Good evening, Raoul.

Good analogy. Democracy is an effort to work cooperatively toward the goals of the group while allowing maximum individual freedom to work toward personal goals.

And, like the traffic jam, there are people with a strong sense of entitlement who believe the rules are for other people, not them. With a little patience everyone will get through, and if just a few people try to circumvent the "system", it will take forever.

People seem to vote to change the traffic cops directing traffic. Some cops let the expensive cars through first. Those cops say that if the expensive cars get out of the way, the others will naturally find it easier to get on.

Others try to let as many cars through as possible.

Unfortunately for the US, we have a huge underclass with no cars. They mill around molesting the folks with cars, or themselves. Our solution has been to throw them in the slam, rather than come up with another lane for them. That will come back to bite us eventually, hard. The prisons will become a school for protest, whether it be individuals or groups breaking laws.

Le Pen reminds me a little bit of the 1948 US Presidential election. Dewey was ahead in all the polls, it was over. And Truman won, seemingly as a protest. Many, many people voted for Truman because they knew he didn't have a chance. And Truman was elected, turned out to be one of the USs more highly rated presidencies.

I think a vote for Le Pen vote was seen as a safe way to protest some of the policies of the more mainstream politicians. If folks thought he had a chance they wouldn't have voted for him.

People seem to be unhappy with immigration only when it gets to be lower-middle class immigration. They still want immigration, but start protesting when their jobs are threatened.

People want less government when the policies get in their way. They want more prisons, but not in my back yard. They want more police to control other people, but fewer restrictions on themselves.

And finally, on the grand scale, people seem to always vote their pocketbook. They vote for whatever regime they perceive will leave them with the most "stuff".

Getting the cars through the traffic jam, getting most peoples needs met, is one heck of a job.

Enough rambling. I've enjoyed writing it, but have to move on. I trust all is well over there. May all your riots be relaxed, all your sunsets have a sunrise.

Arf