France boosts retirement age and military spending

[Doc]

The future of retirement



Don't be alarmed because it looks like a dumpster fire. Embrace the dumpster fire!!

Don't be alarmed by falling life expectancy. Think of it of as weeding out the non productive members of society.

Don't be alarmed by Governors using nursing home as COVID isolation centers. Think of it as reducing government retirement debt by eliminating retirees.

It is everyone's scared duty as "useless people" to protect the wealth of the rich !!!

Make 85 year olds productive members of society again !!

[cassowary]

The future of retirement



Don't be alarmed because it looks like a dumpster fire. Embrace the dumpster fire!!

Don't be alarmed by falling life expectancy. Think of it of as weeding out the non productive members of society.

Don't be alarmed by Governors using nursing home as COVID isolation centers. Think of it as reducing government retirement debt by eliminating retirees.

It is everyone's scared duty as "useless people" to protect the wealth of the rich !!!

Make 85 year olds productive members of society again !!

If France fails to solve its pension problem, it will confirm what I have been saying all along. It is difficult for democracies to solve its problems because sometimes the solution is unpopular and you need popularity to win power. Those that propose responsible but unpopular solutions usually lose power like Macron might now do.

[cassowary]

The retirement age of 62 years has been on the statutes since 2010. When a benefit has been around for that long people tend to take it for granted that it is fixed and permanent. That represents progress and progress is supposed to be irreversable.

But what if circumstances change? In this case, people are living longer. So that means they have to work longer and contribute more taxes, right? Otherwise, the pension scheme is not solvent.

[neverfail]

The retirement age of 62 years has been on the statutes since 2010. When a benefit has been around for that long people tend to take it for granted that it is fixed and permanent. That represents progress and progress is supposed to be irreversable.

But what if circumstances change? In this case, people are living longer. So that means they have to work longer and contribute more taxes, right? Otherwise, the pension scheme is not solvent.

Circumstances have indeed changed and I am not in disagreement with you there. Unfortunately, this is France where unpopular reforms are near impossible. I have already posted you a briefing on why with reference to France's revolutonary past and their tradition of direct action. I wonder whether you took note.

A re-raising of the pensionable retirement age would probably work in (say) any of the Scandanavian countries (i.e. be accepted quietly by the public with resignation) where they do not have a past marked by France's sort of revolutionary upheaval. But not in France; where the state is far more fragile and the populace more incedenary.
..............................................................................................................................................

p.s. I gain the impression that (with reference to Steve Foerester's past eye opening post to me re. widespread public sense of alienation from government in the US) that among the French public there may be a similar sense that they do not really "own" the governments they elect.

Well, the US, like France, began its modern history with a revolutionary upheaval.

[Sertorio]

If France fails to solve its pension problem, it will confirm what I have been saying all along. It is difficult for democracies to solve its problems because sometimes the solution is unpopular and you need popularity to win power. Those that propose responsible but unpopular solutions usually lose power like Macron might now do.

Selling people the need to raise retirement age wouldn't be difficult if politicians took care to treat voters as adults and give them the pertinent figures and the alternatives. One of which would be raising taxes to keep retirement age lower. But Macron, who is anything but a democrat, tried to impose it on people, and people - particularly French people - do not like being pushed.

[cassowary]

If France fails to solve its pension problem, it will confirm what I have been saying all along. It is difficult for democracies to solve its problems because sometimes the solution is unpopular and you need popularity to win power. Those that propose responsible but unpopular solutions usually lose power like Macron might now do.

Selling people the need to raise retirement age wouldn't be difficult if politicians took care to treat voters as adults and give them the pertinent figures and the alternatives. One of which would be raising taxes to keep retirement age lower. But Macron, who is anything but a democrat, tried to impose it on people, and people - particularly French people - do not like being pushed.

Raising taxes will drive out investments. This kills jobs. Then you get more jobless people.

[Sertorio]

If France fails to solve its pension problem, it will confirm what I have been saying all along. It is difficult for democracies to solve its problems because sometimes the solution is unpopular and you need popularity to win power. Those that propose responsible but unpopular solutions usually lose power like Macron might now do.

Selling people the need to raise retirement age wouldn't be difficult if politicians took care to treat voters as adults and give them the pertinent figures and the alternatives. One of which would be raising taxes to keep retirement age lower. But Macron, who is anything but a democrat, tried to impose it on people, and people - particularly French people - do not like being pushed.

Raising taxes will drive out investments. This kills jobs. Then you get more jobless people.

Depends on which taxes you raise. Besides, just to give you an example, in Portugal people spend 4 billion euro annually on lotteries, games and gambling. You could easily raise taxes by that amount without economic consequences...

[cassowary]

If France fails to solve its pension problem, it will confirm what I have been saying all along. It is difficult for democracies to solve its problems because sometimes the solution is unpopular and you need popularity to win power. Those that propose responsible but unpopular solutions usually lose power like Macron might now do.

Selling people the need to raise retirement age wouldn't be difficult if politicians took care to treat voters as adults and give them the pertinent figures and the alternatives. One of which would be raising taxes to keep retirement age lower. But Macron, who is anything but a democrat, tried to impose it on people, and people - particularly French people - do not like being pushed.

Raising taxes will drive out investments. This kills jobs. Then you get more jobless people.

Depends on which taxes you raise. Besides, just to give you an example, in Portugal people spend 4 billion euro annually on lotteries, games and gambling. You could easily raise taxes by that amount without economic consequences...

Yes, you will. Gambling is of course a waste of money. You cannot win in the lotteries or casinos. But taxing any activity will get you less of it. Thus jobs will be lost.

[SteveFoerster]

If France fails to solve its pension problem, it will confirm what I have been saying all along. It is difficult for democracies to solve its problems because sometimes the solution is unpopular and you need popularity to win power. Those that propose responsible but unpopular solutions usually lose power like Macron might now do.

Selling people the need to raise retirement age wouldn't be difficult if politicians took care to treat voters as adults and give them the pertinent figures and the alternatives. One of which would be raising taxes to keep retirement age lower. But Macron, who is anything but a democrat, tried to impose it on people, and people - particularly French people - do not like being pushed.

Raising taxes will drive out investments. This kills jobs. Then you get more jobless people.

Depends on which taxes you raise. Besides, just to give you an example, in Portugal people spend 4 billion euro annually on lotteries, games and gambling. You could easily raise taxes by that amount without economic consequences...

Which tax are you going to raise by 4 billion EUR that only leads to people stopping those activities?

[Sertorio]

If France fails to solve its pension problem, it will confirm what I have been saying all along. It is difficult for democracies to solve its problems because sometimes the solution is unpopular and you need popularity to win power. Those that propose responsible but unpopular solutions usually lose power like Macron might now do.

Selling people the need to raise retirement age wouldn't be difficult if politicians took care to treat voters as adults and give them the pertinent figures and the alternatives. One of which would be raising taxes to keep retirement age lower. But Macron, who is anything but a democrat, tried to impose it on people, and people - particularly French people - do not like being pushed.

Raising taxes will drive out investments. This kills jobs. Then you get more jobless people.

Depends on which taxes you raise. Besides, just to give you an example, in Portugal people spend 4 billion euro annually on lotteries, games and gambling. You could easily raise taxes by that amount without economic consequences...

Which tax are you going to raise by 4 billion EUR that only leads to people stopping those activities?

VAT on non-essential goods and services, obviously, since lotteries and gambling are also forms of individual expenditure.