A recent survey in France among the 18 to 29 years old shows one in four
wants to leave the country to start their business. Estimates say that in 2012 a record 5,000 entrepreneurs left. Not to be surprised when we
see the sclerotic labor and tax laws, the inefficiency of governments, the corruption, the vested interests, the monopolies with their strong
lobbies in countries such as France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Greece, … Then people wonder why the high unemployment, why the Chinese want to
come over and buy companies. As explained in Toxic Capitalism, we cannot improve the environment and society if those countries do not
completely overhaul their system. It does not look promising at all as the old guard refuses to abandon their privileges (among them, the
labor unions, the farmers, …). You must be ”weird” to start in business in those countries, or completely crooked. A good friend in Belgium is
trying to expand his factory over there but bumps into the most cumbersome and irrational obstacles. And oh yes, the guy in the administration
who needs to give him an approval is away on a ski vacation.
Sometimes I wish the Chinese would take over those countries, and get things
going. Chinese being oh so socialist the first thing they’d do would be to shut up the labor unions and make people work. As they did in a
port in Greece – that part of the port is now doing very well, thank you.