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An online poll conducted by the popular Le Parisien tabloid showed almost 70 per cent supporting the country’s wayward son and poster boy for glorious political incorrectness.
Depardieu welcomed the move to grant him Russian citizenship, according to excerpts of a letter published by a Russian state TV website.
"I love your culture, your intelligence," the letter read. "My father was a communist of that era. He listened to Radio Moscow! That is my culture too."
Depardieu's publicist Francois Hassan Guerrar was not immediately available to comment on the letter.
Depardieu was one of several Western celebrities invited to celebrate the birthday of Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya's Kremlin-backed leader, in 2012.
The first time I visited Paris was in mid August. This is peak season for tourism and yet half the shops and museums were closed. There are likely more French in Mexico in August than there are in Paris.
The culture puts pleasure before profit.
The following are standard:
Minimum wage is 9.40 Eu (about $12.25 USD)
7 hr workday is mandated.
Paid OT is illegal.
12 paid public holidays.
Minimum 5 weeks vaca. Most get 8 weeks.
Germany was trending in a similar direction and then put on the brakes. Employees were told if they would not give on # hours and vacation time, jobs would be outsourced to nearby Poland or Hungary. The Germans culture changed.
In The Age of Reagan, Steven Hayward writes that Reagan worked as an actor in the 1950's, when the top marginal rate was 91%. Reagan noticed that lots of actors would quit working every June. After making just one or two movies, the best paid actors would be in the 91% bracket. So they "sat around the Brown Derby restaurant talking about oil deals (almost certainly for their tax shelter potention." Why make another movie that year if you're only able to keep 9 cents on the dollar?
The first time I visited Paris was in mid August. This is peak season for tourism and yet half the shops and museums were closed. There are likely more French in Mexico in August than there are in Paris.
The culture puts pleasure before profit.
The following are standard:
Minimum wage is 9.40 Eu (about $12.25 USD)
7 hr workday is mandated.
Paid OT is illegal.
12 paid public holidays.
Minimum 5 weeks vaca. Most get 8 weeks.
Germany was trending in a similar direction and then put on the brakes. Employees were told if they would not give on # hours and vacation time, jobs would be outsourced to nearby Poland or Hungary. The Germans culture changed.
You know that 1/2 of the population of Paris goes to the beach in July and then the other half goes in August. That's why 1/2 of the shops where closed.
Depardieu has paid about $190M in income taxes in France over his life. Almost one fifth of a billion dollars.
Is there anyone who doesn't think that is enough for one man to pay? As an actor, he could do his job living anywhere in the world. For most of his life he volunteered to live in France and pay these taxes. He's had enough. I am completely sympathetic to him.
You know that 1/2 of the population of Paris goes to the beach in July and then the other half goes in August. That's why 1/2 of the shops where closed.
I susbesquently figured this out. Blew me away that businesses dependent upon tourism, were closed closed during peak tourism season, putting their own pleasure and relaxation, before profit.
At least the Fench have their priorities straight. Thay are tourists in July and August like all sensible Europeans. We should be living as well as they.
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Proper priorities
