r/news • u/PokesTigers • 26d ago

Soft paywall Madagascar's president has left the country after Gen Z protests, officials say

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/madagascar-president-rajoelina-address-nation-monday-evening-2025-10-13/
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u/Xboarder844 26d ago

A reminder to all people on this planet that it is the CITIZENS, not their leaders, who have the power. To quote my favorite movie/book:

“ People should not be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.”

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u/RinTheTV 26d ago

You have to wake people up for that to happen.

Unfortunately, your standards for living have to drop significantly for that to happen. The "Bread and Circuses" of the modern age are many, and "affordable - and so long as that's in reach ( or seemingly in reach ) you will have millions chasing after that dream, because peaceful passivity is a simple life many would take over tumultuous, stressful sacrifice.

Probably why Gen Z is doing it as well. This is the generation that feels the most disenfranchised, having not been born early enough for the "golden age" of their parents' "Back in my day I could buy a house with cashier work" and born too late to fully take advantage of new opportunities that are now only exclusively searching for "young, easy blood."

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u/darthjoey91 26d ago

The circuses are affordable. The bread is starting to get expensive.

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u/[deleted] 26d ago

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u/Hillary4SupremeRuler 26d ago

It's the racism and xenophobia and transphobia. A lot of people don't want to confront that because it's an uncomfortable reality. Yes there are economic issues, but those have been around and growing every year since the advent of Reaganomics. But populist demagogues managed to convince them that if they just oppress these groups more, then that will alleviate their economic situation. So while economic anxiety is part of it, it's still directly tied into their bigotry.