Few countries advance smoothly, on all fronts at once, and France is certainly not one of them. The immoderate protests that brought much of the country to a halt this week, and the signs that the protesters would be indulged by the government in the usual way (see page 53), will have made many people think that France is not advancing at all. The episode is indeed an awful reminder of the old France, but that should not blind onlookers to the changes taking place, nor blind the French government to the opportunities that lie ahead if only it could rid the country of some vile habits.
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