I have no idea why this is getting upvoted. This is basically just a fellow French practising the age old sport of complaining about everything and everyone else in the country.
Nobody hate French people and France more than another French, especially if they lived abroad for a bit. Then they will always tell you about how everything in country X is much better then in France.
Not that his points are all invalid. But as usual it is a gross exaggeration of a complex reality. Plus, we tend to forget what is working and the progress we are making. Sure France is definitely not a country to "move fast and break things" but it doesn't mean you can't start a successful business, or change the society little by little.
Not to mention, complaining that everyone considers themselves an epidemiologist, then claiming that masks don't work, in contradiction to pretty much every epidemiologist these days.
The internet is full of unfocused ill-informed rants; I don't see what's HN-worthy about this one.
I think frankly this is just general state of the world, and I don't mean now, I mean always. Every era has a disillusioned philosopher writing more-or-less this.
France has its specific problems, but other countries have other problems. Poland technically has lower taxes and a more welcoming environment for entrepreneurs, but much lower human and financial capital to build on, something the author dismisses about France, but should compare to other places first.
I think it also highlights that to make progress for oneself and for the world is always hard, uphill, thankless, and when you make it, you mostly get abuse for it. I think, accept it, or go back to Kindergarten.
“we are all going to die of climate change, that is good because it will be easier to rebuild. At least it is worse in the US.”
I liked reading this perspective though, really interesting from an American perspective because some political parties often hold up France as an ideal country in many regards.
California is moving in the direction of France in regards to the government being the necessary parent of ‘stupid’ citizens who want to work in non-ideal conditions. I understand where they are coming from, but there are so many obvious unintended consequences that are worse... I wish the U.S. had smart politicians as well.
"France is in terrible shape. We've voted in a system that has an enormous regulatory environment that stifles business and kills small and medium size endeavors, which move to the US if they are to succeed.
Identifying true problems in a country but ending with an anti-system solution is populism: "Don't vote for a president, this is useless, they are all the same and complete garbage, the system is not designed for a competent person to be elected".
Populism isn't only talking to simple minded people, it's taking the language of your audience and offering simple minded solutions that seem to make sense.
That's how you get on the path of deep-state or QAnon conspiracies or countries with cults of personality veering on authoritarianism (Russia, Turkey, USA...).
Not that his points are all invalid. But as usual it is a gross exaggeration of a complex reality. Plus, we tend to forget what is working and the progress we are making. Sure France is definitely not a country to "move fast and break things" but it doesn't mean you can't start a successful business, or change the society little by little.