The Pitchforks are At-Hand

4-14-23

France continues to rile over the increase in retirement age. The issue has begat all the hallmarks of a populist uprising. Yesterday, protesters stormed the corporate offices of LVMH, the owner of multiple luxury brands. The protesters call for the “rich” to pay to prop up the French pension system. As is the case with most humans, once you are given something, you don’t want it taken away. Politicians know this very well and pander to it. The other guy wants to take it away while I want to give you more. Who wins in that battle for votes?

While today it is over an effort to put a failing program on a more solid trajectory, one that is still not sustainable, tomorrow it can be on any number of social engineering programs intended to create dependency. The French unions feel threatened that a mere head of state can make changes that undermine their power. Caring not one iota about the fiscal insanity their demands make, they cast the changes as an affront to humankind. How long before they call for the heads of those proposing change?

The prescient nature of France’s situation for the US is ominous. The Marxists that dominate the Democrat party are working in concert with their globalist comrades to undermine the capitalist system. Fueled with support from our adversaries, mainly China, they are subverting our institutions and creating animosity among the tribal groups they continue to identify in ever smaller numbers. As in France, any reference to putting Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid on a more fiscally solid footing is met with derision and scorn. Facts be damned, we’re not touching those programs!

We all know this doesn’t end well, politicians included. In our kick-the-can-down-the-road system of governance, the current crop of so-called “leaders”, will simply put out pablum expressing their allegiance to the failing programs and move on to more important things like making sure the record reflects the correct use of pronouns. Frozen in place too scared to give up their power, those who could tell the truth and take preventative actions will simply hope they won’t be around for the collapse.

How long will it be before, pitchforks in hand, the masses are at the door.