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The Trouble with French Identity

The riots in France reveal the cracks in its national project

By G. Pascal Zachary

Some might say the scenes of street violence throughout France are a rehearsal for a full-blown civil rights movement that would emulate what happened in the United States 40 years ago. Others think the French are witnessing what Samuel Huntington calls the “clash of civilizations,” writ small within their own borders—an inevitable and unsolvable clash between Muslims and Christians that will… return to article

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      ..... the now infamous French minister of the interior, Nicolas Sarkozy ......  Sarkozy is perhaps the first French politician ever to tackle the immigration question at all creatively and he is one of the few French leaders to support affirmative action programs for ethnic minorities.

    Your prejudices are showing.  Sarkozy is the most popular politician in France now, and is polling above deVillepin, and far above Mad Jacques Chirac, of course.  Sarkozy is drawing votes from LePen, and socialist voters are supporting him even as socialist leaders denounce him.  Showing a little spine works on both sides of the Atlantic, something that Liberal politicians (and writers) utterly fail to understand.

    Sarkozy had a program, arguably the only results based program, in all France; most Liberal programs are outcome based, and, while they sound nice, are devoid of meaning and content.  For example, I am sure that diversity and multiculturalism are thought of as virtues in France (you indicate as much), but you look in vain for African or Arab faces anywhere in public in France, except for soccer teams, perhaps; dark faces are not found in politics, or media, or the upper levels of business or industry.  Nor, for the most part, in the “open and free” universities.  So, the platitudes do not match the facts on the ground.  No problem, the French elites are still very pleased with themselves, at least until the riots started. 

    So, while the French leadership is celebrating diversity, multiculturalism, and French culture and language, they are unreservedly oblivious to unemployment that has been in the 10% range for a decade and a half, growth that has been near zero (except in the banlieue), and, only in passing, that the French voters rejected the European Constitution for fear someone would take away their benefits and pensions.  I have news for the voters; in twenty years, the majority of people contributing to the French benefits and pensions are going ot be the “youth” who are now out there rioting, and their children. 

    Where to now, Marianne?

    United States Posted by scorp on Nov 19, 2005 at 9:01 PM

    ‘‘The big question, then, is whether France is facing a day of reckoning over its failed immigration policies or whether, when order is finally restored and the angry youth retreat from the nation’s consciousness, the marginalization of immigrants remains unchanged’’                             

    This is the big question?
    Failed immigration policies, who doesnt have these?
    The marginalization of immigrants will remain unchanged…
    everywhere…


    Its just a sign of end times

    Canada Posted by Chemical Enhanced on Nov 19, 2005 at 10:45 PM

    If it absurd that any reporter in the US would take a second to write about the injustices of France when GW Bush stole the 2004 election.

    It’s embarrassing considering the extremely social injustices that continue in the USA without any reporter taking a fraction of the time that Zachary takes writing about French problems.

    No doubt it makes one feel better to know someone else is not doing too well either.

    However, this small minded comfort will not make us get better.

    In fact it plays a big role in keeping us sick.

    I’d love to see reporters focus on the most important issue of all, how American society is going down.

    Additionally, maybe Americans don’t know GW Bush stole the 2004 election, but this is not doubted in the rest of the world.

    This widespread knowledge among various Gov’ts in the world has ruined our reputation as a leader in the fight for freedom.

    United States Posted by johnnyincentx on Nov 28, 2005 at 4:50 PM

    Ohh, I wish all people in France good luck and good health. Our country help France in this dificul situation. I added form fot donation on my web page.

    Damage
    http://waregate.com

    Russia Posted by DAMAGE on Jan 5, 2006 at 7:25 PM
    Page 1 of 1 pages

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