And now we have to face a very harsh reality. A very different picture. Well, Mr. Feigenbaum, though, here in the United States, we have Congress talking about cutting the budget deficit, really tough cuts in programs, yet, you don't have everybody on the streets like this. I think there are a couple of things going on. First, you have to realize that in France, the public sector is held in a great deal of esteem.
People think it works well, it works efficiently.
Most public sector firms actually are very profitable and often more profitable than private sector firms, with the exception of the national railroad. That's part of what's going on. I think, though, one thing that's crucial to understand about the current attacks, or the reform on the welfare state that's being proposed, is that France has a universal welfare state. Everybody gets something out of it, and so everybody feels vulnerable to these cuts, unlike the United States, which has a means-tested welfare state, and really over the very poor are the ones that are very, very hurt by reform. But still, I'm puzzled as to why the people who are upset take such a different protest route.