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 The Socialist Heart Of France Spit Out Its First Victim
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A new report released by Insee details the inexorable rise of official poverty in France. By the end of 2010, it engulfed 8.6 million people, 5.4% more than in 2009, and 16.7% more than in 2004.
The poverty rate jumped to 14.1%, the highest since 1997. For children (under 18), the poverty rate hit 19.6%, for young adults (18 to 25 years old), it was a grizzly 22.5%!
More extreme forms of poverty increased rapidly. Poverty was defined as earning less than 60% of the median income in 2010. But those earning less than 50% of the median income rose to 4.755 million people, 22% more than in 2004.
Read more: www.testosteronepit.com
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softy do you also have corresponding figures for the US?
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No, I do not.
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Here is a start:
www.census.gov
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change
Thanks for that. It points out what I thought was the case:
Namely that poverty in the U.S. is up in the last four years. Food stamps usage is up in the last four years. Incomes are down in the last four years.
Unemployment is up in the last four years. (The official rate has come down slightly recently. But that is because more people dropped out of the pool of lookers. It is NOT because more people are working)
And, coincidentally... we have a socialist minded President (just like France) who wants to raise taxes, increase spending and redistribute the wealth. We also have a socialist driven Senate and many similarly driven state legislatures.
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softy I thought what he wanted to do was put taxes back the way there were previously, as in when the US was considered a prosperous nation.
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... we are no where near what's going on in Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, or France ... as Softy continues to claim ... but, it supports his otherwise insupportable contentions. On the other hand, when Softy says this is what the US could become, it would be theoretically possible if we didn't have so many alternatives to choose to fix this challenge. Hence the dilemma ... there is more than one opinion about how to do this.
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And that is politics.
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dmaestro
11-Dec-12, 17:25
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Where is the direct causal link? How do we know socialism is the cause? Have the other variables been accounted for?
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dm
Not that I know of. It is just a strange coincidence that the new socialist leader of France, who imposed exceedingly high tax rates on an already faltering economy, is now being shunned and that the economy is now becoming even more destitute.
Just a coincidence... I know nothing for sure.
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More from France...
Flight from France --
What's better than living in France? Acting like you live in France so you can avoid their newly instituted top tax rate. The Daily Caller News Foundation's Betsi Fores reports:
"Famed French actor and filmmaker Gerard Depardieu has reportedly taken up legal residence in a small town in Belgium, seeking good food, nice people, and, you guessed it, lower tax rates. Led by President Francois Hollande, the Socialist French government has a proposed a budget for 2013 that would tax top income earners at 75 percent after the first €1 million of annual income. Alternatively, Belgium’s top tax rate is 50 percent."
Depardieu reportedly set up residence in Belgium right next to the French border. If France sought to eliminate millionaires from the country, their policies appear to be a stunning success.
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What is the tax rate the millionaires in the US are so frightened of? Does it compare with that of France, or any other country for the highest earners?
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Change
Just my opinion. I think this initial tax hike they can handle. If it stops there. What worries me is all the blame they are getting from the left that they somehow have caused poor people to be poor. All the evil capitalist talk. You get a lot of people with a mob mentality and the president is not helping much. You can see it coming from many on the left. Just ask DM. Its an ideology for many to blame the rich rather than a sensible solution.
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stinky: I would go along with your call on that somewhat. But when the poor are hungry destitute and panicking, anything can and will be blamed. This happens rapidly when the 'middle classes' begin the downward spiral into destitution. It is the only outlet people on the bottom end of the socio-economic scale have. Re the growing troubles in Europe, particularly Greece, Spain, Italy, England even.
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... just what do we have to do to preserve the wealth of the wealthy?
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chaz
You finally ask a decent question!
You allow a business-friendly environment that allows business to prosper. When business can prosper, business buys products and services and produces goods and other services. To do all that, business needs employees.
When business prospers and buys goods and services to make and sell products and other services, while employing employees, a LOT of taxes are paid to government so that government can maintain infrastructure, provide protection, fund social security and medicare/medicaid etc.
When business can prosper, money flows into the stock market, bonds and other retirement accounts, charities get donations and community projects get funded.
It's a vicious cycle.
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softy
I believe you are talking about the average business man/woman here. The ones not quite a the very top of the ladder. It is these fatcats that government is going after I think.
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change
No, they are going after all of us. They are playing the class warfare game now just to make it appear that they only want to have the rich pay their fair share. Actually, they will come for all of us eventually.
Personally, I'd rather live in a country with 10,000 millionaires than one with 100 millionaires. I think that the average wealth of all citizens of the 1st country would be substantially higher than the average wealth of the citizens in the 2nd country.
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softy
www.afr.com
I think you have the wrong horse.
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... maybe it's the wrong saddle.
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change
I've changed my plans. I'm now planning on retiring in Australia. Not only do you have the highest percentage of millionaires, but I know you have the highest percentage of young, good-looking women too!
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Cairns is a beautiful spot (but very warm and humid in summer).
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Oh I forgot, Cairns is also full of dyed in the wool conservatives.
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