I saw picutres of these morons on the news last night, and it started me on a rant that Kathy unfortunately had to endure. (We trade off ranting whenever the news is on...this is our past time.)
Thousands of winemakers have staged protests in the streets of France to demand government help over falling exports and a slump in domestic sales.
They blame over-production, shrinking exports and a government campaign against alcohol abuse for what union leaders call a "crisis" in winemaking.
Idiots. You take money out of the hands of people who engage in marketable activity (via taxes) to facilitate more production than the market will bear and - NO SHIT - you're going to get the very over-production you're bitching about now! When the hell are you going to figure out that MARKET FORCES WORK!!
Of course, what does the collective economic genius of the French farmer come up with as a solution?
The unions want the government to provide money for farmers wishing to move from vines to other crops and greater compensation for uprooting unprofitable vineyards.
That's almost as rich as this stupid statement of the week: 'The focus by the world's richest countries on debt relief is misplaced and donors should instead concentrate onincreasing aid flows to poor countries' so says the IMF's chief economist, Raghuram Rajan.
Where'd you get your economics degree buddy? How in the hell do people get to these positions in powerful international organizations without knowing the first thing about how things work in the real world?
These are the kinds of things that make me hope against hope that the U.S. congress pulls it's collective head out of it's ass and approves Bolton as ambassador to the U.N. Forget sharp elbows, the U.N., the World Bank and the IMF need to have a flame thrower taken to them.
Posted by MRN aka "The Husband" at May 27, 2005 08:07 AMBravo, "The Husband"!
Don't you just love that quote about "greater compensation for uprooting unprofitable vineyards"?
"How in the hell do people get to these positions in powerful international organizations without knowing the first thing about how things work in the real world?"
I have no idea. Maybe they have pictures of somebody important being indiscreet with farm animals?
Seriously, you are right. It IS a shame.
I concur. These morons might as well be demonstrating with placards stating Mensa-esque phrases like "Gravity is unfair to the obese", or maybe "Thermodynamics unfairly steals heat from the poor and gives it to rich American JOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSS!!"
These guys are hilarious. American farmers work their ASSES off to produce cheap food for the world. French Farmers work 35 hour weeks to feed............well, maybe they could feed Paris, for a week or two in the off-season. And in exchange for this Shangri-La of non-stressful living, they protest in the streets, dump their crops on the steps of the local government offices, and stage work stoppages in related industries.
Somebody call The Germans, and tell them the road to Paris is open & undefended.
Posted by: Russ from Winterset at May 27, 2005 05:45 PMDo you suppose the fact that many Americans are not buying, due to the fact that France acted like a --- about Iraq?
Posted by: Peg at May 28, 2005 09:52 AM