The French have come to their senses
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Nicolas Sarkozy wins the elections. After years of economic stagnation, the French have decided to give up the expensive welfare state in which you work a maximum of 35 hours a week with generous social benefits. The price is high taxes, high unemployment and stagnant economic growth.
Here are some of Sarkozy's views on reforming the economy:
"We're the country in Europe with the highest taxes. The problem of France is that we're paying too much tax, that the charges are too high ... If employment is taxed too highly, employment will go. If capital is taxed too highly, capital will go. If there is no more capital, no more work, there is no growth."
"There isn't a single country, Madame, not a single one, Socialist or not, that has followed the logic of sharing work time, which is a monumental mistake. The 35-hours [working week] have not created jobs and the 35 hours were responsible for something even more serious which is wage restraint, which means our wages are too low. That hurts French people's purchasing power, and lower purchasing power means less growth."
“France’s moral crisis carries a name: it is the crisis of work,”
“Why have we had an economic growth rate 1 per centage point below that in the better-performing of the free countries over the past 15 years? Because salaries are too low, social charges are too heavy, the fiscal pressure is too high.”
"earnings from labour must always exceed government assistance." -
but 2/3 of singaporeans have yet to..................
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sigh... *look of resignation*
Dear mushroom, why keep insisting on comparing with the French, when its on the other side of extreme? -
Segolene Royal was also rooting for economic reforms bent on lower taxes and jobs creation. The french have simply voted in favour of right-wingers this time round.
Given that their campaigns were driven by the same 'modest' reforms, it seems a moot point as to who the french voted for anyway.
In any case, their 35h week has paid other dividends. Their pro-family emphasis has maintained their status as one of the most family-orientated european nations; this is certainly good for nation building in the long run.
While they are indeed one of the highest taxpayers in the world, with taxes running in excess of 40%, it is not without benefits. First class specialist care in the form of medical treatment and almost fully-subsidised education fees at the lower levels are clear hallmarks of their system. To add also, the senior citizens in France are provided proper handouts in the form of supermarket rebates and vouchers and up to 50% discounted rates on SNCF and SNEF-run transportation.
Their system has its merits in promoting an altrustic and cultured society, with racial and religious acceptance openly practiced among their people despite beliefs to the contrary. -
For a while, I was surprised that you would have dared to bring this up to criticize Singaporeans in general; and wondered if you have lost complete senses in being away too long from Singapore.
Or perhaps you are all the while living in Singapore but pretending to be in UK to give your image some polish of authority (??) - is it necessary ?
You must still be living with the Colonial Yoke thinking that Singaporeans will kowtow to image of the Great White Man.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:
This should be thrown into the face of the Singapore Government for attempting to suppress the wages of First World Singaporean Workers to compete with the wage levels of Third World competitors.
Nicolas Sarkozy wins the elections. After years of economic stagnation, the French have decided to give up the expensive welfare state in which you work a maximum of 35 hours a week with generous social benefits. The price is high taxes, high unemployment and stagnant economic growth.
Here are some of Sarkozy's views on reforming the economy:
"We're the country in Europe with the highest taxes. The problem of France is that we're paying too much tax, that the charges are too high ... If employment is taxed too highly, employment will go. If capital is taxed too highly, capital will go. If there is no more capital, no more work, there is no growth."
"There isn't a single country, Madame, not a single one, Socialist or not, that has followed the logic of sharing work time, which is a monumental mistake. The 35-hours [working week] have not created jobs and the 35 hours were responsible for something even more serious which is wage restraint, which means our wages are too low. That hurts French people's purchasing power, and lower purchasing power means less growth."
The Singapore Government is lost for ideas in running Singapore, and is still locked in its past experience of creating jobs for a Third World economy, at Third World Wage Levels, competing with other Third World Countries.
The 35-hour work week and heavy social welfare to prevent workers from working do not exist in Singapore - is there any relevance in comparison ?
The Welfarism that Singaporeans are looking from the Singapore Government - with all the surplus funds - are the basic welfarism to the Under Class in Singapore, the support structure for those who are economically disenfranchised by the lack of education and the speed in which the globalisation have left them behind, as well as a support system for those who have lost their jobs in their old age and unable to be gainfully employed again.
While salaries for the Government is at obscene levels and they cling to their positions through a monopoly grip on Political Power, the Government Leadership has the audacity to tell Singaporeans to keep their wages flexible, and to accept Employment Contracts that allow the Employers to adjust their work force according to the season requirments.
“France’s moral crisis carries a name: it is the crisis of work,”
“Why have we had an economic growth rate 1 per centage point below that in the better-performing of the free countries over the past 15 years? Because salaries are too low, social charges are too heavy, the fiscal pressure is too high.”
