Wonder Why France is Under Seige by Yellow Vests?

France is the new tax hell in Europe and beyond

Hundreds are being arrested in Paris at this very moment

FILE PHOTO: A French flag is held by protesters in Paris, France © Reuters / Stephane Mahe

While the dust has not yet settled in the streets of Paris, after sweeping protests against fuel tax hikes, it just so happens that France has taken the crown from Denmark as the most taxed country in 2017, the OECD found.

Among the 34 developed members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Emmanuel Macron leads the nation with the highest tax-to-GDP ratio, the organization reported. France leads with 46.2 percent of GDP against the average of 34.2 percent of other members, thus dropping the long-standing leader in the rating, Denmark.

The Scandinavian country’s numbers, meanwhile, shrank to 46 percent, down by 0.2 since last year. Sweden, Italy, and Greece round out the top five, while Mexico is the last on the list at 16.2 percent.

© www.oecd.org

Canada, and several other countries were left off this chart for whatever reason. Canada ranks 24th, right between Britain and Japan at 32.2%, just below the OECD average. By 2019, with Trudeau's carbon tax coming in, Canada will jump, probably above the average. Remember, not only will gas prices increase, but every commodity that moves by air, truck, ship or rail will increase in price and therefore increase in taxes.

Notably, tax revenues for OECD member states, on average, reached historically high levels in 2017, rising to 34.2 percent of GDP. It is up only slightly from 34 percent, the previous peak recorded by the organization in 2016.

France is currently in the midst of weeks of social unrest over proposed fuel tax hikes. The latest Yellow Vest mayhem in Paris resulted in nearly 100 injuries and more than 200 arrests, as protesters descended into street battles. The violent rallies finally pushed the French government to drop its plan for fuel tax hikes at least for the 2019 budget.

Environmental hysteria is literally putting the cart before the horse in its attempt to eliminate fossil fuels before there are reasonable alternatives. The effort is causing a rapid decrease in the wealth of middle and lower class families. 

The French, watching their culture be destroyed by political correctness and globalism, are rejecting the climate hysteria that politicians are inflicting on western countries, most of which contribute little in carbon footprints compared to the USA, China and India.