Protesting for More Work, Protesting for Less Work

A strange world we live in.  In the US, there were massive protests of illegal immigrants in many major US cities, including a march of 500,000 participants in Los Angeles.  It is unheard of that so many people who are in a country illegally could assemble in a major city and wave the flags of another country while making demands for more rights from their host nation.  American flags were even taken down in one or two instances, even though these people are strongly opposed to returning to Mexico. 

As absurd as this outrage is, it could be far, far worse.  What if the Los Angeles protests were not peaceful? 

In France, economic stagnation and unemployment rates of 22% for young people (and up to 50% for immigrant Muslims) have brought French society to a nightmare worse than most Americans could even imagine.  In an attempt to make just a small dent in this problem, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin suggested that employers should have to power to terminate underperforming employees under the age of 26.  The job security of underperforming employees over the age of 26 are not even being discussed yet.  This would enable businesses to feel less cautious about hiring a new employee, knowing that they could discharge the employee for poor performance.  In turn, this would permit more young people, particularly underpriveleged Muslim youths, to earn a living.  But the culture of entitlement and rationalization of sloth in France is so great that even this minor dose of capitalism provoked upper-class French youths into riots, with cars being torched and riot police having to use teargas.  It is telling that so many of these upper-crust people want guaranteed job security even at the cost of creating a fertile climate for small businesses and decreasing the unemployment of Muslim youths.  What about being entrepreneurs themselves?  What about egalite and fraternite?

A few months earlier, Islamic youths rioted in France for a host of reasons including their 50% unemployment rate.  In essense, they are fed up with bearing the brunt of the government-supported laziness of the upper-class students mentioned above.  Over 4000 cars were torched over the 16-day uprising. These two groups are on a collision course for an explosive confrontation in the near future. 

The anti-business entitlement mentality has doomed French society, and that of continental Europe as a whole.  Crushing taxation and stagnant wages have made it prohibitively expensive to have children.  Socialized medicine has made doctors apathetic, which led to the deaths of 15,000 people in France and 20,000 in Italy from a heat wave.  Economic growth is shameful, with the entire EU producing only half as much new wealth as the US, despite a larger population.  US unemployment has not been above 10% in the last 25 years, even as Europe has experienced this for most of the last decade. 

It is almost too late for Europe to reverse its population decline and its invasion by hostile, unassimilable foreigners.  Sure, if Europe slashed its tax rates by a third, overhauled labor laws to be more pro-business, and incentivized young couples with a reward for having three children, they could save themselves.  But if even a tiny reform like Villepin's provokes riots, then the psychology of young Europeans is not ready to begin the process of self-criticism and sacrifice.

Europe is on the precipice of doom.  America, by contrast, has people who came here illegally to work, and still has an unemployment rate that Europe can only dream of.  The biggest obstacle for the American people is internalizing what the difference between legal and illegal immigration is; hardly as insurmountable of a challenge as changing a society's entire attitude towards work, competition, entrepreneurship, and reproduction. 

Comments

[jeffolie]

Now you are catching up to me and my pessimism. My political doom and gloom is economically based with a political overhang.

France appears to have exceeded my political gloom for the US's worst case of a deflationary depression:

HeliBen & Hillary will regulate...RIOTS…ARSON…SUICIDE…MURDER

I predict a deflationary depression with 30 % unemployment and political swing to the left as that did happen in the 1930's when 30% registered as socialists. Socialists will promote riots.

Real estate agents, bankers, and anyone with two cars and a decent income will draw the ire of lawsuits, harassment and greater taxation. Regulation will come and be enforced on the Real Estate industry. Four years ago Helicopter Ben gave a speech calling for tighter regulation of mortgages while reinforcing Alan Greenspan's view that the Fed should not be responsible for popping asset bubbles.

One of the many lawsuits to open the MLS's will be successful in front of the conservative Supreme Court.

President Hillary will pass forbearance laws preventing foreclosure for 2 years. Houses with federal backed mortgages that are foreclosed will be used to house the poor and unemployed.
Desperate, angry owners will commit arson for the insurance proceeds or suicide for the mortgage insurance or life insurance to the survivor. Sheriffs will be murdered to prevent foreclosures.
The Dark Side will rule.

[GK]

On France, yes, I believe they are on the precipice of doom. They have no one to blame but themselves, however, and could still solve the problem tomorrow if their culture were to permit it. But they won't.

Europe will be displaced by Asia in the global economy.

I don't think the US will have a crisis, however.

Note that there is some doubt that Hillary would win. The far-left does not like her, they like Feingold. Plus, many who liked Bill Clinton specifically don't like Hillary. Lastly, it depends on who her opponent actually is.

Plus, I think the world economy is on a solid trendline of 4%+ growth. A US depression could still mean some foreign economies do well. Americans could still invest in foreign equities through the appropriate funds, and earn a good return.

[Paladin]

To quote “Young Frankenstein”: “A Riot is a Terrible TERRIBLE Thing … AND IT’S ABOUT TIME WE HAD ONE!” The French will lead the way into a New World Order Beware the Dark side … Forever, it will dominate your Destiny. MUuaaaaAAhh!

[Juno888]

On France, yes, I believe they are on the precipice of doom. They have no one to blame but themselves, however, and could still solve the problem tomorrow if their culture were to permit it. But they won't.