France Proves Democratic Socialism Sucks

Democratic Socialism is not what America’s democratic socialists want you to believe. It’s not the answer to any of this country’s problems. France shows us why. Its citizens are protesting poor conditions in schools and the rising cost of living. On Sunday evening, groups set fire to trash bins, bicycles and other objects in the streets, and looted businesses in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities.

At least 3,000 businesses were damaged or looted in the weekend violence. The Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, even offered his resignation, but President Emmanuel Macron refused it, forcing him to continue on.

Does that read like the land of wonder that socialist Democrats in America promise? Of course not!

In fact, France give us a perfect picture of our future with such policies.

They have a Green New Deal, practically free college education all the way up to Master’s degrees, free health care for all citizens, open borders per E.U. arrangements, and a higher national minimum wage. France holds controlling interest or minority stakes in many domestic enterprises such as electricity, rail, urban transit, airlines, defense contractors, and others. France taxes the rich more - up to 49 percent vs 37 percent in the U.S. That’s still not enough. France imposes a Value Added Tax (a national sales tax) that reaches a high of 20 percent. The government is responsible for 57% of the GDP vs 34% in the United States.

Despite all that, France still has a major budget deficit! What do its citizens get for all that taxation?

Households owning primary residences represent just 57% in France compared to 65% in the U.S. Average size of homes in France is 1,206 square feet vs the U.S. at 2,296. Hence, Americans are more likely to own a residence, and a much larger one - about 90 percent larger.

In the U.S., the GDP per capita in 2025 was $90,026, whereas France’s was $48,986. We produce more per person because we give away less per person. France’s unemployment rate is hovering above 8% vs the U.S. rate of 4.1 percent as of this writing. If you favor public ownership or control of the energy sector, take note that French gasoline prices equate to over $9 per gallon. In addition, consumer electricity rates in France are 28 cents per kw hour vs 18 cents in the United States.

Do all those taxes and programs eliminate poverty in France? Using France’s own definition of poverty - anything less than 60 percent of the national median income - it reports its poverty rate 16.3%. For its immigrants, it’s 32%.

Since 2000, the U.S. GDP has grown 76% while France has only grown at 41%. Small differences in yearly rates add up to huge differences over time.

In just about every economic category, democratic socialist France is worse off than the United States. A democratic socialist America would lower U.S. national income, lower economic growth, raise unemployment, and make the American Dream harder to achieve. The fruit of your labor would be wasted on idealistic projects that never deliver what’s promised.

Source used: Independent Institute

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