Why I Was Wrong About Nationalism

In 1981, for the first time the French elected a Socialist President: Francois Mitterand who held office until 1995. He right away invited members of the Communist Party into his government.

I was in my early 20's then, and I had been working full time since the age of 17 as I was holding a Auto Mechanic Certificate. I quickly adapted to the law of demand and shifted to Motorcycle repair (it paid better and I was enjoying it much more).  I then went on to practice my talent on small aircrafts, operating on a limited Aircraft repair certification.

France 1982

I made several business trips to the US, (on behalf of my company) in order to secure a distributorship from a company that made Ultralight Aircrafts, for import into France. Although I made several trips to the US to visit family during my youth, I had then noticed how taking cash out of France had now become very regulated by this new Socialist government. I also experienced my first difficulty to pay my now higher taxes. In my early 20's, I was a very sought for mechanic, I even worked for BMW France as an escort in an intercontinental trip for BMW motorcycle owners.

As a result of my interactions with the manufacturers of those Ultralights, they offered me to come work for them.

And so it was, in 1983, I left my country of birth to become an immigrant in the US. I was greatly appreciated and earned much more than in France.

In the early 80's, the US was a striving country, the people were so self disciplined, and respectful, that one could very easily recognize them at an airport line. Americans were just about the only ones who did not try to break in line.

In those times, in rural Pennsylvania, most people did not lock their cars, nor their houses. I recall warning  one my family member about leaving the purse on the seat of an unlocked car, and for her to answer me, that "not here, no one will try to steal that purse".

I will say this: at no time in life, in my adopted country did I want it to become the country I had come from. At no time throughout my adult life as a voting US citizen, did I want BIG government, because I experienced first hand how wrong big government can be.

10 years ago, France had such laws as to make illegal having a second job; illegal to work overtime and get paid for it (they can only recuperate the time in the form of forced vacations); the maximum allowed work week was of 35 hours. No wonder the French need all the social apparatus.