November 7, 2005
MARK STEYN, ZANY EUROPTIMIST:
Wake up, Europe, you've a war on your hands (MARK STEYN, 11/06/05, Chicago Sun-Times)
Ever since 9/11, I've been gloomily predicting the European powder keg's about to go up. ''By 2010 we'll be watching burning buildings, street riots and assassinations on the news every night,'' I wrote in Canada's Western Standard back in February.Silly me. The Eurabian civil war appears to have started some years ahead of my optimistic schedule. [...]
After four somnolent years, it turns out finally that there really is an explosive ''Arab street,'' but it's in Clichy-sous-Bois.
The notion that Texas neocon arrogance was responsible for frosting up trans-Atlantic relations was always preposterous, even for someone as complacent and blinkered as John Kerry. If you had millions of seething unassimilated Muslim youths in lawless suburbs ringing every major city, would you be so eager to send your troops into an Arab country fighting alongside the Americans? For half a decade, French Arabs have been carrying on a low-level intifada against synagogues, kosher butchers, Jewish schools, etc. The concern of the political class has been to prevent the spread of these attacks to targets of more, ah, general interest. They seem to have lost that battle. Unlike America's Europhiles, France's Arab street correctly identified Chirac's opposition to the Iraq war for what it was: a sign of weakness.
Bad enough to always appease the Germans, but when you have to appease your own citizens because you're afraid of them? Posted by Orrin Judd at November 7, 2005 11:20 AM
A Prediction...
Interest Groups will come forward to "negotiate" and end to the rioting. Their key demand will be "autonomy" inside the Muslim enclaves.
If this is agreed to, Central Europe is effectively dead. If it isn't agreed to, riots will continue.
France seems to lack the will to remain France. They focus on ridiculous things like policing language & head scarves while already having conceded that Western Civilization has no "value."
They truly deserve what they get.
Posted by: Bruno at November 7, 2005 11:41 AMStatement of the problem:
1) France can't assimilate the rioters because a] France is a cultural/racial concept that precludes foreigners from integrating, b] France, as currently constituted, is repulsive to the estranged populations, c] France lacks the economic and civil dynamism to provide the space for integration.
2) Attempts to bribe the restless will fail because there aren't enough resources to do it, and the demands will always escalate.
3) Repressive measures will fail. First because the rioters have the initiative and would regard countermeasures as desperate measures caused by fear, wwhich will embolden further action. Second, France will resort to half-measures because full force actions would alienate critical domestic constituencies and the natural human preferance for half-measures. Thus will point two support point one.
Posted by: Luciferous at November 7, 2005 11:56 AMThere are citizens,Mr. Judd,and then there citizens.
Posted by: fghj at November 7, 2005 12:30 PMLuciferous, there's a subset of problem 1, which I guess we can call 1.1, which is perhaps the most important part: "Despite this, immigrants are still expected to give up their original culture."
This is more true in France, what with its headscarf bans and so forth, than it is anywhere else in Europe, which is why we're seeing it happen there first.
Posted by: Timothy at November 7, 2005 1:03 PMTimothy:
Yep. They are expected to give up their heritage and embrace The Cube.
Note however that the Italian govt. is giving advisories that Italy is likely next on the hit parade.
I blame Bush.
Posted by: Luciferous at November 7, 2005 1:23 PMNobody is asking this question: If there is nothing there (in France) for the immigrants, WHY ARE THEY GOING THERE?
Posted by: M. Murcek at November 7, 2005 1:38 PMM.: To learn how to go on strike properly?
Posted by: John Resnick at November 7, 2005 1:55 PMM
Welfare. They do better on welfare in France than they do in their homelands. The other question that is not asked, Is why does France allow them in and why do they allow them to stay once they are there?
Posted by: h-man at November 7, 2005 2:21 PMI thought because they are "french." At least the ones in the francophone african influence are.
Posted by: Sandy P at November 7, 2005 3:13 PMM. and h-man: Partly it's soft-headed multicultural leftism, wanting to help refugees by allowing them into France. Unfortunately, a stagnant economy ruled by socialist unions makes it hard for them to get jobs.
The other aspect, though, is that many of these rioters aren't immigrants: they're French citizens, the children and grandchildren of immigrants, and for various reasons they're less assimilated and more radicalized then their parents were.
Posted by: PapayaSF at November 7, 2005 3:15 PMWhen does the bidding begin for France's Security Council seat?
Posted by: andrew at November 7, 2005 4:05 PMI'd wager that most of the rioters aren't immigrants, but the children thereof. Their parents were probably brought over for specific work projects that have since finished or otherwise disappeared.
Posted by: Timothy at November 7, 2005 4:53 PMFrom http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3165579,00.html:
"French authorities advised Jewish security officials not to publicize their fears, as such declarations could encourage rioters to attack Jews and Jewish community buildings."
Wow.
Posted by: b at November 7, 2005 6:02 PMb
So Jews now are expected to walk around and pretend to be unconcerned. Excellent, so the French solution is that the problem will go away if all the public just pretends it has gone away.
I think you will see a brutal crackdown by the French shortly, perhaps first a jobs program, and then a really really major league vocational training program. That'll show em.
Posted by: h-man at November 7, 2005 6:20 PMThe French are more afraid of their immigrants than they are of the Germans. The immigrants can (and will) fight and riot and whatever else.
So the French will have to appease them. As for the Germans, they will just try to steamroll them. But can Chirac keep on doing it?
Posted by: jim hamlen at November 7, 2005 8:00 PMThis must be a devilish Rovian revenge plot.
Posted by: Dave W. at November 7, 2005 9:15 PMWhat is The Cube?
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at November 7, 2005 10:27 PMFive seconds of your time will show you what the MSM is concealing:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2005/11/08/wfran08big.gif
This does not include what's happening in Denmark, Belgium and Germany.
Posted by: obc at November 7, 2005 11:41 PMRobert - The Cube is also known as La Grand Arche de la Défense of Paris.
Posted by: pj at November 8, 2005 8:34 AMRobert Schwartz:
pj is right, but it is a metaphor as well, and is discussed here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465092667/103-7913082-2492612?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance