Today, The Foundry asked the question, "When Did the French Become Better Adherents To Limited Government Than the GOP?"  That is asked in regards to this article in the Financial Times:

France is planning to freeze public spending for five years under its biggest programme of social and economic reform since the late 1960s, according to François Fillon, the prime minister.

In an interview with the Financial Times, his first with a foreign newspaper since being appointed by President Nicolas Sarkozy in May last year, Mr Fillon signalled his intention to get serious about restoring French public finances to health.
...
The government has said it wants to eliminate its deficit and reduce spending as a share of national output – the highest in the EU at 53.5 per cent – during Mr Sarkozy’s first five-year term, but it has said little about how, to the frustration of its eurozone partners. It has also avoided any hint of austerity measures.

This reminds me of something my brother-in-law Shannon said offhandedly while I was in California last Labor Day.  The French Government fears its citizens in a way that the United States Government does not.  Our politicians aren't afraid of us... we're afraid of them.  We scoff and insult the French for being out of control when different groups in that country riot... but there is something very powerful that those riots do.  They instill fear in the government... a fear that they should have.

For all the talk of change that people like Hillary, Obama, McCain and Romney preach... its false change.  Sure... the people change here and there... but if any of them lose the election (except for Romney), they'll go back to their "day jobs" as Senators.  And the reality is, none of their policies are really any different than those of George Bush.  Government doesn't change in this country except to grow.  Yet Presidential and Congressional approval ratings continue to race each other to the basement.  How is it that two branches of government that are so despised by so many are able to do so much?

Simply put... they don't fear reprisal.  And that's not a good thing.  Our government should fear us.