Reagan waited six months for his first opportunity to begin going after syndicated labour, when he fired striking PATCO air traffic controls en masse, declaring their strike a threat to National Security. Of course much of the press took this point of view, and as I recall from those days, the anti-union mantra was repeated in every communications channel; the daily papers, weekly news journals, television news and university lecture halls.
Thatcher also went about de-unionizing the country piece by piece. Her boost in popularity following the Falklands war made it possible for her to take on the National Union of Mineworkers one year into her second mandate. Five years after first being elected.
There are many differences between then and now; a shortened news cycle, shortened attention spans, more diffuse channels through which we can pull in information (internet blogs), and through which information is pushed or propagated. All of which can lead to churning up a backlash if Sarkozy fails to move fast enough.
For Sarko to announce any threatening and radical policy changes would be foolish at the opening of the legislative election campaign. Then again, I might eat these words with relish tomorrow or next week.
Further, unlike Bush when he came into office in 2000, Sarko is already recognised as a dividing and divisive force in French politics. He must realise that before he can effect any change he needs to overcome this perception. For a practical chameleon who values his hard fought place at the top of the political rock, this weighs against any hasty pronouncements about swift change, and in favour of buying and biding time.
I think given France's reputation for resistance to change the WSJ, FT, NYT et. al editors and pundits will be patient to wait until clear opportunities arise. Even perhaps scaring up a Falklands moment. Unfortunately for him Verdun has been done. Or they might simply ride shotgun on facing down a medium profile union, in the interest of state security, or finding some other means of breaking the bonds of solidarity between the CGT, CFDT, FO. et al.
It all depends on which opportunities are presented and how and when.
Their patience and opportunism could last well past the inauguration of the next US president, unlikely to be found in bed with the neocons, and facing a monumental fiscal crisis and with whom Sarkozy will have to work in the 3 year run up to his bid for a second mandate. L'inteligence sans volonté n'aboutit ŕ rien, n'est-ce pas?... Mais, la volonté sans intelligence?... Catastrophe!... Celine
Someone above mentioned the example of Arnold Schwarzenegger here in California and how his efforts to govern from the right and attack labor unions failed entirely. I am hopeful that Sarkozy will be forced to do the same. But a national leader has much more power at his disposal than a state governor, even of a state as large and significant as California. And the world will live as one
Which just goes to show just how much damage even an Arnold-type executive can do.
California would be suicidal to kill the HSR plan. There are some hearings in Sacramento this week and supporters of HSR are organizing to save the project. Dunno what will happen. And the world will live as one
