A French Perspective by Frogburger

Frogburger is a Frenchman we met about 2 weeks ago. As we lived in Paris and we're all conservatives, we had a lot in common. Our caring for America as much as we do gives us a lot more in common. So, I've asked him 18 questions, two of which he's answered here, the start of the FROGBURGER CONTINUING SERIES: We hope you enjoy it.

1. What prompted you to leave France in the first place and how old were you then?

I left France in 1999. I was in my twenties and was blessed with a gift from God, for I won the Green Card Lottery in 1998. I then followed the process and passed the final interview at the U.S. Embassy in Paris where I got the precious residency visa.

That day, a dream had come true after years of longing as a teenager who was in love with American sports, including football, and as a young adult who had not much hope for a better future because of the poor economic and social conditions of France. I was getting extremely tired of the pervasiveness of government in my private life, whether it was through extremely high taxes and what we call “social changes”, or through regulations such as the 35-hour workweek.

Since my youth, unemployment has been around 10% on average. When the economy would get better, unemployment numbers would barely improve. Work regulations were so strict that hiring young people was the last thing on any company’s mind—it was too risky since they could not lay them off if necessary. Note that I’m using the past tense but it hasn’t changed since my leaving the country.

You have to understand how inflexible the French job market is and why so many companies have moved their headquarters or offices to countries like Ireland. On average, a worker costs a company 3 times the salary it is paying to him. So for every euro paid, the company must pay 2 additional euros in various taxes and insurances to finance the welfare system. Likewise, the worker has to give between 20 and 25% of his paycheck to the government in healthcare insurance, unemployment insurance and other fees. Those charges, detailed on a 3-page long paycheck, are not the income tax, which comes later. So for every euro paid, the company must pay 2 additional euros. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that all this plagues the economy and prevents companies from hiring people. If they hire them, they usually pay low salaries, likely just above the minimum wage for young graduates. Or they use some contracts with a set duration sending people back to the unemployment line when the contract has expired.

So, in addition to being in love with the American way of life, I wanted to feel free and flee socialism. I could go on and on but this is a blog, right? So it has to be short.

2. What were your first impressions of America?

I moved to DC first and loved it right away even though my first two weeks were very challenging. I had to find a place and the dotcom boom was making it very difficult since all the apartments in DC were rented and I had no credit history or social security number yet.

My first impression was the goodness of the people. Everyone was extremely friendly, positive, accepting and ready to help. Then, once I started working, I definitely loved my environment. The work ethic here is incredible, especially on the East Coast.

Through these last 10 years, I’ve been able to get a better grasp of America. One thing that really struck me is the pioneer mindset. Symbolic of this is the famous “You need to move on” phrase people like to use. To someone coming from France, the past is an important part of our psyche. Moving on doesn’t happen that quickly. So when people got laid off around me and everyone had a positive attitude, including the ones who lost their job, I found that remarkable. In France, people would have likely complained, gone on strike, become aggressive or violent or undermined the company and management. I have never been like that nor have I protested with the leftists or unions in France, but I still had to work on this mental switch. The demise of the dotcoms made me realize the strength of Americans as well as how tough, for a European used to a comfortable welfare system, the American society could be.

Despite this lack of comfort, I noticed how much compassion and decency American people have. I've seen more decency here than in France in relationships at work or between people. Since life is not as easy, people give second and third changes, or are less black and white in their judgment. There's also more generosity here than in France, where the government takes care of everything. I would even say the Frenchman is selfish while the American is individualistic. To me, being individualistic means taking care of oneself or one's family. Being selfish simply means satisfying your needs by taking from others without having to give. The heat wave that killed so many people in France a few summers ago perfectly highlighted this. Instead of worrying for their elders and family members, the French blamed the government for failing at preventing the deaths while they were vacationing in August. I also personally give more money to charities here than in France, not only because I have a lot more disposable income but because this is part of the American spirit of helping the community and choosing the charities you want to help. I’m actually a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of L.A, something that I would have never done in France. That is why I get really upset when Obama lectures people or wants to use the government to force people to give back. Because this will eventually backlash.

So my impressions were great. I love the American spirit because it makes people focused on creating a better place for themselves or their loved ones. By having the government take care of everything, on top of destroying the religious aspect of society -- whatever the religion is -- I can safely predict this aspect of America will be destroyed. And my dream will definitely be shattered.

Z: Comments, folks?