France

Bastille Day

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tricolor

I remember the Vendee, and the spoliation of the cathedrals, and the massacres of the innocent, and Edmund Burke’s great oratory, and the dawn of modern tyranny, and all the evils of the Revolution on the other 364 days.

One day a year I cheer for the Rights of Man and the Republic, and newly minted citizens dragging the aristocrats who despised and scorned them to the guillotines, and the fear struck into the hearts of crowned despots who tottered on their thrones, and the hard-handed sons of peasants and blacksmiths commanding the cheering, singing armies of the Revolution, with their tricolor cockades and ragged clothes, their skirmishers swarming amidst the battle smoke, their charging columns bristling and gleaming with bayonets, sweeping the invaders in a tumbling rout back over the frontiers.

Liberté, égalité, fraternité.

Vive la Republique.

Vive la Révolution.

Vive la France.

Fortifications at St. Jean Pied de Port

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In France we visited the town of St. John Pied de Port. This town is right near the Spanish border in Basque country and has long been a trading post and fortified area due to its strategic location.  I found more information about this fortress at this site which is run by an individual with interests in fortresses and siege warfare and I recommend that you review this link for more background and an overhead view of the fortified location.

I have not been to many fortresses but based on limited research this seems to be one of the best preserved locations.  The citadel is intact (see below) and the city walls exist along with much of the earthworks.

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The PIIGS Who Fell to Earth

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In her office in Berlin, Angela Merkel waited by her phone. A small group of advisors waited with her, unusually quiet. Their eyes moved back and forth between the clock and the telephones. Finally, a ring shatters the silence. The defense minister picks it up. He listens, nods, barks an acknowledgement into the phone, and hangs it up. He turns to the chancellor.
 
Der Rubikon ist gekreuzt worden.

This is from a great post by Jim Bennett.

In the form of a thriller, he shows one way the current Euro currency crisis could play out.

Schadenfreude is a German word, but we in the Anglosphere occasionally feel a twinge of it … .

Drawing From The Well A Few Times Too Often

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I thought everyone here would like to have a little glimpse into the French national pension system.

The news item linked to above is both short and written in English. Click the link and read the sidebar for a few thumbnail facts concerning who gets a pension, and what kind of money they can expect. A comparison to Social Security in the United States is not a futile exercise.

What I found interesting is how French workers with private sector jobs have to make do with 50% of their pay, and the base figure is found by averaging the 25 top earning years during their career.

Public sector employees, by contrast, receive 75% of their pay, and the base figure is found by averaging the last six months of their career.

It seems that this is inviting fraud, as I would certainly try my best to work as much overtime as possible during that last six months. Inflate the pay and get a better pension than I deserve.

Those who avoid sucking at the government teat are shafted in a lot of other ways as well. Private sector employees have to give up over 10% of their pay in order to fund the pensions, while government workers are only taxed less than 8%. Pretty good work if you can get it.

Read the whole thing. Like I said, it is short and to the point.