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America 2010 Is this how you feel?
I've got a friend that lives in France and works for General Electric, he is retired from the USN. Though he is an American and works for an American corporation he gets all the standard benefits that any French citizen gets Like 5 weeks paid vacation,shorter work week et. al; and unlimited paid sick time (As long as a doctor deems it needed) and the rest. We were talking about the massive demonstrations that they were having in Paris and other places. He said, after living here for a few years I slowly began to realize something...
"In the USA people are afraid of the Government, but in France, the Government is afraid of the people."
Granted that is just his opinion, but what scenario do you think is best for the people?
Keep all of the France bashing out of the answers please, just answer the original question. Is it better for the people if they are afraid of the government, or is it better if the government is afraid of the people.
For those of you that don't follow the news. In France they had massive protests because the government is trying to raise the retirement age to 62. People are upset because they had always retired at 60, which equates to working over half of your life. In the US they want to raise the age to 70! And the very people that are going to work until they die are lining up behind it!! They still pay less taxes than we do in the US. But the corps there pay far more than US corps do. Same as all over Europe, there is NO corporate tax break. And Prosche/Audi, BMW, Daimler seem to be doing pretty well over there.
Remember though, in countries like France you get a lot for your taxes, you can call a doctor to take care of your sick child at 4 am, and he will come to your home, you won't get a bill. When my friends wife had twins the government sent a nurse to help her, and yes she was off work for 11 months and got her FULL salary from GE, over 90,000.00 US It was paid 65% by GE and 35% from the government. I understand this, that Daimler Benz had so much flush cash laying around that they were able to buy US car makers, and there is no bailout for them if they go under.
My understanding of taxes is that Americans get remarkably little for what we pay.
But you could not even answer the question could you? Is it better if the government is afraid of the people or the people are afraid of the government??
7 Answers
- ?Lv 41 decade agoFavorite Answer
Pretty much, yeah. I've always admired the French for standing up for individual rights and protesting whenever they think their government is out of line.
@autarch, people in EU countries elect their EU members.
- 1 decade ago
Amusing but not realistic premise. No, that is not how it is. I'd say the French people are more likely to cause civil disruption if they don't get their way and are slowly forcing their country into bankruptcy. Individual productivity is the key here and the French are slowly reducing their productivity while forcing the government to give them more and more privileges.
In the US, we tossed out a significant portion of the government recently and are going to toss out even more come the next election. The ones tossed out are the same ones that would act like the French. Most of us are not interested in the French economic model and see it for what it is, the path to eventual economic failure. We want to reduce the size and scope of the federal government while the French want to increase it, which in turn reduces French freedoms and increases taxation.
In the end, I'd personally say that the French want a mommy while the US citizens are striving for more freedom and personal responsibility.
@ You show an amazing lack of grasp of economics. Where do you think corporations get the money to pay taxes? From the consumer. Every tax imposed is paid by you. Your rational that the French people pay less tax is nonsense. They pay drastically more.
- ?Lv 45 years ago
the subsequent Presidential Election is in 2008 and the winner would be President of america of a in 2010. i'm hoping that the President of america of a in 2010 is Jeb Bush, brother of President George W. Bush.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Both would be better in France and America if their was a healthy dose of respect by both for each other, THAT IS EARNED.
Fear is not a good motivator. It leads to a lot of knee jerk behavior.
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- Anonymous1 decade ago
in the usa they can be arrested without charge, held indefinately without trial, they do torture and lie to make wars - wouldnt you be scared of their government?
now they feel people up that want to go on planes
they bail out the rich and make the poor pay for it (bail outs)
- what will their govt do to them next? why dont they fight back, are they liking having their rights removed?
- Anonymous1 decade ago
To quote the movie "V for Vendetta":
"People should not fear their governments, governments should fear their people..."
- lil' autarchLv 61 decade ago
The latter, of course. That's how the USA was founded, and how it was *intended* to remain.
But I would dispute his assertion that the French government is afraid of the people.
Do they still pay income tax? VAT? Are they still bossed ultimately by unelected EU elite?
Serfs. Sorry, but .... serfs.
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