Begin forwarded message:
From: dasg...@aol.com
Date: January 29, 2009 7:32:08 PM PST
To: ramille...@aol.com
Cc: ema...@aol.com, j...@aol.com, jim6...@cwnet.com,
garyn2...@yahoo.com, lar...@rawstory.com
Subject: French Revolution II? ("Useless Eaters" of the World, Storm
the BANKstille!)
France hit by national strike on 'Black Thursday'
France woke up to a day of nationwide strikes in both the public and
private sector on what has been billed as 'Black Thursday'.
By Henry Samuel in Paris
Last Updated: 3:01PM GMT 29 Jan 2009
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/4384543/France-hit-by-national-strike-on-Black-Thursday.html
People protest in the streets of the French eastern city of Lyon today
during France's first major strike triggered by the global financial
crisis Photo: AFP
Hundreds of thousands of workers are expected at more than 200 rallies
to call on President Nicolas Sarkozy to do more to protect jobs and
wages.
Three-quarters of people and all the main trade unions support the day
of industrial action.
The protesters are demonstrating against the worsening economic
climate and rising unemployment in France and at what they believe to
be the government's poor handling of the crisis.
The main bulk of protesters will come from across the public sector,
from postal workers to court officials and a huge contingent of
teachers marching against Mr Sarkozy's plan not to replace 13,500 jobs
in education this year when staff retire or quit the profession.
But employees from the private sector, from car plant workers but also
helicopter pilots, supermarket cashiers and even ski lift operators,
will also take part.
All major cities were experiencing transport delays, but slightly less
than expected, particularly in Paris.
A third of flights from Paris's Orly airport have been cancelled, with
the remaining flights experiencing delays of around an hour. Around
one in ten flights from Roissy Charles de Gaulle have been cancelled
and there are 30-minute delays on departures.
More than 60 per cent of national TGV trains are expected to function,
and the London-to-Paris Eurostar service is running normally. Three
quarters of metro trains were running this morning, but suburban
services were harder hit.
The main unions are demonstrating to protect French purchasing power
and jobs and against workers taking the brunt of the financial crisis.
They want Mr Sarkozy, who has already announced a 26 billion euro (£24
billion) economic recovery plan with an emphasis on investment, to
boost consumption.
The president has promised to "listen" to people's concerns but to
push on with his reform programme and not to change it under the
influence of "those who shout loudest".
Mr Sarkozy enraged unions last year by joking: "Now when France goes
on strike, nobody notices."
Bernard Thibault, head of the powerful CGT union, said that this time
Mr Sarkozy could not say: "I saw nothing, I heard nothing and I will
say nothing."
However, the unions are divided as to whether to call other stoppages
in the coming days or weeks.
Meanwhile, Eric Woerth, the budget minister, said that strikes were
the last thing France needed right now.
"There are other ways to make oneself heard than striking," he said.
"Blocking a country, preventing transport from working, bothering
people when they are still extraordinarily worried and fearful of the
future, is adding fear on top of fear, worry on top of worry."
------------------
For the predatory RICH, NO BAILOUT!
SEIZE THEIR ASSETS, ARREST THEM AND THROW THEM IN
JAIL, NO BAIL!
Second U.S. bank bailout
could cost up to $2 trillion
Thu Jan 29, 2009 6:11am GMT
http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKTRE50S0X920090129
(Reuters) - U.S. government officials seeking to revamp the financial
bailout have discussed spending another $1 trillion (709 billion
pounds) to $2 trillion to help restore banks to health, the Wall
Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The paper said the Barack Obama administration could announce its
plans within days but has not yet determined the final shape of its
new proposal, and the exact details could change.
The administration is also seeking more effective ways to pump money
into banks, and is considering buying common shares in the banks,
according to the paper.
A Treasury spokeswoman told the paper that "while lots of options are
on the table, there are no final decisions" on what she described as a
"comprehensive plan."
"The president has made it clear that he'll do whatever it takes to
stabilise our financial system so that we can get credit flowing again
to families and businesses," she told the paper.
The U.S. Treasury has already disbursed nearly $294 billion from the
government $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP to
shore up the banking system and faltering U.S. automakers. Billions
more have been pledged for particular uses.
A Treasury spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a Reuters email
seeking comment that was sent after normal business hours.
The WSJ said another way being considered for the government to inject
money into banks is the purchase of convertible bonds, in which the
government would be paid interest now but have the option to get
common equity later.
(Reporting by Ajay Kamalakaran in Bangalore; Editing by Anshuman Daga)
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