Tuesday, May 09, 2017

Macron as "closest thing to libertarian"?

Jason Soon noted here yesterday that Macron was someone libertarians should be happy with, and while I see that while he is indeed credited with some economic liberalising ideas, he also has plenty of others which American or Australian libertarians would run a mile from.  Here are some of them, as chosen from a list at the BBC:

Would make public investments worth €50bn spread over five years for environmental measures, apprenticeships, digital innovation and public infrastructure

Foreign aid: Eager to increase spending in Africa but wants to help countries stand on their own two feet in defence terms
  • In areas of special need - notably poor suburbs (banlieues) - would limit class sizes in primary schools to 12 pupils per teacher
  • Would ban children's use of mobile phones at school
  • At the age of 18 French teenagers would get a "Cultural Pass" worth €500 to spend on cultural pursuits such as the cinema, theatre, books

Energy and environment

  • Calls for half of food provided in school and work canteens to be organic or locally produced
  • Would promote France as a world leader in developing green technologies
  • Advocates renovating one million poorly insulated homes
He is, of course, also pro EU, an institution which I don't notice many libertarians celebrating.

Anyway, Macron is fully on board with climate change - quite possibly the single biggest distinguishing thing between a libertarian and a sensible person.    

16 comments:

  1. we had the spectacle of lefties like yourself backing Macron who wants to dismantle stuff like France's absurd 35 hour week and really deregulate the french labour market. still a win as far as I'm concerned, so what if he wastes some money on green technologies.

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  2. You have to do it at the right time Soony as the research shows otherwise the economy deteriorates.

    Why would he be wasting money? without a decent price on carbon it is in indirect way of overcoming externalities.

    All this is problematic without a majority in the Assembly and this is hard to see

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  3. I haven't made a serious study of Macron at all - but I'm not disputing he is an economic liberal compared to what's par for the course in France. So his policies, from what I see of them, are relatively mildly liberalising - it's just that they are coming off a very left base. I don't think the comparison with Howard and Workchoices is that far off the mark, really; although yesterday's comparison was mildly facetious. :)

    Looking at his policies overall, though, his claim that he is neither left or right seems quite accurate, and comparisons to libertarians are therefore a tad dubious.

    But we're probably not disagreeing much, at heart - just I like to attack libertarians as much as possible.

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  4. Steve, workchoices was re-regulating the labour market only in favour of employers. the ALP actually de-regulated it much more than Howard ever did!

    Macron appears to me to be like Blair or Schroder

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  5. "Steve, workchoices was re-regulating the labour market only in favour of employers. the ALP actually de-regulated it much more than Howard ever did


    Homer, that is almost on par with the Taiwanese mistress nonsense. BTW are you still defending Iron Mark over that?

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  6. Soony if you actually looked at the data you would realise that but macro-economics was always too much for you.

    As for Iron Mark I changed on that when the Latham Diaries came out and showed he had no idea of what he was spouting.

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  7. Labour market economics is microeconomics you buffoon, not macroeconomics, and in any case you shouldn't be talking Mr 'Gestapo was a job creation programme'

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  8. Soony how do we know about labour market deregulation if not examining employment, wages and industrial; disputation data. the RBA has done that.

    not read that. What a shame it is just like Wages of destruction.

    don't know what Gestapo was a job creation program means. A translation please

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  9. Anonymous4:46 pm

    Steve, workchoices was re-regulating the labour market only in favour of employers. the ALP actually de-regulated it much more than Howard ever did!


    My God he's an imbecile. Paxton is a embarrassment to the human race.

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  10. wow what an intellect. Read the RBA paper. gosh you can't read that's right.

    No wonder you are a trumpkin

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  11. Anonymous6:40 pm

    Read what RBA paper, you appalling moron. The RBA deals with macroeconomics, you dullard.

    Seriously, the university that gave you a degree should be closed down immediately.

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  12. you can't read anyway. If labour market reform works it shows up in the macroeconomy.

    you cannot be that stupid. Wait a minute you are!

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  13. which RBA paper has said that the ALP deregulated the labour market more than the Libs you doofus? link it

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  14. I didn't say that doofus. But if you put RBA into my blog you will find it. Yet another topic you are ignorant about.

    Are you taking Katesy pills.
    Be good if you read about a topic before saying ignorant things about it.

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  15. Homer: I didn't say that doofus
    Homer: the ALP actually de-regulated it much more than Howard ever did
    Homer: Soony how do we know about labour market deregulation if not examining employment, wages and industrial; disputation data. the RBA has done that.

    The Homers may say different things but they're all dullards

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  16. Doofus cannot read what he writes no wonder he is to lazy to read papers on subjects he knows nothing about.

    A hint Soony closely read what I actually said not what you think I said. . You definitely are taking Katesy pills

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