GJ activity seems to have dropped off markedly here in Brittany. There are a few roundabout ‘camps’ with ‘sonnez soutenir’ signs but the response is now rather muted. Yellow vests on dashboards are also noticeably in sharp decline. Off course Bretons are not French.
And they say France isn’t a racist country -
“And they say France isn’t a racist country”
Oh dear, Tim.
“One swallow doth not a summer make”.
Oh dear Tim what Peter, please don’t infer that this is a ‘one-off’?
Who says that? It is a country with people in it and some of them will be racist/sexist/classist/whateverist, that doesn’t negate the fact that we are in an état de droit and such behaviour is illegal.
Alain Finkielkraut has often been (quite rightly, most of the time) a target for criticism because of his opinions; but he shouldn’t be one just on account of his origins.
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Oh dear, Tim.
Perhaps my quoting Shakespeare to you wasn’t a good idea. I don’t think the Bard was necessarily thinking of just one swallow, it was rather a powerful poetic allusion to a common tendency to jump to premature conclusions, to generalise from the particular…
Well we will hear with interest the debate in the House, I think on Tuesday, on anti-semitism.
[quote=“letstryagain, post:482, topic:24300, full:true”] Bretons are not French.
[/quote]
Any more than the English are Angles. Most are Danes, Germans, Italians or Normans. Quite a lot are Africans or Asians. Funny old hybrid world we live in.
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Erm I am starting to believe you are a troll - and why have you not been called out for not providing picture and real name?
Whoever it was has gone, had their account anonymised!
Norman… In my opinion, it is nicer when folk put their picture on the forum… but some folk do not like to do that (we are all different…) 
I don’t think it is a MUST DO… though…
Good morning Norman - I am beginning to wonder if you are a ‘Timewalker’ - it’s almost as if you are responding to threads in your very own ‘real time’ which is our 3 months ago. Or is it that you have read and re-read all those wonderful books you have and have taken to studying the SF archives?
If so you obviously haven’t got to the bit where members cancel out their membership for one reason or the other (mainly because they take umbridge at something or someone) and become an ‘anon’ or to the many, many threads discussing the use of pictures on the forum. It was, as far as l remember, announced by @james that it was OK not to use a picture. So its definitely NOT a must do at this juncture - however, rules are always subject to change.
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Hi Dan, you probably are right about being a Timewalker as I do tend to come across subjects here and until recently never checked the dates of them. Doddery Old Git probably just about covers it?
However I do have a theory that anonymity breeds moral cowards. I am firmly of the belief that if one has a point of view that is validated (if not proven) by having the balls to put ones real name to it.
I often laugh and sometimes fume at the Armchair Warriors I see on Youtube hiding behind stupid names. I think the photos side here is largely irrelevant anyway as they are so small as to defy recognition of anyone.
Maybe that is no bad thing I suppose, but for me an opinion is only valid when the person expounding it is willing to be identified. Otherwise, and again for me, I simply discard and discount it as not being worthy of attention.
Yes, taking umbrage at something and departing is something I have done myself - here on SF. At the time I just felt all that was acceptable as trivialities - verbal ‘selfies’ if you will. Plus I felt and still feel after returning that we have lost a few very worthy subscribers - and I name Brian Milne at the forefront of these, even though we had quite a few major disagreements about things.
Currently I think there is a good mix of people with firm and even strong opinions - sometimes which I don’t share, but often a new shard of light had caught my eye that illuminates something I haven’t really considered and which exercises my mind.
On that basis alone SF seems to be doing a good job. Even if I am not - being a belated particpant so often.
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I agree with some of what you say but in the main l am diametrically opposite in my world view and opinions to you. Moral cowardice for example is not the preserve of the anonymous, as the current batch of politicians in the world illustrate only too often. Neither is moral courage owned by the known - I have admired unknown hero’s, l don’t need to know someone’s identity to recognise their worth, unlike you. Not everyone who seeks anonymity, in my view, should be denied the oxygen of free speech.
l was never a fan of Mr Milne and l remember thinking at the time of his, and your, departure that it felt like you were picking up your intellectual football’s and leaving the pitch because others would not play the game as you thought it should be played, which seems to happen less and less these days. But of course you had every right to do so.
Talking of people leaving l note, with some dismay, the absence of Peter Goble - l do hope he is OK and has not put his hat on and left the building:cry:
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Your dismay, @Dan_Wood, has stirred my soul, bringing a rare tear to my reptilian eye. Some cold and primeval urge insists I return from the murky, muddy depths of pain to which I sank.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! He came gallumphing back.”
Yes. Though there will be other jabberwocks with jaws that bite, and claws that catch, I surface to lurk again.
And thanks for bearing tidings of my temporary pause, @graham, it’s an honour to be in your esteem! 
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So pleased that your scalp never found it’s way onto the bloodied belt of the moon huntress. Bear your scars with pride as you live to fight another day.
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The gilet jaunes were at the roundabout going into our town today. I was stopped so said Bonjour and took their leaflet, they then asked if I would buy un stylo. It was 3 euros so I paid up, wished them Bon Chance and went on my way.
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First hand experience of lots of damage caused by GJs
. In my city, shop windows smashed and / or boarded up, the city centre looks more like war-zone areas. Small and large businesses suffering …and tourists telling me they’re cutting their stay in France because of it all …
Which I suppose you did because you didn’t want to get into a haggling match.
This movement is using tactics which the majority of us find unacceptable.
The centres of towns made no go areas on Saturdays, violence and intimidation and absolutely no concern for the livelihood of others.
Whatever the excellent points they made at first about the extra costs of living in La France Profonde and being ignored by Paris, they have since been totally subsumed by their behaviour.
They have allowed their movement to be taken over by thugs and have lost their credibility.