The French Senate has passed a controversial pension reform bill, which has caused a series of strikes and protests around France.

The senators approved President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, and it could become law as early as next week.

Mr Sarkozy says the measure is necessary to reduce the deficit.

But hundreds of thousands have protested against what they see as an attack on their rights.

Senators passed the motion to raise the retirement age by 177 votes to 153, after the government used a special measure known as a guillotine to cut short the debate on the bill.

The protest movement has been spearheaded by the trade unions, although all sections of society have been represented - including schoolchildren.

Most of the rallies have been peaceful, but on Friday clashes broke out at an oil refinery blockaded by workers for the past 10 days.

Mr Sarkozy ordered riot police to break the blockades, and two people were hurt outside the Grandpuits refinery east of Paris.

The unions are blockading 12 facilities in a bid to change the government's mind.

Opponents of the bill will now have a chance to take their objections to the constitutional court, before the bill becomes law.

if i were the senate over there, i don't think i'd be going out of my way to evoke the image of guillotines just at the moment.  :o

They're protesting because their government is going to raise the retirement age to 62???

What, are they all burned out from having to work 36 hours per week?

No wonder the rest of the world thinks the French are a bunch of p*ssies.  ::)

They're protesting because their government is going to raise the retirement age to 62???

What, are they all burned out from having to work 36 hours per week?

No wonder the rest of the world thinks the French are a bunch of p*ssies.  ::)


What the world needs now is Uncle Sam's new retirement plan:

90-hour weeks x3 jobs until you drop dead!
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I would encourage the US government to pass the same bill word for word.

I would encourage the US government to pass the same bill word for word.


HECK YEAH.

Maybe this can be the rallying call for a second Dem adminsitration.  ;D

I think the world will soon figure out that retirement is a luxury for the rich.  Europe will find this harder to adapt to than us.

I think the world will soon figure out that retirement is a luxury for the rich.  Europe will find this harder to adapt to than us.



Retirement is once again becoming a luxury for the rich.  So is education.  Coming next: Food, clothes, and shelter!
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Retirement is once again becoming a luxury for the rich.  So is education.  Coming next: Food, clothes, and shelter!
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Not really.  For the most part, Europe still handles socialized healthcare and education well.  If you'll notice, the only socialized programs that tend to outright fail involve pensions.

Look at all the countries whose entire economies are being brought down by unfunded pensions -- Greece is the ultimate example of that.

Eventually, we'll need to go back to the idea of sons and daughters helping their aging parents out more.  That usually works better than having the government save (or rather "misplace") your funds.

Not really.  For the most part, Europe still handles socialized healthcare and education well.  If you'll notice, the only socialized programs that tend to outright fail involve pensions.

Look at all the countries whose entire economies are being brought down by unfunded pensions -- Greece is the ultimate example of that.

Eventually, we'll need to go back to the idea of sons and daughters helping their aging parents out more.  That usually works better than having the government save (or rather "misplace") your funds.


...and for those without sons and daughters, or with a child or children who has delays that keep them from competing in the marketplace, or those without family..

...and for those without sons and daughters, or with a child or children who has delays that keep them from competing in the marketplace, or those without family..


I'm one of them.  I have no kids and don't intend to have any.  I also had significant developmental delays in my formative years which disrupted my educational opportunities thus disrupting my career opportunities.  I wish I could do more to support my rapidly aging mother, but, alas, I cannot.  Her twilight years are not going to be cushy, but at least she does have social security and other benefits which will keep her from utter destitution. 

All these rich conservatives prattling on about "family values" only care about the families of other rich conservatives.  In other words, they want present-day Stockholm for themselves and Dickensian London for everybody else. 

Commenting on homelessness, Right Wing radio bigot Jay Severin quoted Dickens' Oliver Twist: "Have we no jails?"  Don't get the wrong idea about Severin, he's not naive, merely sadistic and cynical. 

More poignant, when reporters asked Newt Gingrich at the time of the Newt Deal 15 years ago what the answer was for low-income families who could not afford to raise, Uncle Newtie recommended "orphanages."  When Right Wingers do the Twist, it's Oliver.  Mr. Dickens spins in his grave!
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...and for those without sons and daughters, or with a child or children who has delays that keep them from competing in the marketplace, or those without family..


