GeofCoxMar 28

I often joke that Brittany is the most left-wing region in France - and has the highest number of cafés and bars per capita... but perhaps the two aspects are more closely linked than I thought.

This article - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/27/progressive-paris-far-right-french-capital-food-culture-community-extremists - links the increasing number of car-free and non-commercial social spaces in Paris with its continuing extraordinary left voting record - and suggests that the well documented disappearance of such spaces in the US and elsewhere may be a factor in the rise of the extreme right.

Progressive Paris has many weapons to fight the far right, but the best? Spaces where you can simply hang out

Drop into any of the French capital’s ‘third places’ and you’ll find food, culture, community – and an antidote to the disaffection extremists feed on, says Paris-based writer Alexander Hurst

The Guardian
Show threadMike 🇬🇧 🇪🇺Mar 29

@GeofCox
This resonates with a thought I had a couple of months ago about a group of flag-shaggers who were gathering each Saturday at a local crossroads.

In past times they'd have been going to meet up at a local pub (all closed round here) or to play in a Social type sports club - now all priced out of reach by private/council leisure centres, or in church based activities.
The space is getting filled online by right wing oddballs who gives these people a sense of togetherness and belonging (despite the fact they're just being used by millionaires).

Cafés and social centres as third spaces - for all generations - seem to be essential for the cohesion of a civil society.

Show threadAlex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK1d ago

@MikeFromLFE @GeofCox

in Britain (and likely rest of Europe too), closure of third spaces and spreading out of those remaining means you need to drive to them.

As well as hassle and cost for searching for parking spaces, you have to (quite rightly) remain sober and authorities nowadays put a lot of resources into making sure folk comply to that. A lot of people only begrudgingly comply, and are angry/petulant about it which feeds the right wing (most whines about ULEZ and 20mph are really more that DUI and speeding isn't overlooked like it used to be)

30 years ago the flag-shaggers wouldn't have been doing that because they were getting drunk or high and going to raves etc (which at least diverted a lot of their energy, although it did lead to other social problems)

Show threadMoof! 🔜 #JetLagTheGame NL

@vfrmedia @MikeFromLFE @GeofCox I’m not convinced that the “getting drunk or high” bit is necessarily better. The British approach to alcohol has been steadily getting worse as other social pressures keep mounting, and I genuinely no longer feel safe around drunk Brits. And I say that as a Brit, though living abroad.

Third spaces are important, but especially alcohol-free ones that don’t close at 6pm.

8:39amWeb
Show threadTea by Name Tea by Nature6h ago

@moof @vfrmedia @MikeFromLFE @GeofCox

Very much this:

"Third spaces are important, but especially alcohol-free ones that don’t close at 6pm."

I have never been a big drinker, and I like to go out to listen to live music, this generally ends up at a pub. I also mostly go on my own. I feel bad if I can't contribute, so end up having something with way too much sugar and still looks vaguely like it has some alcohol in it.

My main place still feels quite right wing, but have had some interesting conversations where I have managed to get someone to think about things a bit more, and they've appreciated it. Spaces where this can happen are important.

Show threadAlex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK5h ago

@teabynameteabynature @moof @MikeFromLFE @GeofCox

I was thinking of early 90s rave subculture (which I was a big part of) which was initially very inclusive, and had more partydrugs use than alcohol (initially mostly excluding cocaine which was expensive and less popular then), but this level of lawless hedonism had its tolls on wider society and even that got slowly overtaken by fash and misogynists over the years.

Nowadays I just avoid going out at night as everything still revolves around alcohol here (including main revenue stream for venues) which makes places sketchy, especially if you are brown which even includes the "cool" music venues (there's a lot of tension about immigration in my town)