Originally posted by Shinta
Coquine I'm so sorry you feel this way, finding a job and being able to have a future are completely different.
If you're in your twenties in France, you can have a engineering degree, nobody wants to pay an engineer what he's worth. So you take a waiter gig, so you can get help for your rent, and not pay taxes.
Still think it's lazyness? The system is absurd.

I have repeatedly been accused of calling people lazy, and I will point out AGAIN that someone else said that- I did not.
Now, paying an engineer "what he’s worth" may have different meanings for us ! Many french kids think « having an education in engineering » means he’s worth a lot. I do not agree. There are many with a degree in engineering. That is not enough.

Either you know somebody important or you don't. Every mate of mine that got a job after their degrees, got it thanks to their dad's friend, or whoever.

This is true- the « piston » is the strong force in France. From my point of view, as a foriegner more obligated to percieve how the system works and choose my acts accordingly, I work with that. For example, in your place, I’d get a job waitering in a place successful engineers regularly have lunch at (like next to their offices) and get working on socializing with them ! Make contacts, weave connections….. find out when a post opens in that office, even if it is secretary or something, to start getting in and getting known, and gaining knowledge of the metier from all angles from the inside ! Social networking is essential in France- business and personal relations are NOT separate here, as you know.
But if you are french (therefore, in my mind, with more right to make changes in the culture) then what about activating for a change in this cultural value ? To the proposition of laws against (and enforcement against) favoritism and embauchment bias via personal relations ??

You may have found a way to have a future here, I can't understand how you can still be saying that you deserved it, because you sweat, fought and wept for it.

It’s simple- studies have confirmed again and again that it is part of human behavior regardless of cultural origin : we appreciate and feel more pleasure at achieving things that were difficult to achieve. Challenge is a necessity for humans in their instincual desire to know themselves through experience and what they are capable of. Make life too easy and they will CREATE drama in their lives, perception of obstacles and opponents to clash with.

It's as if you were saying that everybody has to go through hell in order to get a life-changing opportunity.

Hell ? Hm… more like « challenge and difficulty » yeah. (liking challenge is possible too, when you have tasted it) In this case, your savvy in communicatiosn and social networking would be essential for working in engineering anyway, so to get in, you’d have to develop it well anyway.

I deserved my degrees, I'm pretty sure PitchDragon deserved them too.

I’m sure you did. The question is not have you earned your degree, but have you earned a high paying job as an engineer ? Is one necessarily the other ? I don’t believe so. There is not enough positions available for all the graduates with a degree in engineering- there has to be something that raises some above the rest. But perhaps you could attack the problem from another angle- lowering the taxes on those who are self employed or have an enterprise ? This could motivate more people to be entrepreneuring, create more business, and more jobs ? There’s a cause too !

What about activating movements to make contracts that exist which leave more possibility for employees to leave, employers to fire, to get more movement and turn over going in the work market ? Encourage cultural revolution in values- from « one job for life », to changing metiers midlife (I’d like to be able to go to the fac and learn a different area, it would free up my business for a young person to take over if they want !)… or to the idea of « moving up » through out ones career ? If the stagnation of older people who keep the same post for 30 years could be shaken up, it would leave positions for younger to move in ! (but of course, you’d have to free yourself from the idea too, of getting your « life job » now for ever….)

These are examples of « thinking beyond the next quarter » in a constructive way. They are just suggestions. Think beyond just burning down what you don't like and building what you would!

Pitchdragon-

I promised I would give you feedback on the particulars of your proposal for this new government vision in your revolution, and I apologize for not doing it sooner ! I have been very busy, especially today, as you know it is a holiday, but since I open holidays as well as Sundays, I get pretty busy those days.

I want to say first that I feel no personal drive to critique your plan put forth. I felt it important that you specify what your demands are, that’s all. I offer this because you asked for feedback, and perhaps that can be useful to you.

1- I agree that « a true DEMOCRACY is above all an exchange between who drivers who are on board ». We disagree in the sense that those in roles of power only need to listen and obey the people, and not ever the inverse. I see it more as equal exchange. The people elect the leaders to lead. Why elect a leader if you do not intend to follow ? The people are a mass of contradictions, and the leader is hoped to be able to bring all their concerns to compromises and integrate them into one path that will not completely please one side or the other. Compromises are like that. With each election, as well, not everyone will be pleased and have their way. "The people" are not an entity of one mind.

There is also the problem of part of the population being ignorant or short sighted, so at times the road to what they want is NOT what they think it is. The reason that traditionally, in almost all cultures, the leader is placed on a higher level, to symbolize his duty to rise above and see further. Desireable long term effects often take on the appearence of being undesireable in the immediate.

2- I do not totally understand your proposition on financial regulation, and « bringing back the power in the right place. » It sounds as if that « right place » is the government, as that is what would place (more) regulation…….. there are various problems there, like the more power you place in the governments hands, the more people are resentful and bitter against the government for having that power.

3- Supporting local economy, I agree with. You are refering to « outsourcing ». I haven’t seen that to be such a problem in France- the french are very loyal that way and value their manual workers and such… but perhaps that is just my perception due to the contrast between the US and France. The outsourcing there is SO much more prevalent, and being a small business owner, agricultor, or doing manual labor is almost considered lacking any value to the society at all ! France is on the opposite of the spectrum there.

4- Equitable distribution of budgets- you refer to quite a few different things in there, but I agree with investing in research and development of clean energy sources. I haven’t seen France active in a lot of war though, I think they’ve been pretty reasonable there- but then again, I am aware my perception is relative to my experience in my country, which is MUCH more war-mongerish.

5- Solidarity between countries…… sounds great, very idealistic. I personally don’t believe true solidarity and peace between all countries is possible. I mean, people have been wishing for world peace for ever, but also get hostile at the thought of a New World Order at the same time- humans are bags of contradiction, between their desires to be part of a bigger entity, and a whole unto themself, our individual rights and our rights as a community.

If everyone could come to terms with the oppositions within themselves, then I guess we’d see true solidarity in the exterior world appear as well !

But heck, you are young, and idealism is supposed to be the flag you carry, and though I may be an old sceptic, perhaps you can get us part way there !
I just feel that revolution isn't the path to that- no more than having one side of ourself uprise inside and overide completely the other- I prefer the (often more difficult and complex) task of interweaving, communicating and exchanging between the two opposants to integrate them in creative ways is more efficient. But that is only my opinion or preference.