I plan on having no kids.  I think it's perfectly reasonable to just go with the euthanasia option past a certain age.

I really have no desire to live beyond probably about 80 or 85.

I plan on having no kids.  I think it's perfectly reasonable to just go with the euthanasia option past a certain age.

I really have no desire to live beyond probably about 80 or 85.



In St. Thomas More's Utopia, citizens had a choice of being euthanized at age sixty or living out their lives until natural death.  If the citizen chose the former, the society would honor him with a celebratory funeral and burial in a beautiful mausoleum.  If the citizen chose the former, the society would take good care of him in his infirm years BUT would bury him in a swamp with NO funeral.  Mind you, in Thomas More's era, 16th century England, sixty was considered a long life.  The point in More's satire, as I interpret it, is if society is allowed to hold sway over life and death, it will give incentives for citizens to die once they are no longer productive.  I am not sure I agree entirely, but it gives me pause about legalized euthanasia. 

In St. Thomas More's Utopia, citizens had a choice of being euthanized at age sixty or living out their lives until natural death.  If the citizen chose the former, the society would honor him with a celebratory funeral and burial in a beautiful mausoleum.  If the citizen chose the former, the society would take good care of him in his infirm years BUT would bury him in a swamp with NO funeral.   Mind you, in Thomas More's era, 16th century England, sixty was considered a long life.  The point in More's satire, as I interpret it, is if society is allowed to hold sway over life and death, it will give incentives for citizens to die once they are no longer productive.  I am not sure I agree entirely, but it gives me pause about legalized euthanasia. 


I definitely support euthanasia and the concept of encouraging people to pass on once they are no longer productive.

Granted, I am a utilitarian.  Whatever is most practical is what I favor, even if it might offend the ethics of most.

I definitely support euthanasia and the concept of encouraging people to pass on once they are no longer productive.

Granted, I am a utilitarian.  Whatever is most practical is what I favor, even if it might offend the ethics of most.


Hitler would agree with you.

...and for those without sons and daughters, or with a child or children who has delays that keep them from competing in the marketplace, or those without family..


Childfree here too.

But that's what the extra disposable income that comes with childfreedom is for: to pay someone else's kids to wipe my ass when I lose bowel control.  Right now (and having no memory of my own days in diapers, and no experience with cleaning others' diapers), I'd probably eat a bullet before I'd let myself go that far, because ass smells like... ass.  But in 40 years, maybe I'll just cling on for spite.

(But conversely, if my future caregivers have ever had children of their own, they should be used to poopy diapers already.  Maybe they'll think "Hey, it's just poop."  Clean adult diapers for 8 hours a day, go home and clean the kids' diapers for the other 8 hours, then lather, rinse, sleep for 8 hours, and repeat.)

Childfree here too.

But that's what the extra disposable income that comes with childfreedom is for: to pay someone else's kids to wipe my ass when I lose bowel control.  Right now (and having no memory of my own days in diapers, and no experience with cleaning others' diapers), I'd probably eat a bullet before I'd let myself go that far, because ass smells like... ass.  But in 40 years, maybe I'll just cling on for spite.

(But conversely, if my future caregivers have ever had children of their own, they should be used to poopy diapers already.  Maybe they'll think "Hey, it's just poop."  Clean adult diapers for 8 hours a day, go home and clean the kids' diapers for the other 8 hours, then lather, rinse, sleep for 8 hours, and repeat.)


Foo Bar in 40 years:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC2CM7UVzPQ

;D

Hitler would agree with you.

Hey, not everything Hitler supported was bad.

Foo Bar in 4 0 years:


Fixed that for me :)

Hey, not everything Hitler supported was bad.


Sure, he got the trains running on time...

to Auschwitz!

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Sure, he got the trains running on time...

to Auschwitz!

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Well, I was thinking of things like...  he was a vegetarian.

Well, I was thinking of things like...   he was a vegetarian.



He liked his doggie.

He had a nice-looking girlfriend.  They took cyanide together!
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Well, I was thinking of things like...   he was a vegetarian.



He had only one meatball

Well, I was thinking of things like...   he was a vegetarian.


Again, you keep coming up with bad things...

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Now, these cats, on the other hand... I'm not so sure about.