A Few Things Every American Should Know About The French
The French are not shiftless. Like other ‘socialistic’ peoples of Europe they have struck a deal: they pay higher taxes, but in return they have reliable medical coverage, more job security, good unemployment benefits, virtually free education, five-week paid vacations, family allowances for children, and sometimes even housing allowances. There is a social “safety net.” There is less abject poverty, and there is far less disparity between the very rich and the very poor, as in America.
The French are not reactionary conservatives. They still respect their traditions, their families, and to some extent their church. But they legalized abortion 25 years ago, they have day care centers for infants of working mothers, and they now have a special statute that recognizes and protects homosexual unions. They did not not impeach their president (Francois Mitterrand) when he admitted to fathering an illegitimate child. (The French politely call it a “natural” child.)
What’s their unemployment rate?
What percent of their country is disenfranchised muslims ?
Be like France my ass.
They also have very high unemployment among the young who cannot get their first job becuase no one wants to take the risk of hiring someone who can’t be fired. The young must wait for older workers to die or leave their jobs before they can be hired. Hiring in France is something is is done only as an absolute last resort.
@1. The post was clearly commenting on the benifits of a more socalized economy.
Your comment on the unemployment rate is true, but the point of the post was that while there is a much higher unemployment rate, the people on that roster still have access to health care and other basic needs. In america the unemployment rate is lower, but those on it are basically ignored.
The anger of their muslim community has far more to do with the culture of segregation that is a problem all over europe and has nothing to do with a socialized economy.
Keep the non sequiturs to yourself.
As someone who has lived in both systems, I can vouch that there are distinct advantages to a partially-socialized economy. I don’t think Americans are self-sacrificing enough to have it work here, though.
The American system is better. I work but have no heath care, paid vacations, or pension plan. Think of all the money guys like me save the American companies. Is this a great country or what?
The one thing worse than arrogance is ignorance. The one thing worse
than ignorance is vulgarity. And believe me, the French can be as
arrogant and ignorant as the Americans, but they are never vulgar.
That kind of sums up the difference between Americans and French.
It’s true that they have a high unemployment rate! It’s also true that they have all kinds of problems with the integration of immigrants! But they also have this great social system that provides security for all those who are not part of the mainstream. I’m Canadian and and I also have the privilege of having a good social security (health security).
This has to be paid for bu high level of income tax. But finally, it is worthed, even if iit is far from perfect. USA is a great country but it seems that the poor people have more problems that they would in France.
“there is far less disparity between the very rich and the very poor”
Because the government taxes the @#%$ out of it’s people in order to prop up the slackers and pay for crappy socialized medicine.
The french can stay french. America is about working your ass off to get ahead of those who don’t. SOMEone has to work in fast food.
Americans dislike the French mostly because they’re so much alike.
all i know is that a buddy of mine from france who graduated college with my wife says he won’t live there.
he tells me that you might have to wait till you’re 35 or 40 to make management and that your promotion never has to do with your performance.
post 9/11 he couldn’t get work permissions for america, so now he works in england, where his hard work can garner him success — and they have socialized medicine
the french business model may be good for job security, but it discourages hard-work.
Oh yeah, that article really sold me.
Wonder what their immigration policy is… you (Uncle Dave) should look into it.
Ya there were a bunch of riots before by the angry youth who couldnt get jobs, so no i dont think they are perfect society, though i am not against higher taxes….. for the rich.
Yeah, that sounds great. I am sure if we were on the French system, what would be the point of working hard? People need to get rewarded for what they do. Our system has it’s flaws but it is still the best system out there. Without it we would not have the technology and inovations we have today.
As for healthcare. If it is anything like they have in Canada I feel sorry for them. I live in Seattle and my wife used ot work for a DR and they had people come down from Canada to see him, because there was a year wait to see a Sleep DR in Canada.
