French AI CEO warns Americans against voting Democrat saying 'you don't want to be France'
Brivael Le Pogam, co-founder and self-proclaimed "techno-emperor" of the French AI company Argil, went viral on Tuesday for his X post urging his American followers to not vote for Democrats if they want to avoid his country's fate.
"I’m French. I want to talk to Americans who are about to vote Democrat. Not to insult you. To warn you. I come from your future," Le Pogam began his post.
He explained that under progressive politicians, France increased public spending to nearly 57% of the country's total GDP in an effort to push free healthcare, free college and a strong welfare system. The results, however, have been dismal.
"Here’s what it looks like from the inside. France hasn’t passed a balanced budget since 1974. Our debt is above 3,300 billion euros. Interest on that debt is becoming one of the biggest items in the national budget. Our hospitals are collapsing despite record funding. Our schools rank lower every year. Young people with degrees can’t afford an apartment in the city they were born in. Our best engineers leave for London, Zurich and San Francisco. And the rich you wanted to tax? They left too, and took the jobs with them," Le Pogam wrote.
He warned his followers that France did not vote for decline but faced the repercussions of 50 years' worth of taxes and regulations, encouraging Americans not to go down the same path.
DSA-BACKED CANDIDATES ARE WINNING PRIMARIES AND THEIR VISION FOR AMERICA IS VERY DIFFERENT
"I love America because it’s the one place on earth where people still believe they can build something from nothing. I came to Silicon Valley as a self-taught kid and it changed my life. That spirit is the most precious thing your country has. Before you vote, ask yourself one question: is the program you’re voting for making America more like America, or more like France? Trust me. You don’t want to be France," Le Pogam ended.
Le Pogam's post quickly went viral, being shared by several conservative commentators along with billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.
"An important read on how we keep America from becoming France, from a Frenchman," Ackman wrote.
Le Pogam made multiple follow-up posts to his original comments and responded to the accusations that "Democrats aren't socialists" and "America will never be France."
He remarked that over the last 25 years, products subsidized by the government, such as healthcare, education and housing, have exploded in cost while goods not funded with government tax dollars, such as phones or software, have only gotten more affordable.
I ESCAPED COMMUNISM. AMERICA MUST NOT IGNORE THE URGENT WARNING SIGNS
"That's the Trojan horse. It always works the same way. A real problem. A generous-sounding promise. A program that makes things worse. Then the failure of that program becomes the argument for the next one. People who lived under communism in Poland learned to recognize the lie and the mask the lie wears. The lie never presents itself as a lie. It presents itself as compassion," Le Pogam wrote.
He added, "In France we are at the end of that road. Debt we can never repay. Young people who can't afford a home. Our best people leaving. And every few years our cities burn. Nobody voted for this. They voted for one more generous promise, fifty years in a row. If you're a Republican, share this with the Democrat in your life. Not to win an argument. To start a conversation. If you're a Democrat, I'm not asking you to switch teams. I'm asking you to look at the pattern. Wherever the state took over, life became unaffordable. Don't fix the failures of government with more government. Stay American. Ask for less state, not more."
In a comment to Fox News Digital, Le Pogam stood by his comments, saying the reception "has been very positive overall." He also threw his support behind the Republican Party.
"In general, I support the Republicans. I believe their platform is currently the one that better protects the dynamism, individual freedom, and entrepreneurial spirit that make America unique — and that Europe (especially France) has largely abandoned," Le Pogam said.