The question is one of greed versus happiness.  As societies and cultures we have the ability to choose a pursuit of wealth path versus a pursuit of happiness path.  Both come at the possible expense of the other.  While in practice it may be historically evident that one tends to do better than the other it is the risk and the gambling impulse that must be tempered.  Boring "facts" don't get the job done.

The effort is in getting the society to choose a fair, equitable society over the possibility of hitting the jackpot.  In the US we have failed miserably at this task.  The French have a greater inclination to choose correctly.  The messenger is what the election is about and Royal has finally shown herself a genuinely capable messenger.  I believe the debate may have helped her significantly.