Another example of how "freedom" works in Europe

We were riding in a taxi from Villefranche, France, to Monaco on one of our days in Europe when we got into a discussion about societal freedoms with our driver. Stephane was kind enough to allow us to take a picture of his French national ID card (which is not his driver's license, by the way):




Stephane explained to us that all French citizens are required to carry this card with them at all times and must immediately produce it when commanded to do so by police (of which there are two main types in France, the Police Nationale and the Gendarmerie), even if the peasants in question aren't suspected of breaking any laws at all and are just walking down the street minding their own business.

(Stephane had quite some trouble comprehending that Americans aren't under any such requirement, by the way.)

In addition, Stephane informed us that people must also have one Euro on them while out and about to avoid being arrested for vagrancy, or whatever they call that "offense" over there.

To sum up: Not possessing either an intrusive national ID card (the exact same type that Congressional liberals continually advocate imposing upon us here in America) or a small amount of money at all times while going about one's daily activities is a jailable crime in France.

This is another stark example of the kinds of socialist progressive European policies that the Messiah and his ilk fervently wish to emulate here in the U.S., and who intend to accomplish that goal by ramming their special brand of "change" down our throats.

Not if we have anything to say about it, that's for sure.