... In Paris, between 50,000 and 250,000 protesters [That's a pretty wide range!] clogged streets. The boisterous but peaceful march began at Place de la Republic, on the Seine's Right Bank, and ended a few miles south.
Nurses, municipal workers, archaeologists [Zut! Not the archaeologists, too!] and teachers brandished banners denouncing the conservative [????] government of Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin.
[Whine alert ---] "Normally I should retire in four years, but if this government legislation passes, I'll have to work another two," said Paris nurse, Francoise Besserie, 51, who joined the demonstration with her 26-year-old daughter, Florence. "I've been a nurse for 18 years and I've had enough."
Nearby, therapist Jean-Victor Cahn, added his own criticism to the government pension plan.
"There's enough money to pay for retirement, but it's all going to support big business," said Cahn, 55. "I'm for the ordinary people getting a share."
But many economists -- not to mention the French government -- argue otherwise. Without drastic changes, they argue, France's pension system will go bankrupt bankrolling a growing number of longer-living retirees. full story
"I'm for the ordinary people getting a share."A share of what, precisely?--does wealth simply fall from the sky like a gentle summer rain in France?
That would be ",,,,,denouncing the conservative islamic government of PM Jean Pierre Raffarin."
The sweet sound of European workers cutting their own throats. The European social democratic model of high taxation and economic stagnation is exactly what liberals want America to evolve toward. A guaranteed job requiring no real work, ten weeks of paid vacation for everybody, and somebody else to always pay the bill.
The longer they delude themselves the harder the price will be when it all comes crashing down. Then, you can look for a revival of real fascism and rule by the iron fist. It won't be pleasant.