@Blueglasnost @KO

Thank you kindly for the good words. The ratio and nature of the French Muslims alone would cause me to prefer the US over France. But there are other important US advantages too: free speech, firearms ownership, relatively free enterprise, relatively weak communism. Also, taxes and cost of living are still much lower, particularly in states like Texas or Nevada. In writing of the French advantage I was looking therefore beyond the present to the next 3.4 -7.5 years of the Obama presidency, which may turn into a permanent socialist regime, without the French icing, once the Amnesty passes.

And that brings another French advantage to mind: the chauvinism, however suppressed from above. French people have retained a kind of egoistic toughness that most American have shed already in the 50s, due to lives that have been too good for too long. The common American is far too soft, too naïve, to devoid of any knowledge of history, too detached from and confused about his native culture and language. There is no way that the French people would allow Spanish to supplant their native language, or agree to subsidize schooling in languages other than French.

Also, the French would have been far wiser to stealth tactics such as fooled milquetoast middle-of-the-spectrum Americans to be blinded by Hope/ Change and vote for an obvious black racemonger socialist and then be shocked six months later that it was Saul Alinsky who was sitting in the Oval Office. An Obama-type might have won in France too, but at least not because the indigenous middle class has so many naïve fools but because the voters are genuine leftists.

For a similar reason I differ from Mr. Blueglasnost’s assessment of the relative efficacy of French and American foreign aid. French foreign aid is an instrument for furthering the national interest of France: it solidifies la Francophonie.  American foreign aid buys mostly a kick in the pants for America. It’s delusional naivete.

Finally, one other comparison. In the US, the government lies, grossly, all the time, in matters big and small. Therefore in comparing the rates of unemployment, one should know that Shadowstats.com estimates the current rate of unemployment at 20.6%, not the 9% that the govt. discloses. I am not sure whether Mr. Blueglasnost refers to a French unemployment rate of 10% or a 7%. In either case, it appears to be much lower than currently in the U.S. But the question is, to what extent the French government lies too.

At least in this respect I am more optimistic about America. It’s still easier to expose government lies in the US than in France, though who knows for how much longer.

I concur with both Mr Seiyo and Mr Rahn on the points argued, however, being myself a Frenchman, I would like to point out other elements of the big picture.

1. Our public debt is far more important, as a share of GDP, than that of the U.S. (although that might not last long considering the present spending spree in America), roughly 75%, but the figure easily climbs to 110% if one takes into account state liabilities for public schemes encompassing pensions for our civil servants. Nor are the prospects overly bright owing to our overrelying on tourism, I would say they are as bleak as in most European countries, if not worse due to the Muslim factor. As Kapitein Andre justly noted, French banks were, as a general rule, much more frivolous in acquiring derivatives sold by U.S. banks as part of their securitisation programme, yet ours are not the soundest banks in the West (Canadian banks actually are, closely followed by their Australian counterparts).

2. We have been unable to create a decent labour market, even in 'thriving' times, unemployment hovers at more than 7% (and has been doing so for three decades). Even though America is due to overtake us shortly, the general trend clearly is in favour of the U.S.. The increase in the number of unemployed (now over 10%) has generated a significantly heavier burden for the public, and is threatening, in the long run, to bankrupt the nation (more than it is, that is). Do not forget the safety net provided by our all-too-munificent welfare state is pricy and someday the next generation, that is mine, will be asked to foot the bill. France's resilience may be inspiring at the moment but as a matter of fact it is little short of a gaudy phantasm, which our 'economists' keep bloating about.

3. Our deficit--along with that of Germany and, to some extent, that of Britain--has been regularly faring over the average of EU states, and most of the time over that of America (notwithstanding current-account deficits). The truth is there is no developed economy in Europe, outside Germany, that can still boast an industrial power whatsoever.

4. We also have our own burdens; although we do not contribute as significantly as the U.S. to nonsensical entities the like of the UNO, we still shower our previous African colonies with lavish subsidies (0.41% of our GDP, twice as much as the U.S. as a share of national wealth). Besides, our country is not lagging behind in terms of surrealistic allowances, bestowing huge sums upon Third World families (free healthcare, free housing, not to mention allowances once some 2+ children are sirred). Our own state still figures France is an international power, deluding itself by engaging into expensive nuclear programmes as well as nurturing military basis hither and thither (for instance, Saint-Pierre de Miquelon) and expensive territories overseas (accounting for billions of deficit alone).

We shall soon see whether the French system holds or proves to be a mirage. As Mr Seiyo mentioned, we have got our own pressing matters, not least hordes of Muslim colonisers who are fed welfare, and gradually take root to general indifference. As I passed by a library today, I could see an entire shelf devoted to Islam considering Ramadan has just begun. The French are sheep and cattle, they cannot be trusted, even our most esteemed General De Gaulle openly acknowledged it. If recovery and some take-off are to arise, they will take place in other strongholds of Western civilization. We may hold a momentary advantage over the U.S. but it is likely not to last.

Be that as it may, I am looking forward to your next article, Mr Seiyo, seeing as I am an eager reader of these.  

May I point out that the situation in the US, Muslim demographics excepted, is far worse than in France, for the following reasons:

1. Most people, even famous economists, compare tax rates without comparing what you get for your taxes. You get far more value for the high taxes in France than you get in the US, in areas like mass transportation, education, healthcare, culture etc. So as of 2011 we are looking at the US as a socialist democracy a la France, with higher tax rates and far lower value received by the taxpayer. Instead the value in the US is received by the non-taxpayer, including perhaps 25% of the population of Mexico.

2. France, far less than the U.S., has fallen into the sulf-dug hole of the global economy. The US has gutted most of its industries, practically all of its artisanal manufacturing, and exported them to China etc. What it got in return were the shipping of millions of well-paying jobs overseas that will not be coming back, and replacement of quality, exportable American products with inferior quality but cheaper imported products.  France  has acted far more wisely and with much bigger long-term benefits.

3. France conducts itself by realpolitik. It does what's good for the national interest of France. The US is mired in a messianic complex that seems to be permanently grafted onto Washington DC no matter which party is in power. From nation building to guarding foreign borders while leaving one's own open, to maintaining 130+ military bases around the world, to exporting democracy, to showering money on the UN and on the Third World with no reciprocal bnenefits rendered  -- there is no end to America's self-gutting idiocy, costing trillions of the taxpayer's dollars. France is so much shrewder and more parsimonious in its international politics, it's embarrassing.

"Why does it appear France is bouncing back more quickly from the recession than the United States?"

I understand that this was due to conservative French banks being far more restrictive with lending credit and participating in derivatives than their Anglo-American counterparts.  However, I recall Canada's banking system being rated the best among industrialized economies.