You can say what you want about the French, but those people have a passion we seemed to have lost. Over here our leaders nearly bankrupt our country with a war sold on lies. (or at best ‘mistakes’) Our reaction? Not much that I can notice. Most people seem quite satisfied with things.
In France the government changes what would be a mundane detail over here and people go nuts.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/04/04/france.jobslaw/index.html