- The New French Idiocy

Proving that the Greeks have nothing on them, French unions have called a general strike and are demanding the repeal of Newtons third law of motion. Newton's third law of motion maintains that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. But to France's labor movement, this seems an unfair way to run the universe.

"This is unjust" says a local striker, "Our grandparents fought for their action, and our parents had the same action, so we feel that we are entitled to the same for us, our children, and our children's children. We think that it's only fair that the equal and opposite reaction be put off indefinitely".

Ok I'm making fun... but tell me that this nonsense doesn't sound just as idiotic as that does. From an AP piece:

"We want to stop working at 60 because it's something our parents, our grandparents and even our great-grandparents fought for," says Gilly, 50, a union representative < ... >

"And over the years ... you can see that we're losing everything they fought for. And that's unacceptable."

They genuinely don't care that there is no more money. It simply isn't a part of the equation for them. They sincerely don't understand that for them to consume wealth, someone else must first produce it, or at the very least, borrow it. That seems like no constraint to them. They view being kept in a comfortable lifestyle by others as a birthright. And they think they can have it if they simply 'insist' enough. That it will all work out if they just stamp their feet and hold their breath. I find that kind of denial ... astounding.

In most cases I don't think it's right to ridicule a person's ignorance. As an example, I know a lot about markets, and a fair amount about economics and finance. But I don't know anything about professional hockey, or dust mites, or the ways in which California's building codes handle earthquake preparedness. And failing a test on Wayne Gretsky's scoring stats wouldn't necessarily make me an idiot on other things. I find that most people are that way about something or other, and usually just need to be educated a little.

But these people don't understand that subtracting 5 from 3 doesn't leave another 5 for the next generation to subtract for themselves. They have failed to comprehend one of the basic rules of the universe. They think the government can magically fix it all like Jesus with the loaves and fishes. It's the equivalent of believing that Rome was not only built in a day, but that it spontaneously generated itself from the Italian dust, while the roman legions all enjoyed their plush retirement benefits, free healthcare, and unlimited free vacation housing on the amalfi coast.

I'm really beginning to think that you need to have a serious mental illness to be a socialist.