[temphn]

The fascinating thing about this article is that it legitimizes the "Atlas Shrugged" response of many entrepreneurs from a progressive perspective. While there is much to be quibbled with in his analysis [1], the simple fact that we now have rationales from both sides for leaving the US and striking out abroad is extraordinarily important. Look for more people to repeat these arguments, to flee taxes, crime, and regulations while claiming they are fleeing inequality, provinciality, and an inadequate level of government control over the economy.

[1] for example, did the mass immigration of millions of unskilled immigrants without high school educations contribute to income inequality? And is bankrupt France really a country to emulate, or should we cast our eyes to the Pacific Rim?

[technotony]

France isn't bankrupt because of it's healthcare system, which provides excellent value for money (around 7% of GDP vs 17% in the USA). The point is to look around the world and select the best of each area to emulate.

[lmm]

> And is bankrupt France really a country to emulate

Yes, it really is. Its people are happier, healthier, and better educated; they work less, eat better and have better relationships with their families. And are substantially less indebted than those of the US.

[temphn]

These talking points need to be updated. Please look at this URL:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_public_deb...

France's debt to GDP ratio is ~86-89%. The United States is 102%. Now the US is surely going to crash, and crash hard, but emulating France is not going to get us out of a debt crash. Quite the contrary.

  1) "France's debt crisis could doom the European Union"
  http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-Daily-Reckoning/2012/0724/France-s-debt-crisis-could-doom-the-European-Union

  2) "France to tackle crushing debt, says French PM Ayrault"
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18693089

  3) "Investors Won't Like The News Out Of Greece And France"
  http://seekingalpha.com/article/571001-investors-won-t-like-the-news-out-of-greece-and-france

France's current debt to GDP ratio is about 86-89% as of the first quarter of 2012. This ratio was expected to pass 100% by 2017 with Sarkozy as the president. With Hollande we can expect the ratio to pass 100% by an earlier date.

[ams6110]

The French would all be speaking German today if we (USA) had emulated them in the last century.

[lmm]

How so? Maybe if the USA was healthier and less depressed you'd have joined the war from the get-go rather than staying in bed for the first four years. But even if you'd stayed out entirely it wouldn't have delayed the soviet defeat of Germany overmuch. If you were talking about France's failure to defend Indochina you might have more of a point, but the US doesn't exactly have a great record there either.

[7952]

And if it wasn't for France you would be driving on the left.

[patrickk]

If you're talking about the allied victory in WWII, the soviets inflicted the vast majority of damage against the Germans.

It's also quite disingenuous to bring up lazy stereotypes in a discussion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4508901.stm

[smsm42]

While it is true that Soviets did a major part of the actual combat work, they probably could not have done it without economic help from the US. If US were unable or unwilling to provide such help, it is not at all given that Soviet economy alone would have survived the onslaught. While the heroism of the Red Army people is unquestionable, one needs a lot of material resources to wage war, and without them even most heroic people can not win. Even Joseph Stalin - a man not known for being overly modest - acknowledged that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lend-Lease

[sigkill]

Your head would be the Duke of Edinburgh if it weren't for the French (sorry, Canada). Well you'd atleast have Nationalized Healthcare.

[hencq]

Did you read the article? The author isn't arguing that people should flee the country. At least not permanently. He's simply saying that the US could learn from other countries and that people should study/live abroad to gain new perspectives.