Les Feux de L'Enfer

France is burning,

and only one week after Cozmo returned from his idyllic tour of the Loire.

Coincidence?  You decide.

In all seriousness, the rioting is a horrific byproduct of French Governmental policies going back to the 1950s.  And it's spreading.  Last night saw more than 1,400 incidents in 300 cities and villages across the country, with 36 gendarmes being injured.

Walking around French cities (and I've been to about 1/3 the places on the map linked above in the past 5 years), one could see this coming a mile away.  The French claim to be the progenitors of human rights back to the 1st Republic, and much of their internal policy is dictated by their desire to live up to this ideal.  However, after France financed it's post-war economic resurgence on the backs of Northern African and Arabs who De Gaulle encouraged to enter the country in the 1950s and 1960s it never integrated these "new French citizens" into French society. France was never able to divorce itself from its nation-state image, and to this day, have dealt with this growing and disenfranchised minority with walls, both physical and metaphorical.

Unlike Great Britain, which has gone through great pains to attempt to enfranchise its post-imperial multi-ethnic population (self-admittedly to mixed results), or Germany, which has been soundly criticized for their nationalistic immigration policies with the Turks but has been at least ideologically consistent with its government's actions, France has ghettoized its Arab problem.  They have built large apartment projects around their major cities to keep their urban poor away from their vieilles villes and cathedrals, so as to ease the affront of Arab culture on France's aesthetics.  Worse still, they have not provided the tools for these ghettoized Muslim youths to be upwardly mobile and be enfranchised enough to feel fully "French".  There is a true cultural divide.  Furthermore, that divide is fed by the French government, which continues to fund many anti-Western clerics on the welfare dole in these projects, speading the hate which is sparking these riots.

In the meantime, in an attempt placate their own Muslim population, the French have actively pursued a foreign policy which cow-tows to their interests.  Whether it be being the first European country to recognize the Islamic government in Iran, not allowing US planes to fly over French airspace when we attacked Libya, Chirac praying at the bedside of Arafat or the government allowing Elf-Aquitaine to participate in the Oil-For-Food orgy at the UN, it is clear that French policy has been keenly aware of its growing Arab bloc. 

The French has shut their eyes to their Muslim problem for too long.  Yet, the image of the French President embracing a terrorist as a hero was not lost on that country's Muslim youth.  And now France is reaping the whirlwind of its dangerous game.

I know the French sat back and chuckled at our troubles in New Orleans.  Some of them told me as much last month.  Perhaps one would feel it is our time to sit back and grin in schadenfreude at France as its cities burn.  However, that impulse is wrong.  I personally feel this violence will get worse before it gets better.  I fear that the violence may not stay isolated to France.  With the strong undercurrent of nationalistic right-wing "national-front" style movements across the continent, I fear how Europe will change because of France's troubles.

Comments

[KHAN-yeezy]

you know something similiar happened when frank got back from ethiopia...im sensing a familiar theme here...

[KHAN-yeezy]

Muslims are taking over the world. Thats there goal. Thats the plan.

[Bluehorseshoe]

it's the French Intifada....years of sweeping thier ethnic minorities into sink-hole suburbs on the fringes of society is coming home to roost.

here's my bet - this spreads to other parts of Europe

[Buck]

Unfortunately, I have to agree with Blue. France is not the only country in Europe where there is general disdain for their Muslim communities. In my travels through both France and Belgium I was shocked at the intense racism that I encountered. It was worse than anything I have ever seen in the U.S. It is my fear that the riots are simply a precursor to a much more bloody encounter.

[Shoes]

Buck, there is also a disdain on the part of most Muslims for western culture.
Do you think this type of rioting could spread to the US? I can't imagine it would happen here but who knows.

[Buck]

Shoes, I equate the riots that are occuring in France as being similar with riots that have occured in U.S. in cities such as L.A. and Cincinnati, with African-Americans in poorer economic areas. The difference being that African-Americans consider themselve to be Americans and have believe that they are a part of this country (even if they are discriminated against), and these riots have been kept to generally isolated areas (you have african-american leaders who made it a point to try and stem further escalations). My experience (limited as it may be) is that Arabs in France don't think of themselves as French. They have no deep-rooted tie to the country that they live in and no clear leadership to try and keep the roiting isolated. The only question now is whether it escalates further into a situation where you have people shooting each other in the streets.

As for your question, I don't think that it will spread to the U.S. While there is certainly a disdain for western culture, I believe that the cause of the riots is due to economic and social problems that have existed for several decades. The political and social dynamic is different for muslims in Europe, than in the U.S. The U.S. doesn't have a relatively large populations of poor Muslims inhabiting our inner-cities. At this point, unless we do something stupid like support the ethnic cleansing of Western Europe (I am waiting for those groups in Europe to start being heard from soon), then we might actually be able to use this as an opportunity to gain a little goodwill with other muslim nations.

[Cozmo]

"you know something similiar happened when frank got back from ethiopia...im sensing a familiar theme here..."

Still killin' me KHAN-Yeezy.

Personally, I think that this is happening because Jacques de Villepin hates Arab people.

