#1237 Understanding the Yellow Vests protest
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 22 December 2018
⏱️ 79 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date: 12/21/2018
Today we take a look at the Yellow Vests protest in France to understand what they are, how they started and what implications they have for the struggle between neoliberal, fascist and progressive politics worldwide
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SHOW NOTES
Militant "yellow vest" protests continue in France, despite President Macron's efforts to offer concessions.
World Politics Review's Judah Grunstein talks to us from Paris and provides a background briefing on the Yellow Vest protests.
Ch. 3: Woke Pamela Anderson Explains Paris Riots - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date 12-7-18
Pamela Anderson gives a great breakdown of the Yellow Vests protest and protests in general.
Ch. 4: The Yellow Vest Protests in France - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 12-4-18
Alissa Rubin, New York Times bureau chief in Paris, talks about the deadly Yellow Vest protests in France, and whether world leaders can take necessary steps to address global warming without imposing overly harsh economic burdens on hard-working citizens.
With the rise of the Yellow Vest (Gilets jaunes) movement, there no clearer evidence that zombie neoliberalism is bound to fail. This crisis cannot be solved with the centrist policies and politics that caused it in the first place.
“By many accounts Macron’s paying the price not so much for taxing carbon as for ignoring inequality and passing tax breaks for the rich, while pushing more austerity on people already at breaking point.” Laura Flanders, weekly commentary.
The yellow vests have pushed President Macron to kill the proposed fuel tax. Here’s what you need to know about the tax - and what we can learn from the gilets jaunes.
We talk about the Yellow Vest movement and what it means for the left going forward.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: I say Happy Holidays because I get my Christmas cards out late - Jeff from Charlotte, NC
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on selective inclusion and exclusion and clarification on why it’s good to be able to argue your opponent’s side
MUSIC:
- Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
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- On Our Own Again - The Pine Barrens (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Contrarian - Sketchbook (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Derailed - The Depot (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
- Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Transcript
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| 0:24.6 | at bestofleft.com. |
| 0:26.5 | Now, welcome to this episode of the award-winning best of left podcast, in which we shall learn |
| 0:31.0 | about the yellow vest protests in France to understand what they are, how they got started, |
| 0:36.6 | and what implications they have for the politics of neoliberalism, the people, and the climate |
| 0:41.8 | worldwide. |
| 0:42.8 | Clipsody come from The Real News, The David Feldman Show, The Majority Report, The Brian |
| 0:48.2 | Lairer Show, The Dig, The Laura Flanders Show, Common Sensor, and The Michael Brooks Show. |
| 0:55.2 | France is on edge, as the so-called yellow vest movement, is continuing its nationwide |
| 1:07.3 | protest for a fourth consecutive week. |
| 1:09.8 | This past Saturday, over 100,000 took to the streets in Paris and throughout the country |
| 1:14.0 | to protest against the neoliberal government of Emmanuel Macron. |
| 1:17.9 | The last two Saturdays, though, the protest took a turn towards vandalism and street fights |
| 1:21.7 | when police intervened with massacred tear gas wallies and water cannons, and some protesters |
| 1:25.9 | smashed storefronts and set cars on fire. |
| 1:29.0 | Over 1,200 protesters were arrested in the most recent action, and over 100 protesters |
| 1:33.8 | and 17 police officers were injured, with over $4 million in property damage according |
| 1:38.5 | to France's interior ministry. |
... |
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