In December past this headline was in the news: Unemployment rate in France climbs for 19th month in row. In January of this year this headline was in the news: France Could Be Next European Disaster. So, what does the socialist French president, Francois Hollande, propose to help the weak economy of France? The Telegraph has the story:
Francois Hollande has proposed legislation that would allow fathers in France to take up to six months of paid paternity leave after the birth of a child.
The move would theoretically allow more mothers to get back to work faster, potentially boosting the economy, the government has argued.
What kind of logic leads to the conclusion that: if you take fathers out the workforce with pay so that mothers can go back to the workforce, this will somehow “boost” the economy? Oh, Hollande does have a plan to help pay for this program:
The government is considering reducing the total amount of parental leave allowed from three years to two-and-a-half years, in order finance some extra six-month leaves for fathers – a move aimed at keeping costs down for a government struggling to trim spending.
He proposes reducing parental leave from three years to two-and-a-half years? No wonder the country is in trouble. Ah! but, it is for the “children”. That makes it okay. right?
“You have to view this reform as part of a larger whole,” the minister for equal rights, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, told RTL radio Friday. The aim, she said, is to “make it so that the employee, whether female or male, can better reconcile their personal life and their professional life.”
Does it sound familiar that a country going broke trying to pay for social programs would try to fix the problem with more social programs?
Less you think that the political elite of France have a monopoly on insanity, try to wrap your mind around this story in The Telegraph:
Bouchra Bagour, 35, is on trial in Avignon, in the southern part of the country, on charges of defending terrorism after sending her boy, named Jihad, to school wearing the T-shirt.
Bagour is also facing a fine of £39,000 if found guilty. A ruling in the case is expected on April 10.
On Wednesday Bagour told the court she admitted the move was “tactless” but insisted it was not meant as a provocation.
Tactless? This woman does not belong in jail. She belongs in an institution for the mentally insane along with Francois Hollande.
Well, that’s what I’m thinking. What are your thoughts?
Asylum Watch 
Are the French insane? Of course, everybody knows that.
But the larger, sadder picture is that countries will always deny the old truism: When in a hole, stop digging.
It seems the more broke a country is, the more the citizens demand socialism from their politicians. It’s happening in America too. Sadly.
Here’s an idea. Let’s take away their shovels.
With the intelligence that is being exhibited in the colleges today, you could convince them to use the other end of the shovel.
LOL!
Our own politicians are just as insane. Dianne Feinstein called our veterans mentally ill. They call the NRA terrorists.
Yet they sit blithely by and let Ben Bernanke hand over money we don’t have to giant corporate banks. And claim, then, that the stock market is an indicator of a prosperous economy instead of what it really is: yet another pus filled bubble waiting to pop.
Well saud, Sally. And, when that bubble pops, it won’t be Ben’s banking buddies picking up the tab, will it?
Are the French more insane? Ans: YES! (Our politicians aren’t far behind)
Imagine what the French would do it they could print Euros.
They are insane . . . like a Fox. The entitlement programs of Europe are what all entitlement programs eventually become – vote buying machines. What happens with Europe – and it is beginning to happen in America – is that these programs have been running longer and are finally reaching their crisis point. That is, people take them for granted and for the programs to buy some extra votes they need to expand them. The expansions convert them into Ponzi schemes, where there are more people in that out, and those that are out cannot support the ones in.
Like Margaret Thatcher said, “eventually socialism runs out of other people’s money”.
Yes, France is the next European crisis country. It will be worst than Spain because Spain has managed to elect a conservative government and there seems to be no such hope for France. C’est la vie! Mais, je m’on fou.
The French may have to fight the Italians to see which gets to be the next basket case. It should be fun to watch.
Maybe the word “fight” between the French and Italians is not quite appropriate. Now, if you will use the word “surrender”, that would be a though one to guess who raises the white flag faster.
The Italians will never go broke because the world cannot do without Venice, Rome, Florence, Opera, and “la dolce vita”, etc. Before that happens Walt Disney will buy them out. But we can do without the “Frogs” and divide the country among Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and Spain. In France’s southern portion going to Spain we can make real men out of them and have proper bullfights replacing those no-bull-killing namby-pamby ones.
He he! That’s good, John. Surrender it is.
The end result will probably end in a fascist dictator for these countries. When things go badly, the result is nothing like a war. To think that the European countries will decline into oblivion quietly is a fools notion. For those with short memories, look back at the 20th century.
Yep! Keep an eye on Italy.
Indeed. On second thought, the frenchies aren’t so keen in fighting for anything worthwhile. The will live under a dictator, but not fight one. Italy has a penchant for it.
They need to start requiring school uniforms. This way all students will wear regimented clothes, hopefully without anything written on them. Plus, the emerging uniform market will stimulate the economy.
Here, in Ca, fathers are entitled to 3 months’ paternity leave, partially paid for with money previously withheld from their paychecks. High schools often ban writing on t-shirts.
I do like the idea of uniforms. Seriously.
I totally agree on school uniforms. But, a kid named Jihad is going to have problems school uniform or not.
Three years parental leave and they wonder why they are going broke?! Yeah, I would say France might be more insane than most!
When will socialist learn that somebody has to pay for all those programs?
Good post. Found the whole damn thing incomprehensible. It’s like living in an alternate universe these days.
Those French; they like to be trend setters.
The problem in France as well as the US and many other places today is that the progressive, liberal mindset has been given political and social control. I’m surprised more illegal immigrants aren’t fleeing to France to have their babies. Oh, I forgot. In France, you’re not automatically a citizen just because you’re born there. That’s OUR stupid policy.
Name your child Jihad? I swear, if I weren’t so much for indiviual freedom I would require an intelligence test for people who wish to reproduce.
“Who wish to reproduce”.
I would also add ‘ who wish to vote.’
Freedom, that is racist, 😉
And I guess, so am I.
If there was an intelligence test, we would have a rapidly declining population. On the positive side, there would be enough jobs for everybody.
So much parental leave for fathers is insane. Who’s supposed to support the household AND pay income taxes?
Oops! My bad! The government is going to support everyone — from cradle to grave. That’s what the Left wants, and the stupid politicians will go right along “because it’s the right thing to do.” Pfffft.
I am French. The French are not more insane than most, socialism and ultra-liberalism are. So there, why did the French – a country that’s not any more insane than most – vote the socialists in? Because they did not want to see the previous ultra-liberal president anymore. Out of sheer hate, that was all.
Then remains the question, whom should they have voted for otherwise? The extreme right wing (that represented the only way out that rotten ultra-liberal system?) No way. They were too scared of that option, which is precisely what happens in every other country – same causes, same effects.
And that’s how France has locked itself up in the Twilight Zone. Pretty much like the USA, the UK, Italy, Greece, Spain, etc…
Alae, thank you so much for coming by a sharing your thoughts. I appreciate your perspective and you make good points.