[Brilliant]

The reason why there is no electoral ripples is that there is no dissent from the socialist mentality in France. They are all committed socialists, and it’s unthinkable that they’d abandon the welfare state, no matter how bad it gets.

[Steely Tom]

"France is coddled with illusions," said Jean Peyrelevade, ex-head of Credit Lyonnais. "Economic decline is the brutal, hard, undeniable reality. We are consuming the leftovers of a past prosperity."

I like the term "consensual hallucination." Here is my source for this very useful concept.