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I know some French government officials have expressed criticism of Depardieu leaving the country to escape the 75% top tax rate. but what about the French public?
Has the reaction been positive, negative, or mostly indifferent?
Negative at first. Now everyone has moved on, but he is seen as an old drunkard who's becoming a little crazy since his son died.
And he didn't escape the 75% tax because he can't. It's a tax firms have to pay for wages in France above one million, it's not directly a tax on revenue.
But 6% is lower than anywhere in Western Europe..
[quote=Pretzelogik;35047967]They will keep spending until they run out of other peoples money.[/quote
But now we (the French) are precisely running out of other people's money, with a massive public debt and no economical reforms (that we coerce other nations into with the help of the French directors of the IMF). So that damned fool Hollande is now trying to wage wars, in Africa (Mali, not finished, Centrafrica) , in Syria, and , more and more, against Russia via ukrainian mavericks. Since Louie the 14th (plundering of the Palatinate in the 17th century), France has always had the politics of waging wars when it was broke, whatever its political regime (absolute monarchy, empire, republics). And when people start criticizing its policies, their answer is their viciously cynical and arrogant "we are the country of human rights", "we are the beacon of liberty" , etc etc
France has always had the politics of waging wars when it was broke, whatever its political regime (absolute monarchy, empire, republics). And when people start criticizing its policies, their answer is their viciously cynical and arrogant "we are the country of human rights", "we are the beacon of liberty" , etc etc
Interesting historical perspective...and it makes sense.
It follows my historical study on the wars of the French revolution and Napoleonic wars, which were essentially wars of plunder just to keep the French economy afloat. Napoleon and his claim to fight for revolutionary principles even after he declared himself absolute emperor and turned France into a virtual police state.
@ Dd714 : I can only encourage you furthering your study, I'm sure you'll discover a lot of things that are usually hushed in America (because of Lafayette?) on the "Grande Nation". And try to discuss the subject around you, among fellow students or relatives : I bet you will be very surprised at some reactions, francophilia being quite big in America right now...
It's a bit an overstatement piegonhole. It was true during the French revolution, but Napoleon's France was quite wealthy thanks to his reforms, its colonies and the beginning of the industrialization of France. Napoleon's III France was rich, and it's the war against the Prussian which broke the country. Same with the WWI. And in the WWII France didn't want a war, and was broke. The cause of the revolution was the fact Louis XVI spent all the state's money to help the US independence, while the country was very rich under Louis XIV which used this money to expand the country.
Like most countries, France waged wars when it was rich or when it was unstable and needed to create some kind of national goal to keep the nation united.
It's a bit an overstatement piegonhole. It was true during the French revolution, but Napoleon's France was quite wealthy thanks to his reforms, its colonies and the beginning of the industrialization of France. Napoleon's III France was rich, and it's the war against the Prussian which broke the country. Same with the WWI. And in the WWII France didn't want a war, and was broke. The cause of the revolution was the fact Louis XVI spent all the state's money to help the US independence, while the country was very rich under Louis XIV which used this money to expand the country.
Like most countries, France waged wars when it was rich or when it was unstable and needed to create some kind of national goal to keep the nation united.
Yes, France was running a vast deficit but that was not the real root cause of the French revolution, more like a rash the underlying disease broke out in.
Deficits can and could have been made up if France had a stronger person with his hand on the wheel (which sadly Louis XVI was not) aided by capable men who would push through much needed reforms.
Long story short feudalism, inequality, and the failure of the First and Second estates to realize the Third was fed up to the back teeth brought about the revolution. Had Louis looked down and realized he had a pair and seized the moment while still popular he could have began to pivot France to a constitutional monarchy and perhaps saved his, his wife's and thousands of others heads/lives.
It would be about another one hundred years before another and last absolute monarch in Europe (Nicholas II, Czar of all the Russia) fell for pretty much the same reasons.
When Louis XIV summoned the Estates General his plan was to play the First and Second Estates against the Third. However there were other plots afoot with different ideas.
The Second estates were planning to "de Bourbon" France and return the feudal system that existed before that dynasty by various means gathered up much of their former rights, powers and so forth for itself. You had some even within the RF that openly and or secretly plotted against absolute monarchy.
Long story short Louis XVI had neither the skill or talent to pull the thing off and the Third Estate rose up and took power.
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you're right
Since Louie the 14th (plundering of the Palatinate in the 17th century), France has always had the politics of waging wars when it was broke, whatever its political regime (absolute monarchy, empire, republics). And when people start criticizing its policies, their answer is their viciously cynical and arrogant "we are the country of human rights", "we are the beacon of liberty" , etc etc
