Congratulations France

It has been my contention that the typical Frenchman is not anti-American. This was a myth propagated by Chirac, the left, and the liberal media both in the United States and France, and the proof was in yesterday’s French elections where Sarkozy won with 53.06% of the vote beating France’s Hillary Clinton's Ségolène Royal.

This is not good news for the Clinton camp. First, the democrats lost their issue that Europe is not our friend. France will now be an ally of the United States. “Freedom” Fries can now retain the name of “French” Fries. Bill O’reilly has lifted his boycott of France.

Illegal immigration is an issue that resonates both in Europe and in the United States. The candidate who comes out strong on both terrorism and immigration will win the next presidential election. I have yet to see any candidate come out with any tendentious view on illegal immigration. This means that Hillary does not have a lock on the next presidency. (Note: The alleged terror plot on Fort Dix was mostly perpetrated by illegal aliens from the Middle East.)

Sarkozy, the president of UMP, the French conservative party wants a liberalized economy based on American and British examples. He is a skilled orator, and wants to be a friend of the United States. His main issue was immigration. The French are tired of the parasitic immigrants pouring in from impoverished African nations. As in the United States, most French politicians are afraid of speaking about illegal immigration for fear of being called racists. Apparently, Sarkozy understood the French frustration about immigration. He wants to design a quota system to allow skilled immigrant workers into the French economy, and stop the flood of illegal immigrants, (what a novel concept – Can anyone tell Bush that?).

According to Forbes magazine, France leads the world in taxes. Forbes uses a misery index. Misery, of course, means the higher taxes you pay, the more misery you live in. Forbes adds all taxes imposed by the government, corporate Income tax, personal income tax, wealth tax, employer and employee social security and the Vat and a misery index is derived. France’s misery index is 166.8 (See the May 21st issue of Forbes) and the USA’s misery index is 115. Sarkozy favors a five point or larger reduction in the top corporate tax rate while Royale wanted another individual flat tax on top of the existing progressive income tax and flat tax. This is why it is so hard to get ahead in France because of the heavy tax burden.

To be fair and balance it is interesting to read a French perspective on their tax burden. http://www.forbes.com/2007/05/03/forbes-misery-france-oped-cx_pf_0503favre.html

Whether or not Sarkozy can fulfill what France needs to grow its economy is yet to be seen. France has been well entrenched in its welfare system since World War II. Its guaranteed employment may also be hard to unravel as evidenced by the recent riots in the French suburbs. This has contributed to France’s double digit unemployment rate. But the fact Sarkozy was elected bodes well for the future of the country, and demonstrates that the French want change.

An article of le monde says, (translation below).

Le président élu Nicolas Sarkozy a déclaré dimanche que les "amis américains" de la France "pouvaient compter" sur son amitié et que la France "serait toujours à leur côté quand ils auraient besoin d'elle".
"Je veux lancer un appel à nos amis américains pour leur dire qu'ils peuvent compter sur notre amitié", a déclaré M. Sarkozy, peu après l'annonce de sa victoire.
"Je veux leur dire que la France sera toujours à leur côté quand ils auront besoin d'elle. Je veux leur dire aussi que l'amitié c'est d'accepter aussi que ses amis puissent penser différemment", a poursuivi le nouveau président.
M. Sarkozy a également appelé Washington à prendre "la tête du combat" en faveur de l'environnement, "parce que ce qui est en jeu c'est le sort de l'humanité". http://www.lemonde.fr/web/depeches/0,14-0,39-30789207@7-354,0.html

Transalation

The president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy declared Sunday that the American Friends of France “can count” on their friendship and that France “would always be on their side when they need it.”
“I would like to make an appeal to our American friends by telling them that they can count on our friendship” declared M Sarkozy, after announcing his victory.
“I would like to say that France will always be at their side when they need it. I would like to tell them also that Friendship means we can think differently”, continued the new president.
M Sarkozy has also appealed Washington to take “the lead” in favor of the environment, “because what is at stake is the fate of all humanity.”

When he refers to the environment, he is talking about global warming. OK – so it’s not perfect (nobody told the French that global warming is a fraud perpetrated by Al Gore and his ilk), but it still is a step in the right direction.

I predict in the next elections in Spain, Zapatero will lose. Spain is also a friend of the United States – it is their current administration that is anti-American, not the populace. Zapatero won as a knee-jerk reaction resulting from the bombing of Madrid. 90% of Spain (and France) are against the war in Iraq, but Spain would have reelected Aznar had it not been for the capitulation caused by the Madrid bombings. Aznar was a driving force in Spain’s economy, and Zapatero is turning out to be a disaster. I predict that at the end of Zapatero’s term, the socialists will lose power again, and the conservatives, “el partido popular” will regain power, and Spain will once again be a friend of the United States.

The left will be relegated to the hallways of the naiveté of the United States Educational System.