Have you ever got anything for Free? Yeah, it is usually worth what you paid. If you want good healthcare howver, as a US citizen go to a canadian hospital. You get 3 or 4 DR’s treating you because they know they are getting paid, while the Canadian Citezen next to you can barely talk to a Nurse.
the french business model may be good for job security, but it discourages hard-work.
Comment by ken ehrman — 10/16/2006 @ 6:52 am
Sorry, but if you hold yourself up as a model of hard work, then we are all doomed. You are too effen lazy to even use the shift key on your keyboard. Second, one person who couldn’t make it isn’t a very good representative of an entire country.
People work because they want to work. The concept that people are driven by money is not true. Money, at best, is only a very short term motivator. To motivate people, management needs to treat them as people, not disposable items. When management treats its employees as livestock, there is no reason for the employees to do more then they absolutely need to.
Every year several organizations publish lists of the best companies to work for. The two things in common is that each company treats its employees well and the company is usually very profitable. If you make your employees want to work, they will jump through hoops to satisfy the company. If you have to work hard, then you are not doing the job the most efficient way possible and are costing the company money.
I find it amusing that people who have never lived and there and more than likely don’t know anyone from there have so much to say about a country that they probably can’t even point out on an unmarked map.
I can afford everything that the socialized welfare system of France offers, plus it costs me less and the processes are more efficient. The goal shouldn’t be to learn something from the French, but to learn something, if anything, from the Brits. Goto the CIA World Fact Book and compare the economic indicators for all 3 countries, France comes in last. I would prefer looking at the U.K. over France, or better yet neither of them.
One of the many problems with our (America’s) current health insurance based system is that people don’t treat it like insurance. The whole idea behind insurance is that it spreads liability for a large, unexpected loss across a large base of contributors. But just as you don’t call your auto insurance company for pay for oil changes or have your timing belt replaced, there are smaller, routine things that health insurance shouldn’t be relied on to pay for either.
I only bring it up to point out that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with a system where people pay for the services they receive, and that there are plenty of reasons why it costs more than it should. Straddling our government with yet another financial liability that it won’t be able to pay for down the road is far from a good long-term solution.
Agreed Mike
#16 Mr. Fusion
“The two things in common is that each company treats its employees well and the company is usually very profitable. If you make your employees want to work, they will jump through hoops to satisfy the company. ”
I couldn’t agree more!!!!
COSTCO is a good example of this from what I hear.
What works and doesn’t for the French should interest Americans. Instead we cling to a level of understanding about all things French that revolves around wine, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, hot chicks with accents and for ex-Renault owners, a lingering hatred for their automotive exports (this one may be well founded). Even though there’s some truth to, “In heaven the cops are British, the mechanics German and, the cooks French. In hell the cops are German, the mechanics French and, the cooks British….” the reality is more complex. Even if you personally don’t want to “Be Like Michelle” we need something less dorky and more substantive than “Freedom Fries” as our retort to the French perspective. Besides fried potatoes are from Belgium not France.
But just as you don’t call your auto insurance company for pay for oil changes or have your timing belt replaced, there are smaller, routine things that health insurance shouldn’t be relied on to pay for either.
This point of view reflects the attitude of someone who either a) is young, healthy, and has no children, or b) has plenty of money and/or good insurance.
It’s those “small unimportant” things, routine things, that people on the margins can’t afford. The little things eventually add up to expensive situations. Either the insurance companies will start denying coverage to people who “haven’t taken care of themselves” (even if it was because they couldn’t afford to) or find out that it’s cheaper to provide, say, routine teeth cleaning rather than pay to fix cavities. Multiply by 10 when kids are involved.
#17 — talking about your own kids, yourself, your neighbors or your peers?
I haven’t been to the moon either; but, I can have an informed discussion about it’s geology and other questions facing those who would consider building a permanent base there. As can several members of my family.
If you care to acquire knowledge, learn to evaluate information and draw an informed opinion, you can do so. It doesn’t start with chauvinism.
