François Hollande wins in France

i know, how dare he want to increase literacy and lower homelessness! That fool!

This. From the UK cuts thread, I'll repost one of my replies there:

Spending cuts during a bad economy is like digging a hole whilst someone is filling it back up again. It basically make no difference to debt in the end and therefore makes for meaningless suffering for ordinary people.

I've also seen a quote over at that same thread, attributed to our JosefVStalin that "you need to spend money to make money". I'm pretty much a firm believer in the idea that growth promoting policies instead of "derp, moar austerity" will lead to eventual recovery.

Right, cause austerity is working so well. Leave your hatred of the left at the door please.

Scandinavian countries can afford to do all of that thanks to ridiculous taxes that would, quite simply, annihilate consumer spending in the rest of the West. The Nordic model does not work elsewhere, and even its proponents recognize that. As well, I'm not an opponent of increased public spending, but there are times when more spending will stimulate demand and times when more spending decreases your economic stability. The primary problem comes with the insane tax hikes that the new administration has proposed.

The fact that French consumer spending is already on the decline, and that they hold significant quantities of Italian, Spanish, and Greek debt puts them in an especially bad position to hike taxes. While the new president has claimed he recognizes boundaries and plans to balance the budget, the way in which he does it matters a whole hell of a lot. France is one of the least (I think maybe the least) competitive EU nation, and hiking taxes on the wealthy and business to make room for more public sector jobs will not aid its competitiveness in the least. Higher labor costs will crush the life out of economic growth in France.

Wow, asshole. Fuck you too.

@JJ12354
I'm not a fan of austerity either. It's a political maneuver, not an economic one. At the same time, it's not like Europe can continue to post annual deficits of 4 or 5% of GDP forever.

THE NORDIC MODEL DOES NOT WORK! EXCEPT IN THE NORTH! IT DOES NOT WORK, BECAUSE I SAYIT DOES NOT WORK! EVEYONE WHO TRIED IS NOW BANKRUPT, EXCEPT FOR EVERYONE WHO TRIED! IT DOES NOT WORK!

France is the 2nd largest economy in the EU and the 5th largest in the world. While not as stable as Germanys economy (really, which one is as stable as the good old german economy motor? ), the economy has grown in the las years by a decent rate. France is also the richest country in Europe, yes topping Germany, and 4th richest in the world. So, what was your point again? Ah yes: "I AM RIGHT! IT DOESN'T WORK!"

Your welcome!

None of that resembled a coherent response. You just created a terrible strawman.

Thats one way to ignore that you had no argument to start with, but I take the win, good sir!

Think whatever you like, doesn't make it true.

*buzzer*
What is the motto to which Kali lives his life on?

Socialism is one of the worst ideologies ever.

Fixed for ya

I don't agree with the Socialist Agenda, but he is miles better than Sarkory(I don't care how you spell it). I think things will improve however. He needs to make sure Germany is okay with Socialism thought. I would hate to see that relationship end!

Not gonna lie, I laughed.

I am just having a little fun on him, since he has no interest in a discussion with someone makeing arguments

@Soviet Streltsy Conservatism isn't really an ideology. In Russia, for example, conservatives are socialists and progressives are capitalists.

You didn't respond to anything I said. You very clearly constructed a poor strawman and attempted to use it to make me look foolish. Frankly I think it makes you look like the foolish one.

It may be, but he just answered squat on my counter argument to his, that France is one of the most economicaly stable countries in Europe, and it can handle tax raises....If he wants to come up with a counter argument, he should go right ahead. Until then, I will dispose him as the uninformed pseudo intellectual poser he is

@Kali
Read up where I refuted the part of your post where you claimed that France's economy can't handle tax raises for the rich. I can give you links to the statistics if you like... Don't even try to give me your BS you always try to pull. I know my sources, I will post them while I NEVER seen you posting anything with a slightest hint of a source. You just talk out of your ass to support your queer ideas of how things work.

Yeah... you're right. I get used to grouping them with their Western counterparts and forget that the term applies differently elsewhere.