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Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

Samizdata quote of the day

“What irritates me about France today is how the taste for work, for effort, has been completely lost.”

Bertrand Meunier, who recently agreed to move to London from France to take a job at private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. He is one of many such people who are leaving that country to come to the UK in the wake of new, heavy taxes imposed by the recently elected socialist government in Paris. In the relative sense, London is marginally less ghastly than Paris, tax-wise. If you are a French person looking to work at a school for Gallic expats’ children in London, that looks like a growing business to be in.

10 comments to Samizdata quote of the day

  • Alsadius

    If I know anything about 20th-century France, it’s that there was no taste for work to begin with.

  • CaptDMO

    When the current “administration” in the US is saying
    the recent removal of a (legitimate) work requirement to garner welfare isn’t true, and the disproportionate demographic number fo folks that will vote for them because of it (oooo… “Obama’s gonna pay my mortgage”-“Obama money will pay for it” google em’) is meaningless, COUNT on higher taxes on actual worker/earners.

    Of course, ANY accusation of “Socialist/Facist” in the US
    is immediately denied. It’s just disingenuously caaaaaaaaalled “something else”, usually involving the retort racist/sexist/ X-phobia.

  • CaptDMO

    I wonder if English “tax refugee” expats are laughing especially hard at the French who NOW seek “tax refuge” in ENGLAND of all places?

  • Alisa

    There is nothing even remotely amusing about any of this, Captain: pretty soon there will be absolutely nowhere to run, even for those who can afford the running.

  • Go into the fancy white collar office districts to the west and south-west of Paris, where you will find financial institutions, corporate headquarters, media companies etc, and you will find lots of people slaving away at the same sorts of office jobs that they do in London or New York. Whatever the failings of these people are, a lack of a work ethic is not one of them.

  • Alisa

    And not only that. I haven’t been to France, but as far as I know, people are fed and clothed, water is running, the electric grid ditto, the streets are relatively clean etc. – someone is clearly doing their work. The same goes for Greece, BTW. There are only so many problems that can be explained by the supposedly pervasive laziness of the population.

  • Paul Marks

    The French people are no more lazy than people elsewhere – actually their sense of art means they are less lazy than (for example) the British.

    A British person (such as myself) will only do the work that needs doing – a French person may well do additional work (to make things look nice – as well as perform their function).

    What is wrong in France is tax, spend and regulations – not lazy people.

    Of course the people (or most of them) are at fault – but not because of “lazyness”, but because of the BAD IDEAS (bad beliefs) they have.

    Wrong principles.

    Although not as bad as (for example) the people of Egypt….

    Who think that Nasser (who destroyed the economy of Egypt) followed noble economic policies.

    Who think that Social Justice is a good idea.

    And who think that lower food prices can be created by the government passing regulations – and enforcing them.

    When the ideas in the heads of the majority get that bad – then there is no hope for a country.

    Unless the ideas (the principles) that people have can, somehow, be uncorrupted.

    The great idea of the new left (especially from the 1920s onwards) is to corrupt the ideas (the principles) of people.

    Whether it is Gramsci or Marcuse (or some “Critical Theory” academic at a university or Teacher Training collage near you) the idea is to subvert the “economic base” by corrupting the “ideological superstructure” (thus turning classical Marxism on its head).

    This is the left are so interested in the education system and the media (including the entertainment media).

    In the burnt out husks that pass for their souls, the left know that collectivism can not equal “capitalism” in terms of production – and they alos know that they are unlikely to win in open battle.

    So they seek to subvert – to corrupt.

    And they target the young.

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