By reducing all government agencies’ budgets by 7%, Western nations would take an important step toward prosperity. But, real spending cuts are not even being suggested. Even in Europe, where the peripheral countries’ spending has driven them into collapse, spending isn’t being reduced.
Automatic increases in salaries, benefits, and pensions are so locked in, and backed by such powerful forces, that one cannot help but equating bureaucrats with France’s nobility:
French nobles did not have to pay taxes. Modern bureaucrats cannot be taxed with losing their jobs, benefits, and pensions.
French nobles were able to extract money from peasants. Modern bureaucrats have armed tax collectors to do the same thing.
French nobles were given preferential treatment in hiring for all high-level government positions. Modern bureaucrats give themselves preferred status when it comes to supervisory staffing.
French nobles ruled all government departments, both military and civilian. Modern bureaucrats are in charge of all governmental operations in Europe and America.
French nobles were able to unleash the power of France’s police and judiciary on any who threatened their status and privileges. Modern bureaucrats have powerful intelligence, police, and judicial powers to fine, confiscate, and imprison anyone who represents a threat to their privileged status.
French nobles could not be fired. Modern bureaucrats have near-perfect job security.
French nobles could pass on their privileged status to their children. Modern bureaucrats have developed self-perpetuating systems that give their offspring favored treatment in hiring.
What happened to a tiny percentage of French nobles encouraged the entire nobility of Europe to unite against the French. After the Revolution, Napoleon was able to introduce so many spending cuts, largely by eliminating nobles’ privileges, that the French economy blossomed. At the same time, he used the money saved to build roads, bridges, and canals. Nobles all over Europe concluded: “If Napoleon takes over, most of us will lose our status, our funding, and our privileges, just to help a bunch of peasants become prosperous. He has to be stopped.” Armies were raised, largely officered by European nobles, to keep the same plans from being implemented all over Europe. Waterloo was the death of the attempt to cut the costs of aristocratic privileges.
If Greek, French, Italian, or Spanish bureaucrats were forced to take reductions in salaries, pensions, and benefits, all the bureaucrats in Europe and the Americas would unite against that reform and whoever tried to enforce it. “If we let them get away with that, they’ll get us!” would be their logical conclusion. They would fight anyone who was honest enough to identify “The 7% Solution” as a way to restore their people’s prosperities and try to implement it.
