“This is what happens when nations let wealth and power accumulate in the hands of a few,” says prospective 2028 presidential candidate Rep. Ro Khanna about the mass rioting and social unrest unfolding in France.
asserted
Khanna → happen → France
As with most issues, the far-left Californian has it backward: The economic and social ideas dear to his own Democratic Party are what have destabilized France.
asserted
what → have → France
Of course income inequality, the hobbyhorse of the American left, is completely irrelevant in and of itself; France ranks right in the middle worldwide by that measure, between the stable and wealthy Western democracy of Japan and the destitute Asian tyranny of Myanmar.
asserted
France → rank → Myanmar
Rioters didn’t set fire to the majestic 19th-century Limoges town hall because they’re angry about France’s ranking in global income parity.
asserted
they → set → parity
They were triggered in large part by the French government’s alleged “austerity” plans.
asserted
They → trigger → plans
France spends an inordinate amount of its budget on welfare and social protection programs — a larger percentage than virtually any nation on Earth.
asserted
France → spend → Earth
Since 1995, social and welfare spending has risen from 53% to nearly 59% of the country’s budget.
asserted
spending → rise → budget
Because such a significant percentage of its budget is dedicated to keeping the welfare state operational, any reforms aimed at reducing spending or debt will be greeted with immediate social turmoil.
asserted
reforms → dedicate → turmoil
France’s public debt is approaching 120% of gross domestic product, and is projected to rise to around 122% soon.
asserted
debt → approach → %
The government recently proposed reducing the budget deficit from an expected 5.4% of GDP in 2026 to 5% in 2027.
asserted
government → propose → 2027
In other words, young French people are destroying their cities over a proposed deficit reduction of 0.4 percentage points of GDP.
asserted
people → destroy → GDP
To pay for this system, France has among the highest tax rates in the developed world.
asserted
France → pay → world
Employer social security contributions average around 45% of gross salary, while employee contributions add another 22% to 25%.
asserted
contributions → average → %
That’s a heavy burden for productive members of French society.
asserted
That → ’ → society
But over 50% of French households don’t pay any income tax: Despite benefiting from the system, they are untethered from the responsibilities of paying for it.
asserted
they → pay → it
Other nations with generous social welfare programs, such as Denmark, also have high levels of social cohesion, and virtually every household pays some income tax.
asserted
household → have → tax
“We spend too much money, and we strip people of responsibility,” President Emmanuel Macron said back in 2018.
“An insane amount we spend on minimal welfare payments, but people are still poor . . . We have to do something to get people out of this situation.”
asserted
We → spend → situation
France has one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe and one of the lowest retirement ages.
asserted
France → have → ages
Youth unemployment is over 21%; it’s 9% in the United States, and we rightly consider it a problem.
asserted
it → ’ → States
Unemployment among Muslim youth is far higher — and over 34% of France’s young people have immigrant parents or grandparents, most from Muslim-majority countries.
asserted
% → have → countries
And despite the media’s best efforts to convince us otherwise, plenty of the recent violence appears to be connected to Muslim immigrants and the nihilistic Palestinianism that Khanna champions.
asserted
Khanna → convince → that
Riots will radicalize politics.
asserted
Riots → radicalize → politics
Many French people detest anarchy, which might bode well for right-wing opposition leader Marine Le Pen in the next election — but should she succeed, that too will almost surely lead to more social unrest.
uncertain
that → detest → unrest
It’s true that the French have never needed much excuse to riot.
asserted
French → ’ → excuse
France saw major social unrest every year from 2005 through 2009, then in 2018 and 2019, in 2023, in 2025 and again this year.
asserted
France → see → 2025
Many of those riots have been driven by reliance on government handouts or by Muslims living in the Paris suburbs.
asserted
Many → drive → suburbs
The more you hook people on state dependency, the less likely they are to break free of it.
asserted
they → hook → it
The more unassimilated people and illiberal ideas you import into your country, the less social cohesion you’ll get.
asserted
you → import → cohesion
France is the future Ro Khanna imagines for us.
asserted
Khanna → imagine → us
The Aporia
