Centrally Planned Tapas
If health care, a complex commodities bundle, is a fundamental human right, it makes perfect sense to extend that logic to . . . tourism. Serially. Via Reason:
In the wacky, long-running, and possibly-doomed gameshow that is the European welfare state, everyone in the EU just moved one step closer toward winning a free vacation:
Brussels has declared that tourism is a human right and pensioners, youths and those too poor to afford it should have their travel subsidised by the taxpayer.
Under the scheme, British pensioners could be given cut-price trips to Spain, while Greek teenagers could be taken around disused mills in Manchester to experience the cultural diversity of Europe.
The idea for the subsidised tours is the brainchild of Antonio Tajani, the European Union commissioner for enterprise and industry, who was appointed by Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister.
I boldly predict that in order to sell products and services to subsidized tourists the EU will require hostels, hotels, restaurants, pubs, taxis, museums, national monuments, tour agencies, gift shops, airlines, etc. be “EU Subsidized-Tourist Certified.” Obtaining that certification will require companies and agencies to pay annual fees to the EU and comply with wholly unnecessary travel / health / safety / regulatory codes drawn up by a shiny-new EU agency. Unsurprisingly, large tourism corporations will ensure the EU’s tourism provider certification policies effectively stifle competition, which will result in higher prices for non-subsidized tourists and a diluted, homogenized travel experience for all – in spite of EU politicians’ populist rhetoric condemning the large hotel chains, mass-tour companies, and restaurant chains. Such an artificial rise in the cost of travel will spawn a black market in tourism. A black market in tourism services will require a special EU police task force to crack down on illegal tourism services. In order to pay for this task force the EU will levy an additional value added tax on a non-subsidized tourism, while prisons will fill with tourism provider-criminals. But no amount of money or regulation will quash this black market – demand for low cost travel is too strong. The EU’s logical choice will be to levy additional taxes on non-tourism related industries. As the cost of legal traveling rises, legal traveling will decline, and the EU’s tourism lobby will demand more tourism subsidies. And on and on it will go. Eventually the subsidized tourism class will demand a single payer travel system to ameliorate the travel inequity between the subsidized and non-subsidized classes.
Just imagine a centrally planned tapas selection.
Come on Reason, step up the game a bit.
>> “Brussels has declared that tourism is a human right and pensioners”.
Exactly which EU directive states that?
The publicly stated opinion of a particular minister does not law make. Shame on Reason for requoting the brit Times, a tabloid rag if ever there were one, especially when it comes to Europe. And more shame on Mr. D. B. for reposting this misleading crap.
For f*ck’s sake, Amorphatist, read the flipping article before popping off: “Tajani’s programme will be piloted until 2013 and then put into full operation. It will be open to pensioners and anyone over 65, young people between 18 and 25, families facing “difficult social, financial or personal” circumstances and disabled people. The disabled and the elderly can be accompanied by one person. In the initial phase, northern Europeans will be encouraged to visit southern Europe and vice versa. Details of how participants are chosen have not yet been finalised, but it is expected the EU will subsidise about 30% of the cost.”
Three seconds on Google reveals that the program builds upon the other confirmation of the program, for example here http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2010/04/19/33525/eu-plans-subsidised-holidays-for-the-less-well-off.html, commentary on it here http://www.benzinga.com/232063/eu-madhatters-want-to-squander-on-subsidized-holidays (nothing that subsidy fraud is rampant in the EU, and predicting more to come with travel subsidies), and this http://www.tipsfromthetlist.com/269.html shows the program’s builds upon the UN declaration on the rights of persons with disabilities.
Apparently it’s a pilot program until 2013, then will be put into full operation. Even if the idea was merely being bandied about, there would be nothing wrong with commenting on it.
And all four of those Tea-Party signs with objectionable material (not proven to not be the work of agent provocateur either) are not law either, so everyone can relax right?