How High Should Top Tax Rates Be?

Probably not lower than 25%. See tax rates were as high as 60% when Uncle Nadess was Minister of Finance because we were just emerging from under colonial rule and the country had to be built. From the ground up. And pressing problems solved while diversifying a basket case economy. Treading intelligently, Vishnu was then able to lower taxes by almost 50% because the Labour Party had made the economy a lot more resilient and international conditions were a lot better. 

Rama then committed political hara-kiri by irresponsibly reducing them by another 50% and making an incredible number of dumb moves. This has created a multi-giga rupee toohrooh and a string of problems that, unsurprisingly, has stalled the economy.

Xavier has little choice but to quickly increase top tax rates back to at least 25% to avert soon having to increase them a lot more. Like what the French did recently. He might not though because flirting with brutal political extinction may be quite addictive.

Sarkozy To Debate Hollande Tomorrow

In their only face-à-face before French voters elect their new President on Sunday. The incumbent wanted 3 such debates to use his superior talking skills to catch up to Hollande who leads by about 8% in the most recent polls. Former life partner and Presidential candidate, Ségolène Royal, has recommended a tit-for-tat strategy.

Will there be any burning stuff in it?

Hollande Ahead by Up To 3.5%

As the French go to vote in the first round of the Presidential elections. The interesting thing that's happening this time is that the judiciary has warned that it will prosecute anyone publishing exit polls before voting stations close at 20h. This includes posting on FB or Tweeter. If the leaks are widespread enough the elections could be declared void.

Ah, Tweeter quand tu me tiens...

Sarkozy Ahead of Hollande By 1-3%

For the first-round Presidential Elections that are due to take place in 18 days. Marine Le Pen is third. However Hollande leads by 6-10% at the run-off stage that would take place two Sundays later.

How do you think it's going to go?

Sarkozy Joins Presidential Race

That was yesterday. He has 64 days to convince French voters to give him another mandate. That's 30 days more than the campaign of our last general election. His main rivals wasted little time to react.

Hollande To Face-off Sarkozy in 2012

He just defeated Martine Aubry in the second round of the Primaries organised by Le Parti Socialiste. But it's true that the incumbent President has not yet declared that he will be running again although this is widely expected. Recent polls have predicted that either Aubry or Hollande would defeat Sarkozy next year.

Five years ago, Sarkozy defeated Hollande's spouse, Dakar-born Segolene Royal in the race to L'Elysee. Still, they managed to do something the Clintons did not: both spouses getting their party's nomination in the Presidential Election.