After a couple of great guest posts from George and Khayem I'm afraid it's back to me this week with a bit of a mini rant.
The French Government has put their pension age up from 62 to 64 and Les Punters are not happy about it and are out on the streets. Their pension is on average 50% higher than the British state pension (albeit 30 years is enough to benefit from a full pension in the UK compared to 43 in France) The current age you can draw your pension here is 66 increasing to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046. They are clearly working on the theory that more folk will die before they get what they should be entitled to having paid national insurance contributions over the years.
So while the French are on the streets what are we doing about it? Sweet FA as per usual is the answer to that question.. Moaning about it certainly, but no one is Talkin' Bout a Revolution apart from Tracy Chapman.
Tracy Chapman is followed by Arrested Development who in 1992 provide some historical context
Finally this week's Reggae Revolutionaries offering from Ernie is Revolution Souljah from the Dominican reggae star Nasio. Here is more information about him than you could possibly need.
The Revolution is drawing to a close but may limp along for another couple of weeks.
Tracy Chapman - Talkin' Bout a Revolution
Arrested Development - Revolution
That's a lot more than I knew about Nasio. I don't think 'Chris Thief a Crumble Us' is going to catch on
ReplyDeleteYes, doubt if many people around Europe are feeling sorry for them but maybe I'm missing the point.
ReplyDeleteWe need 35 years contributions here which is tough for people who have raised families, looked after elderly parents then inadvertently found themselves divorced or widowed. The people who are going to need the state pension most are possibly those who have done the kind of jobs that are just not possible at age 67. It's a mess but on the upside I hear life expectancy is now going down!
Love that song by Tracy Chapman - not heard it in years.
Yup had to dust down the Tracy Chapman CD!
DeleteWhen the French do their political protests, they don't half do them properly - I always admire them for that. Unless I've forgotten (which is highly likely) I don't recall anywhere similar the amount of demonstrative radical reaction when our retirement pension ages were sent into orbit several years back. All respect to Alyson but I think she is missing the point - those sort of comparisons are odious not to mention irrelevant . Any government's job should be to look after and support its own citizens after a lifetime of labour irrespective of what any other country does and ours (of all political hues) have failed us all in this regard. As for the music....two great tracks and then Tracey's was good to hear again all these years later
ReplyDeletePoint taken. No we’ve definitely not had the same level of demonstrative reaction here although the WASPI women have certainly kept banging their drum.
DeleteYes, we have been failed spectacularly. Alyson
Love all the Charity Chic stuff BTW without being a regular contributor whilst about to comment on the French vs us on pensions..
ReplyDeleteSimply put, we are rubbish aren't we? I think that out leaders could go out and shoot pets on a daily basis and the press would defend them and we'd sit there and moan about everything that is irrelevant. Totally agree with CC - would love the British public to make a stand about this but we deserve what we get... :(
Vive la France!
ReplyDelete