Mastodawn

Day 17 of strikes in France opposing the one-year increase in pension age. The French people have foresight and understand the saying, "if you give them an inch, they'll take a mile, therefore, when the government attempts to take that inch, bring the entire country to its knees until your voices are heard" #vivalafrance

Eugenemanel 🦡🪆⚓️Mar 23, 2023

@Miriamm Actually it's about a 2 years work more.😞

Matthieu Calu Mar 23, 2023

@Miriamm but what is the alternative? France already has one of the lowest pension age. And you have to find the money somewhere to pay for the retirement. If you put the retirement age a bit higher, then you have less pensions to pay and more people who contribute. So a double advantage.

Renée Mar 23, 2023

@matthieucalu Your fundamental assumption is flawed. "Find the money somewhere," society is more productive than it has ever been. The pie has grown, but somehow only accrues to private profit? Nah.

Matthieu Calu Mar 23, 2023

@rss @Miriamm I can follow you regarding the incorrect division of the pie, but still the pensions have to be paid. Taxes on labour are already very high (at least in Belgium) so there is also not a lot to be gained there.

I'm not against early retirement, as long as it is feasible. And I would like to hear some other options than: work longer. But I haven't heard any feasible ones.

James M.Mar 23, 2023

@matthieucalu @Miriamm the alternative, like everywhere else, is to tax the very wealthy. In the US, anyway, restoring the top income tax bracket from before Reagan would easily pay for all the social programs that have been cut or are being threatened.

Linda Mar 24, 2023

@jamesmarshall @matthieucalu @Miriamm Henry Ford would say “so who’s gonna buy my cars?” and insist on good wages. #inequality also harms the rich.

GerryEh?Mar 24, 2023

@matthieucalu @Miriamm The numbers do not lie. If the govt does not have the money to provide pensions to the all the retirees, it makes sense to increase the retirement age. The alternative is to run higher deficits, a convenient way to pass today's problems down to future generations.

Hash Mar 23, 2023

@Miriamm Why French would rather get pension than earn money when they are not disabled?

Enby Shark Mar 23, 2023

@Hash @Miriamm because many people would rather enjoy life than work their entire lives away until they are disabled or dead. Besides, as the working class, that is OUR money we have paid into retirement funds and we should be able to receive it back sooner rather than later. #TaxTheRich

Hash Mar 23, 2023

@cozymel @Miriamm
A French coworker told me - in Usa you have money but no vacation. France, no money too much vacation.
If you take money at age 62, you get 30% less per month than at age 66.

Enby Shark Mar 23, 2023

@Hash @Miriamm it's the same way in the US: earlier retirement->less social security benefits. Personally I'd rather have more vacation anyway; there's no such thing as "too much vacation". Life without living isn't a life at all, and you can't take money with you when you die.

Bill Lamb Mar 23, 2023

@Miriamm Americans have forgotten how to protest.

Americans were in the streets for years ending the Vietnam war, but it worked.

Now when something bad happens - like outlawing abortion - they gather, wave signs, sing a few songs, march a bit, and go home after a few days.

TPTB know this. These aren't even storms to weather, just squalls.

Chtimi1 Mar 23, 2023

@zachvat @Miriamm just like the brits 🤷‍♂️

Miro Collas Mar 23, 2023

@Miriamm I wish the US would learn from this example and do the same.

@Miriamm @GreenSkyOverMe the problem is that said strikes are in stark contrast to the inevitable need to change something.

The french people chose racist immigration policies and now are upset that said decision makes the raise in retirement age inevitable.

They can only have one thing: early retirement OR racist residency and work permit policies...

Amelia Bjornsdottir (she, they, he)Mar 24, 2023

@kkarhan @Miriamm @GreenSkyOverMe their immigration policies (and language policies at home) are awful but it doesn't make sense to me that they'd be the cause of this

@amelia @Miriamm @GreenSkyOverMe well, #France, like all economies in the global north, suffer from fast-aging population.

Thus the retirement systems that require at least equal amount of pension payers as there are pension beneficiaries at the same time will topple from the basis due to lack of workers as the ratio topples.

And since the current economy won't allow people to have kids - or even want them - they should incentivizing migration to fill the gap.

But in fact they choose not!

@amelia @Miriamm @GreenSkyOverMe same with #Germany and #Japan - tho Japan will have this kick in their groin sooner than anyone else...

AmiW Streetart ❄️Mar 24, 2023

@Miriamm ooh... Streetart 😍😉

barks Mar 24, 2023

@Miriamm I suspect that you meant #vivelafrance.

Linda Mar 24, 2023

@Miriamm I was in Paris this week and noted how the image of utter beauty and arts that enchant the city, and waste piling up in the streets as workers had enough, seems to reflect the French society at it’s core, the rooted #inequality. So I talked about it and what I got back was not a message on pensions, but on the never ending fight between unions and the democratically chosen representatives. It felt more like an inability to solve stuff together than a financial problem.

paul Mar 27, 2023