"earnings from labour must always exceed government assistance."
They give themselves an iron rice bowl, while expecting us to live with a cheap chipped chinaware.
Salaries of Singaporean workers have been frozen, while a slew of price increases has been approved for all kinds of essential services provided by Government Owned Companies; and this has resulted in the shrinking of real wages for all Singaporeans except the very rich.
With increases in the wages of the Government Cabinet Ministers and the Civil Services - these increases will add to the fiscal pressures that will require further increases to all kinds of social charges.
Yes, OM, thanks for this post - for once you have done something unwittingly correct - can we expect more of such examplary effort by you ?
This piece from you has shown Singaporeans to follow the French in throwing out a Government that has caused all the hardship to Singaporeans, and have the courage to test a relatively unknown Political Candidate.
Singaporeans need to be more courageous in taking Political Risks too - after being chastised by this Government for so long that Singaporeans lack the ability to accept risks. -
Yes, we get the point, crutch mentality is self-defeating..
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Btw..... i don't think the New Pesident will solve France's problem. The Union + worker + welfare groups will oppose any chances that would affect their benefit. Just like S'porean's who cry for more Human Rights + Freedom yet expect Govt to solve all their's problems.
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Okay it is fair enough to point out France has problems and is trying to catch up with the rest of the world which are more open and accountable and willing to change like USA, UK, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland or Japan. France's problems though are largely the result of its traditionalism and deep sense of nationalism, cultural and historical self-centredness.
What about Singapore. Is it doing better and a good example for France or any one to copy from like indicated by our government and their subservient servants.
It is clear that ours is a system where in order to avoid welfarism, the government is using it as a fear tactic and actually going to the opposite extreme of taxing and recovering all possible costs from the citizens. It is even using all kinds of creative accounting to make profits from the citizens like in the sale of public housing and provisions of essential government services.
Such a government does not have to spend much to look after citizens' basic needs and is not justified to collect higher taxes. However through excuses and creative accounting it constantly raises taxes and recover all expenses from charging fees and hoard the taxes as look-good surpluses from which to claim success which do not benefit the ordinary citizens.
Citizens are being made to pay again to all the GLCs which were formed to take over essential government services all the land and infrastructure costs again which were already previously paid by the citizens through taxation.
Is Singapore a better system than France? -
Unfortunately, that's true. All the economists agree that Sarkozy has his work cut out for him. The french must be prepared to accept painful reforms to get back on track. It is a good lesson for us: never take the first step down the slippery welfare slope. It will be much harder trying to climb out of the hole.Originally posted by hloc:Btw..... i don't think the New Pesident will solve France's problem. The Union + worker + welfare groups will oppose any chances that would affect their benefit. Just like S'porean's who cry for more Human Rights + Freedom yet expect Govt to solve all their's problems. -
He is not even touching the 35 hrs work week (How I wish I had that) scheme, he knows he'll be dammed if he dared fiddle with it, esp from the unions who invaribly supported Madame Royal.
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Will he benchmark his ministers' salaries selectively to the few lottery winning lucky CEOs in the private sector and claim he has all the talents to solve problems ?Originally posted by Quincey:He is not even touching the 35 hrs work week (How I wish I had that) scheme, he knows he'll be dammed if he dared fiddle with it, esp from the unions who invaribly supported Madame Royal. -
It is clear that ours is a system where in order to avoid welfarism, the government is using it as a fear tactic and actually going to the opposite extreme of taxing and recovering all possible costs from the citizens. It is even using all kinds of creative accounting to make profits from the citizens like in the sale of public housing and provisions of essential government services.
.......I thought I was the only who could see through the ruling regime's scam
so, I think if someone once said he has given up on Singaporeans, you think he still want to make sure Singaporeans get too comfortable with life?
A B C lah !!! -
Unions...in their attempt to protect jobs, they end up driving investors away and losing more jobs. That is why the tripartite labour system in Singapore works.Originally posted by Quincey:He is not even touching the 35 hrs work week (How I wish I had that) scheme, he knows he'll be dammed if he dared fiddle with it, esp from the unions who invaribly supported Madame Royal. -
Our Tripartite Union failed to work. What you said is only your view.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:Unions...in their attempt to protect jobs, they end up driving investors away and losing more jobs. That is why the tripartite labour system in Singapore works.
Our Unions under the guise of tripartism have driven away investments because they have caved in to government's one-sided policies like "taxing and recovering all costs" and "pro-foreign employment and investment" policies which drive up costs of living and doing business and deprived our citizens of opportunities and sidelined the local businesses and industries which at the end kill the economic goose that lays the golden egg. -
French came to their senses? They voted in an American stooge.
