We've spent a lot of effort proving them wrong, and  it is wearying for us to see them presented as facts on ET, when they are nothing but. Now the fair reaction to you, a relative newcomer, would be to point you to the relevant diaries which collate these facts, but do bear in mind that we spend a lot of time fighting that accepted common wisdom, and that it grinds us down.

So please don't take us on faith when we make these assertions, they are fully backed by hard numbers from unimpeachable sources. A good start, if you have not read this, is this summary post, which made it into Le Monde (without all the sources): France is not in decline and the last thing it needs is 'reform'. another, earlier effort would be this: Actual facts about the French labor market

On the brain drain, may I point you to this:

On "assistés", to these:

Our agenda is not to be leftist, it is to change perceptions that are shaped on incorrect facts.

I hope you can still participate to this forum; for one I have much appreciated your input and insights. Do trust us a little bit when we make assertions here - they are usually backed by hard facts, and, if you have read some of our deconstructions in recent weeks, you should by now be aware that a number of things in the mainstream press are based on repeating the dominant narrative with little respect for the underlying reality - and constesting this does not make us "lefties" (note how this is intended as an insult in the media), or a cult, or something similarly easy to dismiss.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes