Freedom's Fidelity

Wednesday, July 02, 2003

DOES ANYONE KNOW THE AGE REQUIREMENT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT OF FRANCE?

Previously described as the "Modern Female Frederic Bastiat" (by me), here's more on 21-year old Sabine Herold

Sabine is my new French exchange partner. She is a political science student, very beautiful and speaks perfect English. She has also just become the most famous 21-year-old in France.

Dubbed France's Lady Thatcher by the newspapers, Mademoiselle Herold has been leading the rallies against the unions who have been crippling her country. Standing on a telephone box in her pearl earrings and high heels, she addresses crowds of 80,000, urging them to rise up against the striking teachers, Metro workers, rubbish collectors and air traffic controllers who are ruining people's lives. With her student friends, she has set up an organisation: Liberte J'Ecris Ton Nom, which has thousands of members, demanding that France reforms.

Now, she wants to come to Britain. Her email is simple: "I would like to spend my time meeting politicians. I don't wear jeans; I like red meat; please could I bring a camera crew?"

Even red meat!! Then there's this....

We have an hour's gap - would she like to rest? "I would like to go on the London Eye," she says. "Your publicly financed Dome was a fiasco, but your big wheel is an example of private enterprise." On the wheel, she notices all the cranes. "There is so much building work going on in Britain - that is good. Paris is a very beautiful city but it is becoming like a museum."

I observe the same thing in American ghettos. Government supplied services and infrastructure (roads, schools, housing) are a mess, but the free market has no problem supplying expensive gym shoes, clothes, jewelry, and fancy cars.

posted by Paul  permalink | |