It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness… Actually, no. Strike that. All around the globe, it was the worst of times, and foolishness was making new records. But in London, despite massive cuts in the country’s burgeoning budget, the streets were calm and the populace went about their daily business in a sober, if not particularly elated, mood. They did notice, however, that the government was advising all British tourists to stay away from France.
That was because in Paris the scene looked strikingly different. At the mere mention of pension reform, Parisian union workers, bored students with a deeply flawed understanding of labor economics, and other state workers took to the streets, burning cars and clashing with police. They threw up blockades and formed picket lines, shutting down refineries and public transit, closing schools, and engaging in acts of violence and vandalism.
