France riots

[LuckyTheDog]

I have not been following this as closely as I probably should have. So can someone give me a brief run-down on how this got started, how it grew so big and and what the motivation of the rioters is?

Why did it take France so long to impose curfews and take other such action? It seems to me that "clamping down" with law enforcement -- while sometimes necessary to protect lives and property -- can't be the only reaction. In the long run, it doesn't solve these kind of problems. What do you think will and/or should be their next steps?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/11/08/france.riots/index.html

[bryant69]

1. France has a very strict assimilationist immigration policy

My understand is that if you can't become french fairly quickly; you are marginalized. There is no such thing as affirmative action, and little attempt to help those in immigrant quarters to move into French Society.

Thus you have enclaves, in some cases very large enclaves, where there isn't much hope. I have heard it compared to Watts in the 1970s.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[LuckyTheDog]

5. Interesting

In know that they banned head scarves in schools a while back. When I heard that I thought... "not exactly a celebration of diversity."

No to excuse the rioters, but intolerance like that can bite you in the ass.

[ananda]

2. It started when..

.. two immigrant, poor teens were electrocuted while supposedly fleeing the police.

Now, it's outta control and spreadin all over France and into other countries.

The poor and neglected huddled masses are angry and not gonna take it any more.

Yes.

[CrispyQ]

3. Yesterday on one of the business news shows (MSNBC maybe?)

someone said that we shouldn't kid ourselves to think it cannot happen here. That's the wisest thing I've heard someone say on a news show in a long time.

[ebal]

4. How poor are they?

I thought they had a pretty good welfare coverage in France.

[Loonman]

6. I'm really not that surprised

I think this is an extension of France's horrible colonial policy failing domestically. If you don't assimilate 100% onto French culture, they don't give a crap.

[RethugAssKicker]

7. To my understanding....

basically a Arab youth rebellion..

After WWII France used its colonies in N. Africa to gain manpower.
They set these people up in ghettos with very poor services and refused to integrate them into the larger french society.... This has lasted until now... and the children of these people have fucking had it... Thus the riots!!!

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ISLAM, FUNDAMENTALISM OR TERRORISM!!!