Progressives’ Embrace of Socialism Portends Chaos and Decline
1st November 2026
As Americans see chaos and rioting on the streets of Paris, we are not immune to that happening on streets across America.
For decades, France has provided “free” health care, paid family leave, free childcare, free preschool, generous unemployment and housing benefits, and heavily subsidized higher education. This has bred a culture of entitlement and an insatiable desire for the government to do more, while many demand to work less—if at all.
As the government subsidizes these sectors, the price of goods and services rises. More housing aid and blocked building permits cause rents to rise, which precipitates a demand for the government to impose rent control. That diminishes housing supply and the spiral continues. Education subsidies prompt universities to raise tuition; students then take to the streets to protest the “injustice” of unaffordable housing, education, and other services.
France has one of the world’s highest tax burdens, yet they have an enormous public debt. The International Monetary Fund estimates that France’s gross domestic product in 2026 will be a mere 0.4%, compared to 2.3% in the United States.
What France is doing is unsustainable, and if Americans elect candidates who embrace that kind of socialist agenda, it won’t be long before we reap the whirlwind.