Change is not for conservatives...

[Infoproliferati]

I was listening to an NPR segment on the French civilian protests a few weeks ago. A protester reacted to the government's plan to lift the retirement age from 62 to 65: "In France we are conservative. The rest of the world changes but we don't."

What a thing to say. The world today is a far more heterogeneous and interconnected global society than it has ever been. While some people try to understand challenging and different matters, others are busy criticizing any uncommon perspectives, even though everything else is changing, disappearing or shifting; markets, science and tech, nature, languages, cultures and traditions etc.

The reality is very few things remain the same. Yet we ignore the fact. Perhaps we feel threatened or would just rather believe in absolutes. Either way being a hardcore conservative isn't the answer. Somehow conservatives today seem to think they hold the moral high ground. Why? Because they fear that a polity left to liberals will evolve into a society of godless degenerates and enablers of big government. How wrong.

I sympathize with the Frenchman who was justified in expressing outrage over having to extend his working days by another 3 years. Would have been swell if he had some suggestions on how to subsidize retirement pensions. But like most conservatives in the US he expects things to pay for themselves.

[randomo]

Your points are well taken, but just to nitpick ... I thought France was raising the retirement age from 60 to 62? (The point being it would still be far below retirement ages in nations such as the U.S.)

[Acro]

Francois Mitterrand lowered the retirement age to 60 in the 1980s. Consider this, along with red wine as the two most important things to live a long life

[Infoproliferati]

Randomo thanks for the correction. It is from 60 to 62. Man those French have it good.

[katherine]

France: Stop the world, we want to get off.
USA: We are the world, follow us - or else.