Writing in Slate, Claire Lundberg recounts her child care experience while living in France. She refers to France’s child care policies as European-style socialism adding:  “And I love it!” Indeed, she seems to especially love it when describing all the free things and subsidies that the French government hands out. Lundberg and her husband are so impressed that they’re considering extending his employment contract until their daughter reaches school age.

But does Lundberg even understand how this works? Whether we’re talking about government or insurance companies (e.g., think healthcare), the service in question can be financed only if a significant number of people who pay taxes or premiums do not actually use the service. If everybody used the service, the amount of taxes or premium would equal the cost of the service and so there would be no point in covering it. Those who don’t use the service are the ones who subsidize those who do.

Lundberg may pay taxes now, but her plan is to clear out after the daughter reaches school age, so she has no intention to pay taxes during a period of time when she doesn’t use child care. She’s clearly free riding and gaming the system; her conduct is equivalent to opposing the individual mandate in healthcare (which liberals are supposed to favor). Lundberg’s story is a beautiful example of liberal greed, and rather than be ashamed, she boasts about it.