Battle over Austerity Collapses French Government

So much for the 'Hopey Changey' President of France. Voters in France are just as stupid as American voters. This is the clearest display yet that with austerity the political class is post democratic in its alliance with finance capital.

Common Dreams:

"The upheaval marks the second time in less than five months that Hollande has orchestrated a shake-up of the French cabinet and comes amid rising opposition to the austerity policies of the president, whose approval rating has plummeted to 17 percent."

French Exceptionalism...

From THE GUARDIAN

A high-level diplomatic spat has broken out between France and Germany, but this time it is not about saving the euro or European integration. Instead, it is foie gras that is causing the fallout.

Angry missives have flown between Paris and Berlin after the decision by organisers of a leading German food fair to ban the French delicacy, which is made from the liver of fattened geese or ducks.

Foie gras producers are incensed after being told their liver pâté will be not welcome at the biennial Anuga food fair in Cologne in October.
[...]
About 37 million ducks and 700,000 geese are slaughtered each year to make French foie gras. The force-feeding practice is said to date to 2,500BC, though it is unlikely the ancient Egyptians took to fattening their fowl on the industrial scale found in France, where foie gras and its controversial production method is enshrined in law as part of the country's so-called cultural exception. Article L654 of the 2006 rural code states: "Foie gras is part of the protected cultural and gastronomic heritage of France. By 'foie gras' is meant the liver of a duck or a goose specifically fattened by force-feeding."

Protégez-vous

Hat Tip to The House of LeMay.

Weekend Music: YVES DUTEIL

From 24oranges

The city of Amstelveen, next to Amsterdam, has been playing host to an entire week of French cultural events.

And Yves Duteil played last Thursday. I googled him and found the above - wonderful - song on You Tube.

WHY DOESN'T IT HAPPEN HERE?

Over 1,000,000 strike in France, a protest over the Sarkozy's handling of the economic crisis.

JEFF KOONS VERSAILLES

This is very cool: Jeff Koons is one of my most favourite artists:

Remigius of Rheims, Bishop, Apostle of the Franks, 1 October 530

Here are the appointed readings for use on the Feast of Remigius...

Bishop of Rheims; died 530; Patron of France. Remigius was appointed Bishop of Rheims at the age of twenty-two. He baptised Clovis I, king of the Franks; traditionally this was held to be a consequence of the influence of the wife of the king, Clotilda, herself a Christian. The event (though the circumstances are disputed) was of great importance to the formation of the French nation. Remigius was a zealous evangeliser: "by his signs and miracles he brought low the heathen altars everywhere."

St Remigius baptises Clovis I.