[KHAN-yeezy]

Ok so noone else thinks arabs are trying to take over the world?

or is everyone just scared to voice this in "public" so to speak....i can see it now...the unlikely alliance of N korea and radical muslims...and quite possibly china...yet folks always dismiss china as being an adversary...think about that alliance for a sec...they would have nucular capabilities and the people crazy enough to do something with it.

(rant ahead)

i was watching tv and saw an ad for the History channels special on crusades and before it was over they flashed a quote on the screen:

"It started with a belief..noone knew where it would end"

Which got me thinking about the crazies that are Al Quada and the rest of them folks. Isnt this a present day crusade against the governments that the believe are opressing them? On one front you have the US Iraq war and on the other you have the issue in France. I beleive that these situations are going to lead to a larger and more out of control problem. The day that Osama passes away or is captured is the day that this powder keg is going to explode. It might happen sooner. No longer going to sit on the sidelines and wait for an order these muslim youths are going to want to take action into there own hands and strike at will in places all over the globe. Its going to happen. History says so.

Thanks for reading.

[daveNYC]

I have a feeling that this is more Watts than Gaza Strip.

[Shoes]

Khan - I believe that a few radical muslims have the desire to take over the world. I know what I will now say is not politically correct but they are to lazy to carry out their plan. Notice the leadership never makes the ultimate sacrifice? Muslim nations control the worlds oil supply and yet these same countries are the most backward nations on earth. Their women are oppressed. I could go on and on.
No cause can succeed long-term when it is based on hatred. And that is the only religion radical muslims preach.

[KHAN-yeezy]

Shoes-

I am sorry but I have to disagree with you. Follow me for a second here. You said that the leadership is not willing to make the ultimate sacrifice? I dont think the time is right for them to be "martyrs" so to speak.
When the time comes for Osama or whoever to make that leap to Martyrdom i think we should b worried. Right now the recruitment of the teens is being done and the groundwork for the network of terror is growing every waking second. they are being given causes to get behind and beleive in. they are being told of the great evil and how we are destroying there brothers and sisters. Its the same propaganda that we were given in WW2. Dont take that the wrong way and assume that im saying hitler was a good guy, he wasnt. but its all about perception and how we interpret things being told to us by elders. If you were going to church. (assuming you are a religous person, not a fanatic or a radical just religous) and they are telling tails of the great satan and that we are killing innocent civilians and what not, sooner or later its going to start a movement and where do most movements start? the youth. thats why i disagree with you shoes. i dont think that the youth should be considered lazy and not taken into consideration. whenin fact that could be the one thing that brings the great superpowers to its knees. We always seem to overlook the youth in this country but in this case i dont believe that we can afford to.

I think Its time AofG made accomadations for me to air some serious grievances whaddya think guys?

Even though I think this blog would be perfect if Bret Fahr was running it.

[Scottie]

HOLY FUCKING SNOTBALLS, BATMAN!

[Nominal Me]

We have 1500 years of history to indicate Muslims are trying to take over the world.

[Shoes]

Khan, enjoy your feedback but one thing, remember how the youth were going to save the democratic party and deliver victory? Same with a few fantic muslim kids.

[KHAN-yeezy]

these arent american kids with a ballot shoes, its muslim men with a belief and a weapon. alot easier to torch some cars when your pissed then it is to wake up early after blazin all night and vote.

plus the republicans rigged the election so that makes your point moot.

[Bluehorseshoe]

it's all GWB's fault....

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/11/7/222033/148

[Frank]

It's a dumb notion lumping GWB in there, but, if you actually vote in that poll, you'll see that the Kos community puts the fault squarely on the shoulders of the rioters, with almost 2/3rds of the vote. GWB comes in last.

[Cozmo]

I've got alot to add about the comments in this section, but I have to, you know, work, so they will have to wait for later.

Suffice it to say, though, that France is still burning even after de Villepin endorsed nationwide curfews.

Not. Promising.

[KHAN-yeezy]

Amazing how once again the most damage France does is against itself...

[Bluehorseshoe]

Chirac just declared a State of Emergency....guess it's all OK then!

[Buck]

Somehow I am not convinced that invoking a curfew is going to doing anything to slow this down. My guess is that a curfew will only enflame the rioters even further. And as for Chirac declaring a State of Emergency... we are on what, day 9 now... I think its a little late. He should just resign.

[Buck]

Somehow I am not convinced that invoking a curfew is going to doing anything to slow this down. My guess is that a curfew will only enflame the rioters even further. And as for Chirac declaring a State of Emergency... we are on what, day 9 now... I think its a little late. He should just resign.

[M. Butler]

Perhaps they should surrender.

Wouldn't it be great if we had to send NATO soldiers to France?

[KHAN-yeezy]

butler you joke but do you honestly think the french (using this term very loosely,think paris hilton loose) army will be able to get this under control?

Heres a Vote for No.

Im missin the swamp JC, give the children a nice profanity laced rant for good ole yeezy.

[Bluehorseshoe]

the French curfew is 12 midnight to 6 am! Pretty dumb when you consider it gets dark at 6pm

Now more interestingly, considering 8.5% of French GDP is tourism, wonder how long before the economy tanks? Buy Dollars??