I enjoyed the article and comments, even though I can't reach the same conclusions as the authors.  Skovgaard, a self-employed guy in France who posted many responses, understands the situation better than most economists.  He doesn't deserve to be ridiculed or attacked for his diverging viewpoint.  Even less so because he brings his personal experiences very generously into the dialogue.

France needs drastic reform.  So does the US.   There's absolutely no risk that one will turn into the other.  The biggest risk is that each doesn't learn from the other.

I'd like Sarkozy to move quickly on his reform agenda, but I'm skeptical about how much can be accomplished.  It's so hard to enact needed change, when so many oppose.  Folks don't seem to realize how fragile leaders are in the face of opposition.  Just look at Clinton's and Bush's attempts to reform the health care system, each with a clear majority in congress in their time.  Although Royal and Bayrou also talked changes, they weren't heartfelt or credible, nor did they make them the centerpiece of their platform, as Sarkozy did.

I may well be embarrassed by my choice in the coming years, as Sarkozy enacts certain things, but overall he'll get this huge oceanliner moving in the right direction.