SUPERHUMAN strength enabled Obélix, in the Asterix cartoons, to carry heavy burdens. But the weight of taxes under François Hollande's Socialist government has proved too much for Gérard Depardieu, the actor who played the oversized Gaul in the films. He has announced that he is leaving France for Belgium. Far from prompting second thoughts about fiscal policy, this has provoked a moralistic manhunt. In some ways, Mr Depardieu's decision was unremarkable. Plenty of high-earning artists and sportsmen, including Johnny Hallyday and Yannick Noah, have lived abroad. France is unusual in levying an annual wealth tax on all assets, including property, over €1.3m ($1.7m). Yet Mr Depardieu's move has unleashed a torrent of invective. Jean-Marc Ayrault called it "pathetic," and deplored his lack of "patriotism." Aurélie Filippetti, the culture minister, was "totally scandalised." Bernard Cazeneuve, the Europe minister, said "when a country has given you a lot, there are moments ...when you must give a bit back." "A bit" is not how Mr Depardieu sees it. Having started work as a printer at 14, he has amassed a fortune and, by his own calculation, paid €145m in taxes over 45 years. Stung by the abuse, he published a letter to Mr Ayrault on December 15th, saying he was surrendering his French passport because "you think that success, creativity, talent...should be punished." Amid the acrimony, the underlying problem has got lost. France's tax take, of 44% of GDP, is ten points above the OECD average. Mr Hollande has not only brought in a new 75% top income-tax rate, on top of the wealth tax, but is taxing investment income so heavily that some are getting negative returns. The best defence of Mr Depardieu is his own: "Despite my excesses, my appetite and my love for life, I am a free man."