25 If you care to acquire knowledge, learn to evaluate information and draw an informed opinion, you can do so.
True.
Everyone who has posted a comment here has done that? 😉
And all this comment after a nice posting about the inadequecies of the TSA… Your government (the US) is fucked. It has been for a LONG time… Americans are very good at denying this fact though. To think that in canada, our Liberal government fell due to the mismanagement and corruption which amounted to a couple million… And the US is still corrupt to the count of billions and the government is still standing and going strong. Americans could learn something… but they need to learn history and geography first. Nice people though…
29. What you are describing is NOT insurance… and that is my point. Insurance is for unexpected costs that cannot be easily paid for out of pocket, not expected or routine costs.
If you want to pay more for an HMO type system which is designed to be a more all-encompassing system that emphasized prevention to (in theory) lower future treatment costs, then so be it. An HMO still can’t make you change your diet and exercise, or stop smoking, or stop you from baking yourself in the sun or tanning bed. But there is no reason why people shouldn’t be able to get a relatively cheap insurance plan, so that they can pay for the everyday health care items themselves, yet still have something for when they need that emergency surgery because their appendix ruptures (or whatever).
This article is taking a very Anglo point of view ignoring all the problems that immigrants have encountered. Unfortunately, the French are still dealing with the difficulties of a colonialist past. The official line is that anyone from the former colonies such as Algeria are French, but if they come to France, they often find that isn’t necessarily the case.
“The French are not cultural dinosaurs. They are struggling to maintain their identity in a world that is dominated by American music, film, and television” — at the expense of the culture of those who have come to France. As I understand it, if you immigrate to France, you are basically expected to give up your own culture and take on French ways.
“The French are not reactionary conservatives. They still respect their traditions, their families, and to some extent their church.”
Which is why Muslim’s wearing head scarves was such a big deal there. So in an attempt to appear like they weren’t singling out the Muslims they outlawed all expressions of religion.
I’m not saying France is horrible, but this column just looks at things from the white side of things…
#31 – 29. What you are describing is NOT insurance… and that is my point. Insurance is for unexpected costs that cannot be easily paid for out of pocket, not expected or routine costs.
So the expected or routine costs can be paid easily out of pocket? Do you have any idea what those costs would be if insurance didn’t cover them. They would be prohibitive. For many (far many more than the richest nation on Earth should be content to allow) these costs would exceed thier monthly income.
From the mismanagement of HMOs, to the $50 tablets of Tylenol, corruption is rampant in the system… But when our children are sick, should we care about that? The poor can sacrifice rent for a medical bill, but all they buy is a month of health, and after that, what?
The French are not reactionary conservatives.
Wow.
I had no idea there more than one type of conservative.
#31 Mike
It is insurance. For instance A parent has a baby that is healthy. They can just afford to get health insurance through their work plan. Around the age of 2 that child develops lets say diabetes. That child now requires daily medication and the devices and paraphernalia to manage that disease. Should they have to pay for all of that out of pocket until the kid needs a kidney? Isn’t that why they got the insurance in the first place. They pay into the system why shouldn’t they get out of it what is promised?
The fact is the insurance companies are making huge profits on people that don’t file. They know the business they are in. It is a business of risks some pay off. Some don’t. Sometimes they insure a kid who becomes diabetic and sometimes the kid never gets sick. It’s in the percentages. Most people plus their employer pay more into the system that they collect out. That is why the insurance companies make so much money.
Their drive for more and more profit is in conflict with the well being of their ensured. it is also in conflict with doctors drive to make more and more profit. Have we all forgotten the humanity that we were taught in church and school or is the fact that you don’t feel you should have to contribute to the health care of others and your profit is more important? You think you will profit someday don’t you? Maybe? You know when you need that bypass surgery? Some people who file for these small things never cash in on those big ticket items and cost the insurance company less.
The only way the system of health insurance works is that some people don’t profit from it. Maybe that is you. If you don’t like it too bad drop your insurance.