Saturday, October 23, 2010
This is What Happens When a Government Runs Out of Other People's Money
Ah, Paris, the city of love and the entitlement generation.
Masked youths clashed with police and set fires in cities across France on Tuesday as protests against a proposed hike in the retirement age took an increasingly radical turn. President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged to crack down on "troublemakers" and guarantee public order, raising the possibility of more confrontations with young rioters after a week of disruptive but largely nonviolent demonstrations. More than 200 protests and one-day strikes by workers in sectors across the French economy were planned around the country over a bill raising the retirement age to 62. In many cities, protesters were being joined by young people who appeared to be seizing an opportunity to lash out at police. Protests turned violent in the central city of Lyon, where rioters smashed several store windows and torched rubbish bins and cars. Police used tear gas in an attempt to disperse trouble makers.
Is the US headed toward similar protests as we necessarily cut entitlement programs to preserve the financial integrity of the country?
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Don't they burn 50,000 cars a year over there? ;)
ReplyDeleteEven in the 50s there were parts of Paris that were bad, but I'm sure today it's much worse in some areas. On the other hand doesn't France have one of the highest levels of wealth per capita? It's ironic... isn't it?
I guess it is still fashionable to be a communist in France. But I think Sarkozy is doing what's best for the country in raising the retirement age and scaling back on the welfare state. France is definitely one of the wealthier countries in the world. But their national values are liberty, equality, and fraternity. The fear that some will be less equal than others is on display here.
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