I hope President Obama doesn’t read European news or he might get an idea from this. The London Times reports that Brussels has designated vacations a human right:
An overseas holiday used to be thought of as a reward for a year?s hard work. Now 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.
The scheme, which could cost hundreds of millions of pounds a year, is intended to promote a sense of pride in European culture, bridge the north-south divide in the continent and prop up resorts in their off-season.
When nations begin to throw basic human rights (such as to life, liberty, and property) into the same batch as taxpayer-funded vacations for all, the concept tends to lose its significance. Maybe that’s the goal.
HT: Doug Bandow
