For the first time since Mitterrand did it in 1981, the French have elected a  Socialist President, Francois Hollande. But the French, based on some observations I’ve seen, didn’t turn left so much as it didn’t turn right. Sarkozy, a conservative by label, had become something of a "big-government conservative", meaning that, likely, the French didn’t see much difference between him and the Socialists.

There’s a lesson here for American Republicans.

The fiscal measures that France had been working on are now likely going away.  Hollande is quoted as saying, ""Europe is watching us, austerity can no longer be the only option." Socialism, which exists to "spread the wealth around", needs more and more money and more and more vote buying social spending to keep its promises.

Let’s not forget that, upset at their involvement in Iraq, Spaniards voted in Socialists who promised to get them out of the war. They did, but the jihadists still bombed Madrid. And after seeing what the Socialists did to their finances, the voted them out in a crushing defeat 2 terms later.

There’s a lesson there for the French, and Europe in general.

Is anybody listening? It will be too late for the French if they go the way of Greece. Who will bail them out? Germany, again? Us? This will not go well.

Wheee! A new week! (ahem uhm erhm) Good morning.

1. I concur … and (clickthrough) a little meta-backstory.
2. Familial ties, social or genetic.
3. Of property values and the entrepreneur.
4. 400!? That’s a lot.
5. Some definitions of racism. I still like mine, “it is racist to use race as a criterion where it isn’t clearly warranted.” And yes, selecting for college admissions based on race is racist.
6. Automation and the legal office.
7. Military training and a sim-city variant.
8. Hayekian road to serfdom in a modern context.
9. Yet another Julia.
10. I found this more humorous than perhaps it warranted.
11. A book noted.