to pieces by a crazed would-be jihadist. There are actual soldiers on foot patrols but definitely not on every other corner. And most people have gotten used to seeing them. Only the terminally anxious worry about the situation. And tourists are coming back, even the Japanese. The risk is very real but not at a level significantly above that of the usual dangers of a big city in France.
EB

 

[Speakpigeon]

Well the much less worse guy won.

Yes, they had a chance to elect a Trump-like candidate but went for the rich white male businessman with no government experience instead.

https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/861575501877452800

He was the ideal opponent for Marine Le Pen and still she lost, one to two.

Also, during the one-time debate they had on television, Macron looked very good: reasonable, competent and bright. She, on the other hand, limited herself to counterproductive and very aggressive personal attacks, looking like she was desperately trying to prevent Macron from exposing her crass ignorance on economic issues. Even her own father criticised her performance!

Her 33.9% score at the election was also significantly less than the 40% she was hoping for or even what the opinion polls had said just before the vote.

And there is Mélanchon now on the left who will take back votes from her.

It looks like they just missed the best opportunity they will ever get.

Too bad, isn't it?
EB

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Well the much less worse guy won.

Yes, they had a chance to elect a Trump-like candidate but went for the rich white male businessman with no government experience instead.

https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/861575501877452800

Yeah, like I said, the much less worse guy.

 

[Blahface]

Anyone else find it absurd that Macron essentially won with just 24% of the vote? The runoff was noncompetitive and Le Pen had no business running in it. If approval voting were used to get the top two, it would have been more competitive and more representative.

 

[bilby]

Anyone else find it absurd that Macron essentially won with just 24% of the vote? The runoff was noncompetitive and Le Pen had no business running in it. If approval voting were used to get the top two, it would have been more competitive and more representative.

Yeah, it's not the best possible system.

It still beats First Past The Post; or even worse FPTP by state, with a weighted electoral college vote based on those results. So it could certainly be better, but it could equally be worse.

 

[J842P]

Yes, they had a chance to elect a Trump-like candidate but went for the rich white male businessman with no government experience instead.

https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/861575501877452800

He was the ideal opponent for Marine Le Pen and still she lost, one to two.

Also, during the one-time debate they had on television, Macron looked very good: reasonable, competent and bright. She, on the other hand, limited herself to counterproductive and very aggressive personal attacks, looking like she was desperately trying to prevent Macron from exposing her crass ignorance on economic issues. Even her own father criticised her performance!

Her 33.9% score at the election was also significantly less than the 40% she was hoping for or even what the opinion polls had said just before the vote.

And there is Mélanchon now on the left who will take back votes from her.

It looks like they just missed the best opportunity they will ever get.

Too bad, isn't it?
EB

We'll see. There is serious underlying issues that likely won't get solved by Macron, being who he is. France's youth unemployment is a staggering 25%. With Trump in the US, it was the last gasps of a dying generation that voted him in. In France, LePen was supported by the youth, and that should be disconcerting. This election may simply be kicking the problem further down the road. It does not bode well that Macron is younger than his average voter.

 

[laughing dog]

He was the ideal opponent for Marine Le Pen and still she lost, one to two.

Also, during the one-time debate they had on television, Macron looked very good: reasonable, competent and bright. She, on the other hand, limited herself to counterproductive and very aggressive personal attacks, looking like she was desperately trying to prevent Macron from exposing her crass ignorance on economic issues. Even her own father criticised her performance!

Her 33.9% score at the election was also significantly less than the 40% she was hoping for or even what the opinion polls had said just before the vote.

And there is Mélanchon now on the left who will take back votes from her.

It looks like they just missed the best opportunity they will ever get.

Too bad, isn't it?
EB

We'll see. There is serious underlying issues that likely won't get solved by Macron, being who he is. France's youth unemployment is a staggering 25%. With Trump in the US, it was the last gasps of a dying generation that voted him in. In France, LePen was supported by the youth, and that should be disconcerting.

