Miracle Max
My previous post will likely show up afer this one, as I wasn’t logged in to Typekey and PJ will hold it for review.
Again thanks for the reply. I wasn’t expecting that. If you check in again—
I looked at those numbers from your previous column and can accept them (and hats off to the French for that). But it basically says one hour of French labor and one hour of American labor produce the same amount. So, if they work fewer hours, they should expect less. Comparability per hour does not translate into expecting the same thing as those who work more hours. So, in my mind there’s still a disconnect for the French.
Plus they have a faster greying society than we and will be facing a far bigger Social Security crisis than the US (cf. Pete Peterson in Grey Dawn). Are they making a deal with the devil to live for today?
I agree it’s about values, and respect the wishes of Frenchmen to work fewer hours and enjoy leisure as long as a trade off is accepted. Of course, you are not factoring in the cost to the US for the defense of Europe (remember Bosnia/Kosovo and Chirac begging Clinton to get in because Old Europe couldn’t do anything about ethnic cleansing and worse, it could affect Old Europe). The French could not defend themselves if their lives depended on it. And with Iran lurking, it just might. Some of French leisure has been purchased at the expense of the American taxpayer.
