Shape of things to come...

[PVR]

The current crisis in France over a new law introduced by the government making it easy for employers to hire (and fire) workers, in the name of tackling unemployment, has attracted world-wide attention.
John Berger describes the genesis of this problem and what it portends for the developed world (and in a matter of few years for the developing world), in this world of globalisation and 'corporate' thinking: http://www.opendemocracy.net/globalization-vision_reflections/wall_bulldozer_3421.jsp
Wall - the arguments put forth to defend such type of thinking, and Bull Dozer - the damage done to democratic and social institutions by such policies is an apt title.
The tragedy is that people in other countries/societies just watch such protests little realizing that it is a matter of time before they themselves are affected. Meanwhile the so-called democracy as it is prevailing (where there is little scope for collective conscience to assert itself) helps the juggernaut of 'corporate' thinking to roll on and influence governments policies and programmes...

[ssanjinika]

Hey PVR,
Its understandable that other countries would be affected to a certain extent by whats happening in france..but it would be totally irresponsible for an outside country to interfere in france's internal problems specifically with regard to the governments policies and programmes.Thats just calling for more trouble!

[Lambretta]

but it would be totally irresponsible for an outside country to interfere in france's internal problems specifically with regard to the governments policies and programmes.Thats just calling for more trouble!
Exactly, as is happening in case of the 'affair' w/ US & Iraq! :(

[gaddeswarup]

Pl. check http://www.nybooks.com/articles/18931 for a related (?) view.
I find it interesting and formulates more questions than answers.
swarup

[PVR]

Its understandable that other countries would be affected to a certain extent by whats happening in france..but it would be totally irresponsible for an outside country to interfere in france's internal problems specifically with regard to the governments policies and programmes.Thats just calling for more trouble!
It is not that other countries would be affected by the current turmoil in France materially, though it does affect in a subtler way by impinging on the thinking process.
The new law called the 'First Employment Contract', is said to make it easier for employers to dismiss under-26 year olds. Now this is an assault on human dignity. It is against the values of sincerity and loyalty and encourages a superficial approach to life, reducing humans to machine-like objects.
To maintain high profitability and to circumvent the burden of labour welfare 'corporate' ('profit') thinking comes out with such ideas and influences the govt. of the day to adopt them.
The lesson for the modern day youth, in general, is not to be carried away by the glamour of booming stock indices but to beware of the implications of corporate success stories.
Unless there is a strong protest as in France against such anti-labour policies, corporations will become more influential and more dangerous to human dignity.