Yellow Vests

Pleasure is sitting comfortably in a safe, secure environment. Perhaps warmly enveloped in the folds of a large old chair, book in hand, tea on the side table. Current needs and wants are satisfied. Nothing threatens. The future is not a concern.

But what do you do when the future doesn’t look fine? Such a view may ruin any blissful day.

Recently, many residents in France reacted violently to a proposed change. The change could be argued as a move to cleaner energy. Or a change for competitiveness. The government proposed an increase in fuel tax amongst other things. The result would have been workers having to work harder and perhaps have less to no time to sit and enjoy life. The workers thought the government too focused on the future ‘end of the world’ while they worried about the ‘end of the month’. So, they donned yellow vests and demonstrated over all the streets of France.

Could a root cause of this insecurity be France’s complete lack of non-renewable energy resources? The country’s current accounts show a strong negative value for energy. And given the maturity of the nation, it’s understandable that France has moved nearly totally to a service economy. Perhaps a service economy is insufficient to keep the whole population safely sipping tea while ensconced in a chair.

Wearing a yellow vest and demonstrating certainly will sensationalize the workers’ concerns. But what does this mean in general? Will countries that are limited to a service economy also be limited in the lifestyles of the populace? Can we build a better future while holding onto the past? Or, do we have to get out of the chair, take a gamble and begin something new?

Bullrush