The French Pain

I'm impressed. Although I have had issues with Amanpour's perspective on a few other issues, this time she presented a realistic view of the inherent racism in French society.

Simplistically speaking, this rebellion (to be differentiated from "Intifada", which some media outlets have been trying to use) is a result of disenchantment, social unrest, juvenile delinquency ... in addition to the darker fringes of society, such as drugs and gangs.

Attempts by Sarkozy (the Interior Minister) to attack the underground economy of course did not help - but neither did the media's rendition of his statements in the first few days of this strife.

Having said that - this is not the way awareness should be created. Even though violent upheavals quickly bring ignored issues to the forefront (in this case, within hours), the negative social repercussions and political ramifications are not minute. It is also interesting to note that this is one case where blogs are not helping.

You can read more here and here. As Simpson says in the previous link,

It is not enough to demand that these people drop their sense of themselves and fit in with the way France has traditionally ordered its affairs.

After all, this racism and "double standards" are the result of some of the more dangerous aspects of nationalism - more specifically, the concept that you can be related "by blood" to a certain country ... in this case, to France.

People around the world will be watching to see what effect the curfews will have. If they do work, it will remain to be seen what steps will be taken to, as Khalil Gibran said, pull the "decayed teeth … rotten, black and dirty … that fester and stink" from their base in French society, as it exists today.

Update: The New York Times has op-eds on this.

posted by Lazarus, 11:18 PM