Thursday, November 03, 2005
Gendarme Krupke?
Paris has endured many revolutions, and it will survive the Ramadan rising of its suburban Muslim ghettos. I have not followed the story closely, because I have nothing to add to the otherwise fascinating coverage elsewhere in the blogosphere. However, I could not fail to comment on this rather conclusory reporting from the Associated Press:
Of course, if these people are actually "trapped" in their condition one would demand that justice be done and acknowledge that their behavior is not only acceptable but down right self-reliant. But are they actually "trapped" by French law and society? Is it perhaps that their "bringing up-ke" gets them out of hand? Or is it that they have not solved their own problems, either by starting businesses, educating themselves, or leaving France for a more hospitable country with more opportunity? I know very little about the North Africans of France, but it seems to me that this is the point of departure for any discussion of their true condition. And therein lies the question: should we sympathize with the rioters, or Gendarme Krupke?
UPDATE (Friday morning): OK, it turns out I'm completely ignorant on the matter of the Paris ghettos. Read Hugh Hewitt's interview of Mark Steyn. (Via Instapundit) Also, Stratfor makes two points in its letter($) this morning -- first, that the French government is basically pursuing a strategy of watchful waiting, and containment of the riots in Paris by not cracking down too hard, and second, that domestic politics drive the response:
UPDATE FURTHER: Dr. Demarche, that rare conservative American foreign service officer, thinks that the Gendarme Krupke metaphor has some legs:
Sounds like something I would write, but you should not sign up for it uncritically without reading the aforementioned Mark Steyn interview, in which he describes these "suburbs" quite graphically.
Demarche has a few choice words for the assymetrical intolerance that Muslims apparently demand:
Read the whole thing.
(H/T Larwyn)
The violence has exposed deep discontent in neighborhoods where African and Muslim immigrants and their French-born children are trapped by poverty, unemployment, racial discrimination, crime, poor education and housing.
Of course, if these people are actually "trapped" in their condition one would demand that justice be done and acknowledge that their behavior is not only acceptable but down right self-reliant. But are they actually "trapped" by French law and society? Is it perhaps that their "bringing up-ke" gets them out of hand? Or is it that they have not solved their own problems, either by starting businesses, educating themselves, or leaving France for a more hospitable country with more opportunity? I know very little about the North Africans of France, but it seems to me that this is the point of departure for any discussion of their true condition. And therein lies the question: should we sympathize with the rioters, or Gendarme Krupke?
UPDATE (Friday morning): OK, it turns out I'm completely ignorant on the matter of the Paris ghettos. Read Hugh Hewitt's interview of Mark Steyn. (Via Instapundit) Also, Stratfor makes two points in its letter($) this morning -- first, that the French government is basically pursuing a strategy of watchful waiting, and containment of the riots in Paris by not cracking down too hard, and second, that domestic politics drive the response:
So far, there has been little visible reaction by French government officials. At the highest level, there have been meetings (some of them over breakfast) and statements calling for calm. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin postponed a visit to Canada in order to deal with the issue, but government officials are proceeding slowly and carefully, fearing action that could further enflame the rioters or cause them to spread. The deployment of the riot police, however, is a sign of growing concern among the leadership.
De Villepin has been in talks with officials from Parisian suburbs affected by the rioting, as well as with Interior Minister Nicholas Sarkozy -- who, incidentally, has ignited controversy of his own by referring to the rioters as "scum" and alluding to the need to clean out the poor suburbs from which the rioters hail. All told, there are several flashpoints in the situation: The racial and ethnic component and the political rivalries between Sarkozy, who likely will be de Villepin's rival for the presidency in 2007, and current President Jacques Chirac. Sarkozy could be trying to exploit the situation to his own ends -- making inflammatory statements about the rioters that might tap into sentiments held by the French majority. Unlike most other French politicians, he has made tough-talking, law-and-order rhetoric a major feature of his political agenda.
In contrast to Sarkozy, de Villepin has avoided tough rhetoric. He pledged to restore order and denied that rioters have been able to assert control over entire neighborhoods. Meanwhile, because domestic issues generally fall under the jurisdiction of the prime minister and interior minister, President Chirac has had the luxury of watching fairly passively from the sidelines, all the while urging calm. Overall, the French government's plan seems to be to hold fast and contain the unrest -- preventing it from spreading beyond Greater Paris -- while waiting for the rioters to run out of steam. At the same time, it appears that French security forces are watching for any leaders to emerge among the rioters -- and particularly for any known jihadists -- in order to disable them at the right time.
UPDATE FURTHER: Dr. Demarche, that rare conservative American foreign service officer, thinks that the Gendarme Krupke metaphor has some legs:
Of course there is: Muslims are discriminated against. The Beeb has a nice piece out titled French Muslims face job discrimination. Here is my favorite part:
Sadek recently quit his job delivering groceries near Saint-Denis, just north of Paris. He was tired of climbing stairs with heavy bags.
Sadek, 31, has a secondary school education and aspires to something better. But he knows his options are limited: "With a name like mine, I can't have a sales job."
Okay- he had a job. It was hard. He didn't like it. He quit. Now he is unemployed. No, now he is unemployed- and we should feel sorry for him. I am going to type this next part slowly so that everyone can follow along:
He had a job. He quit. Now he is unemployed.
That is not discrimination. It is stupidity, it is laziness, it is weak and shallow. He is playing the race card, period. Lots of people have tough jobs. Work, save, learn and get a better job. That is the fundamental key around the world to success.
Sounds like something I would write, but you should not sign up for it uncritically without reading the aforementioned Mark Steyn interview, in which he describes these "suburbs" quite graphically.
Demarche has a few choice words for the assymetrical intolerance that Muslims apparently demand:
More from the Beeb: Headscarf defeat riles French Muslims...
French Muslims marched against a move that many condemned as intolerant.
You might recall that thousands of of French Muslims condemned September 11th, packingthe Champs Elysee. Or that they thronged to the Eifel Tower when the Bali bombings occured. Or maybe you remember the moving footage of the tiny paper lanterns the Muslims of France floated down the River Seine after the Madrid bombings. Oh, you don't recall that? Sorry, I forgot- those things never happened. See, they only want to be tolerated, not to tolerate others.
Read the whole thing.
(H/T Larwyn)
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