"France Is Dying From a Lack of Freedom..."

Nick Gillespie | April 11, 2006

Reader Bud Garner sends along word of an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal by Edouard Fillias and Sabine Herold of the newish party Alternative Liberale (note: all accents have been scrubbed due to my weak HTML skills). Props to them for their response to stupid French labor laws and half-assed attempts at reform:

What future is now offered to a 20-year-old French student? The state, facing bankruptcy, will force this youngster to fund his pensions as well as his parents', to pay overwhelming amounts for his monopolistic health insurance while reimbursements dramatically decrease, and to swallow the huge public debt that has been rung up by older generations. ... Because his country lacks the courage to reform itself, it does not create jobs anymore and will drive him directly to long-term unemployment. It's a wonder the youth aren't even more upset.

Here's the precis of their party:

Alternative Liberale dares to answer the French youth....We don't worry about whether we should be called "liberal," "libertarian" or "free market." We aim only to create a free society. Our project is to transform our state so that it serves French citizens, not vice versa. We believe in freedom of choice in any area of human life, whether it's the economy, social issues or values. In all respects, we want to give the French their freedom back: freedom to choose the school where they want their children to be taught, freedom to negotiate their working conditions, freedom to choose their health insurance, freedom of speech on any issue. France is dying from its lack of freedom.

Whole thing here.

Reason last checked in with Herold and Co. a couple of years ago when she was headlining the youth grouop Liberte, J'ecris Ton Nom (Liberty, I Write Your Name). Check it out here.

Comments

Rich Ard|4.11.06 @ 1:04PM|#

when she was headlining the youth grouop

That sounds hot.

|4.11.06 @ 1:09PM|#

The state, facing bankruptcy, will force this youngster to fund his pensions as well as his parents', to pay overwhelming amounts for his monopolistic health insurance while reimbursements dramatically decrease, and to swallow the huge public debt that has been rung up by older generations.

Well, it's certainly interesting that we have some things in common with the French. :)

|4.11.06 @ 1:22PM|#

What, no pictures?

|4.11.06 @ 1:40PM|#

In all respects, we want to give the French their freedom back

It's my impression that actual freedom is what the French fear most.

Dan T.|4.11.06 @ 1:42PM|#

It's time for the daily H&R "our system is better than the French's...it really is, it really is, it really is..." entry.

The Owner's Manual|4.11.06 @ 1:45PM|#

I was thinking the same, Isaac. Having just paid thirty thousand out of my pocket for angioscopy (it would have been forty thousand if I had used insurance, which should tell you something), having funded most of my own retirement with 401K while paying for the SS of the previous generation, who paid for their SS at the same time they paid the SS for a generation who had not contributed to it; having to pay for a monster deficit from the party of small government, while watching big government intrude into every area of life telling me what vegetation I may not grow in my own yard because it is interstate commerce, I see a France in the making.

|4.11.06 @ 1:46PM|#

Dan - your blog sucks.

Timothy|4.11.06 @ 2:24PM|#

Don't forget the smoking and the feeling ennui, Akira. That's the most important part of the whole endevour.

|4.11.06 @ 2:46PM|#

(note: all accents have been scrubbed due to my weak HTML skills).

No problem, I can put them back in for you:

What fyoochair eez now offaired to a 20-yair-old Frahnj student, ah? Ze state, facing bahnnk-roap-zee, will force zis youngstair to fffund his penshones as well as heez paironts'...

|4.11.06 @ 3:04PM|#

It's time for the daily H&R "our system is better than the French's...it really is, it really is, it really is..." entry.

How about the: "Damn, our system sucks only a tiny bit less than France!" post?

Seriously, we are pro-free-market here at H&R, but what makes you think anything about the U.S. is even remotely free-market?

|4.11.06 @ 3:28PM|#

Dan T.

"It's time for the daily H&R "our system is better than the French's...it really is, it really is, it really is..." entry."

Do you actually ever read H&R?

|4.11.06 @ 3:37PM|#

Seriously, we are pro-free-market here at H&R, but what makes you think anything about the U.S. is even remotely free-market?

I enjoy lurking on H&R to indulge my libertarian-ish leanings, but sometimes I just got to say Please....

Just because we are not living in Libertopia doesn't mean we are not "remotely" free market. Unless your definition of free market differs greatly from mine - which it might.

|4.11.06 @ 3:52PM|#

Stevo, you keep that up and you're in for a moustache ride, big boy.

|4.11.06 @ 5:09PM|#

Alan - You're right in that "remotely" is a very flexible term, but try reading the Federal Register some time. It'll depress you. All sorts of import restrictions on things you never hear about in the daily news.

|4.11.06 @ 8:01PM|#

I fffart in yair zhenairal direction!

|4.11.06 @ 8:30PM|#

hot french libertarians... why did I not hear of this sooner!

Larry A|4.11.06 @ 10:38PM|#

Actually the French kids make sense, short term. If they're all on welfare because they can't get a job why should they give a damn how high the tax rate is. They aren't paying it.