http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticke...2-535535.html?tickers=XLE,UUP,TLT,TBT,TOT,OIL Its difficult for us to see it but the French who already have government mandated 35 hr work weeks, significant time off, socialized healthcare and now there are riots in the streets just to change the retirement age from 60 to 62. When its the government and elected people making those decisions, it will never be sustainable as the public will demand more and more at the eventual expense and collapse of an empire or country. How can we avoid this pitfall?
I love France. I can't wait to visit there again. I like their activism, and the level the pay attention and care about their government. They make horrible mistakes at times, but on the whole they have it down pretty well.
Do you believe its sustainable to have the government to have so much control over retirement age, work weeks and benefits? Why would a politician ever vote against anything that took away from its constituents? He'll lose and someone else who will give the public whatever they want at the expense of a countries future. I for one don't want to destroy my country and its financial future in order to demand the government let me work less.
I'm just asking a queston if you believe the above scenario is sustainable? Is that what we're destined to become? A bunch of weak, whiny people that live at a level above our created value and subsidized by our government? That gap bewteen our lifestyle and our actual production creates more and more and more governmental debt until we fail. But at least we were civil about it, right?
there were student riots in france when they were firing people for not going to work, or for being on drugs a few years ago. apparently it's pretty hard to fire someone there. how do we avoid this pitfall? easy when the republicans take office they'll f up everything obama worked for, then when they lose office the dems will f up everything they worked for...its how america works...yay?
How can we avoid it? By continuing not to be French. I don't even know what you're implying/asking, but it sounds like they aren't bending to the will of the people on this, so .... your "the government will never make a decision that upsets the people" argument that you're trying to apply to us isn't even flying over there in the very example you bring up.
If only people like you actually cared about the above picture instead of their selfish little mad existence because of what they feel they deserve.
i was unaware the US mandated 35 hour work weeks, and was proposing to raise the retirement age to 62. and i'm not sure i share you disdain for elected people making decisions on behalf of the electorate. In fact, wasn't it about 234 years ago that your forefathers were so ticked about not being able to do just that, that they rudely left her majesty's empire in a huff?
What exactly are you advocating here? Are you saying we should do away with a democratic republic so we don't become France? Would you prefer an authoritarian state? We won't turn into France because we are not the French. Our culture, world outlook, place in the global economy, place in geo politics and population is very
The population has been told for so long that as a modern, global economy that the government will provide. In order to do this they've cannibalized any business there leaving France with horrid unemployment levels, excruciating taxes on income and VAT taxes and a huge array of unemployed people living off the government. As we're increasing government programs and having the government accept more responsiblility for healthcare and more control in our lives, how do we not fall down the slippery slope of the nanny state that France has become?
The government will create special programs for creative and bold thinkers such as yourself to save us all from ourselves. "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs." You will be assimilated.
What we have learned from Rocketman1981 in this thread: 1) The poor are giant leeches dooming our great nation. 2) We should be gracious to our corporate overlords. What can we do for them today? 3) Being active in the political process is selfish. 4) Desiring that public funds provide for social welfare is unpatriotic. 5) Health care reform will destroy America and turn us into big-nosed wine-sipping frenchy wusses. Really? It's so out of touch, naive, fearmongering, and comically backwards that I'm actually aghast that you are (apparently) posting this sincerely.
Obviously the emperor has no clothes. Why are you so mad? Its a fundamental difference in opinion. 1.) I think the poor are taken advantage of in these systems and they never get the opportunities to move out of that position in life. 2.) When did I mention corporations? At least they're focused on profit which inevitably leads to expansion and jobs and investor returns to people which turn around and re-invest the funds or spend the money driving the economy. 3.) If I felt that way i shouldn't have started this thread? 4.) There's nothing wrong with helping those in need or giving people a cushion when they're falling. Government paid pensions that are multiples of your GDP are a different story. 5.) Health care needs reform. But I think it needs less government and not more. Either you have limited government involvement or full control as quasi-governmental control like in Medicaid/Medicare and FHA, HUD and Fannie/Freddie seem to lead to failure.
1. The poor have the right to disagree with you. This isn't just about the poor though. 2. If people are too poor to buy anything the corporations won't be creating any more jobs. Because people aren't buying their products. Furthermore corporations being centered only on profit aren't necessarily a good thing. The Robber Baron period in our own nation shows what happened. Without govt. regulation we'd all be eating unsafe foods, working 70 hours a week starting when we were 12 in unsafe jobs, and not being able to get ahead in life. 4. If people were promised a pension if they met certain obligations and conditions, and then met those requirements the govt. should follow through with their promise. Or don't you believe in sticking to your word? 5.Less govt. put health care in an unsustainable way. Our health care system sucks compared to most nations that have more govt. intervention or govt. run health care. That's especially true of nations that have anywhere close to as much resources as we have. The people who are part of MEdicare seem to be happier and more satisfied with their health care than people who are part of private insurance institutions.
I'd point out that despite totally different economic philosophies, the US and France have very similar unemployment rates now.
