Well, my postings regarding the riots in France earlier this year needs an additional comment or two. In light of the recent activity by French students, the earlier problematic behavior by disenchanted Muslim youth proves to be rather French indeed. Perhaps they are adjusting to the French lifestyle after all.
After reading several news stories and commentaries, I had to sit back and shake my head. I don't get it.
A recent article by the BBC stated that "Hundreds of thousands of people - mostly students - have taken to the streets in France for a second week of protests against the controversial new employment contracts."
Their plight? The government won't tuck them in anymore. They want a powerful government to give them everything or they will shit on everything for everybody else. Very French.
“All it could take is one careless spark for this howl of existential anxiety to explode,” went the article.
I do not mean to relish in the woes of the French...but part of me does. It has to do with their inferiority complex. Right. Inferiority, not superiority. I mean that in the sense of "Me thinks thou doth protest too much." The French complain about everything and blame the Anglo-American hegemony for it all while they are at it. They claim to be so civilized while they burn shit to the ground.
If you remember, they offerred to buy back New Orleans because they have a more tolerant society. What a yuck that was. Of course there are still issues in the States. People are people. However, the overt racism in Europe makes the US look like we are all sitting around a campfire together. NIMBY? Please!
I guess I would not revel in it so much if their juvenile petulance was not equal to their determination to block anything put forth by the States. Jesus wept! Their general lack of gratitude is nothing new. The iconic DeGaulle was an egotistical douche bag. He could have screwed up a wet dream. Forget war plans. The post-WWII France? Can we say "Anti-American agenda" any louder?
Yet, I'll admit that I like France. However, to paraphrase a buddy of mine "But there are too many French people there." I have French friends and we agree to disagree on a plethora of issues. We get along fine. I would even enjoy living there, I'm sure. I like the wine, language and cafe' society for sure.
Unfortunately, the thing that that stands out from my last sojourn there was a petite, young American girl being knocked down by a 20-ish Frenchman running around a corner, then her being ignored by him as he sped off after being momentarily inconvienenced.
Yes. All those ill-mannered, ungrateful Muslims rioting in the Paris suburbs. Seems to me that matches the French notion of liberty and fraternity all too well. After all, the seed for the Islamic Revolution in Iran was germinated there. So was the Bolshevik one for that matter.
As Caroline Wyatt sublimely stated in her BBC story "To the barricades, they went, these revolutionaries, to fight for their rights - to pensions, mortgages and a steady job. Such odd revolutionaries. No heartfelt cry to change the world, but a plea for everything to stay the same. For France to remain in its glorious past: a time of full employment and jobs for life - a paternalistic state to take care of them from cradle to grave."
I guess I just don't get it. If a government is powerful enough to give you everything, they sure as hell are strong enough to take all you've got. I guess that is why some things in the US are "self evident."
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