According to this site, young voters did not support Le Pen (http://diversitymachtfrei.blogspot.com/2017/05/demographic-analysis-of-macron-vote.html).

Macron did extremely well in big cities and denseiy populated areas, in higher income areas, and with the more educated (https://www.ft.com/content/62d782d6-31a7-11e7-9555-23ef563ecf9a).

This election may simply be kicking the problem further down the road. It does not bode well that Macron is younger than his average voter.

Maybe, but the EU is bit more secure now.

 

[Jayjay]

After Brexit, Trump and Turkey it's reassuring to see that the whole world has not gone insane.

 

[bilby]

 

[whichphilosophy]

After Brexit, Trump and Turkey it's reassuring to see that the whole world has not gone insane.

France was a foregone conclusion given that in the first round the NF scored 21% of the vote. The voters for the 3 other main parties in the main would support another candidate.

Turkey isn't in Europe nor is the USA. France is in debt and this has been rising over the last few years. Greece, Eire,Spain, Portugal and Italy also have serious financial problems.Now they have to Britain is also in debt and rising.

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/france/government-debt-to-gdp

In the UK, Thatcher encouraged those in government housing to buy their own houses. Many did but the UK lacks housing to accommodate for around 600,000 people a year coming into the UK. British citizens married to a non EU/British spouse cannot bring them into the UK if they earn less than £18,500 per year. If a European comes into the UK, there are no such restrictions.

Having visited a few councils in London, the capital is facing an acute shortage of houses. Young people are turned away even if it means sleeping on the streets. It happens to old people. I happened to be in one place when it happened. The person was in their late 60s, single on a state pension but did not qualify for housing as he had worked abroad for a few years. He had never drawn unemployment benefit.

He was told to try some charities who were not able to assist as they could not help. In Ealing council, a person has to live there for at least 5 years to be considered on a Council List. A friend of mine who is semi retired (over 65) took 14 years to get government affordable rented housing.

It is not certain what France will do about restricting immigration but based on Teresa May's record of when she was home secretary this will not change. While we expect the influx to rise from the current 600,000 plus levels per year, housing will not keep up with that.

Then the EU itself is faced with issues it was designed to prevent; a rise in the ultra right, unemployment (often disguised in zero-rated contracts) housing shortages, a lack of medical, educational facilities.

 

[whichphilosophy]

We'll see. There is serious underlying issues that likely won't get solved by Macron, being who he is. France's youth unemployment is a staggering 25%. With Trump in the US, it was the last gasps of a dying generation that voted him in. In France, LePen was supported by the youth, and that should be disconcerting.

According to this site, young voters did not support Le Pen (http://diversitymachtfrei.blogspot.com/2017/05/demographic-analysis-of-macron-vote.html).

Macron did extremely well in big cities and denseiy populated areas, in higher income areas, and with the more educated (https://www.ft.com/content/62d782d6-31a7-11e7-9555-23ef563ecf9a).

This election may simply be kicking the problem further down the road. It does not bode well that Macron is younger than his average voter.

Maybe, but the EU is bit more secure now.

There was never a question of the Ultra-right winning the election as its support base is less than 40% so the EU is just as good or bad as it was before.

 

[laughing dog]

According to this site, young voters did not support Le Pen (http://diversitymachtfrei.blogspot.com/2017/05/demographic-analysis-of-macron-vote.html).

Macron did extremely well in big cities and denseiy populated areas, in higher income areas, and with the more educated (https://www.ft.com/content/62d782d6-31a7-11e7-9555-23ef563ecf9a).

This election may simply be kicking the problem further down the road. It does not bode well that Macron is younger than his average voter.

Maybe, but the EU is bit more secure now.

There was never a question of the Ultra-right winning the election as its support base is less than 40% so the EU is just as good or bad as it was before.

Don't be daft, of course there was a question.