There was once a time when you could count on lefties to defend free speech, but that time has passed. Today those who came of age during the Berkeley free speech movement are the ones sticking universities with sickening speech codes. There once was a time when you could count on conservatives to keep spending in check, but that time has passed. And for all its socialist wackiness, there once was a time when you could count on France to stand up for personal liberties, by for example, resisting the Puritanical American mindset that is so bent on banning smoking. Sadly, that time might soon pass:
French smokers were making a painful mental adjustment as a parliamentary committee recommended a ban on smoking in public areas from next year and the government indicated it will act quickly on the advice. It means that from September smoking in French bars, restaurants and nightclubs could be completely prohibited — unless they provide hermetically-sealed “fumoirs” into which serving staff are not allowed to penetrate.
More here.