Wednesday, December 20, 2006

French rock star heads for the hills.


The rocker Johnny Hallyday is supposed to be the "closest thing France has to Elvis". I wouldn't know myself. But Mr. Hallyday has upset the French. He announced that he is leaving France and moving to Switzerland because of the onerous taxes. He said: "Like many French, I'm sick of paying what is imposed on us int he way of taxes." The International Herald Tribune reports that numerous French celebrities already live in Switzerland for the same reason.

Hallyday has said he would move back to France if taxes are cut. Currently the top income tax is an absurd 60 percent. Jacques Chirac doesn't get it. He slammed Hallyday saying he regrets "his behavior as a citizen."

Odd thing. If a politician uses the force of government to confiscate the wealth that others have produced they call that noble. But if someone takes legal actions to retain that which they earned they are slammed. Hollyday feels he ought to be able to leave what he has earned over the years to his three children. The French politicians think otherwise, they prefer everyone rely upon them and the public purse instead.

The Mayans in Chichen Itza, and elsewhere, used to perform human sacrafices for the good of the community. The beating heart of the victim would be cut out of their body and offered to the gods (beware the gods!). If you walk around Chichen Itza you will see the many stone walls with skulls carved into them. The place reeks of death. Now I wonder if now and then one of the sacrifices complained and was attacked for selfishness. No doubt they were derided as a "neo-liberal".