France catalyst for European melt down?

[Daisy]

I was worried when I saw Le Pen do so well in the elections. I wonder if this is a retaliation for the sentiments expressed in those elections?

Worse it's not hard to imagine this spreading to Germany and Britain. Anyone in Europe have a good finger on the pulse of this one?

[Daisy]

For context see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_French_civil_unrest

I noticed they just imposed a curfew across the country too.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4414684.stm

[EPelle]

Lesson:

Treat immigrant citizens as Frenchmen, and not as outsiders.

[gh]

I thought this columnist made some good points.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f ... FJJBC1.DTL

[tafnut]

I thought this columnist made some good points.

"The word that is missing in the headlines, and that comes in later paragraphs in news stories is: Muslim."

If this is indeed the true cause of the rioting, we can now see the the 'Middle East Issue' of Christians vs. Muslims will become the Crusades of the 21st century, but with a new twist - civil war, in which we fight amongst ourselves, instead of Us vs. Them. The fact of this century is that we are an integrated society that had better learn to deal with our heterogeneity a whole lot better than we have in the past. How ironic that what was once perceived as the Race Issue has become the Religion Issue again. Seems we have learned nothing in the last couple millennia. Will 'Religion' lead us back into the Dark Ages?

[bad hammy]

I'm under the impression that this is basically a breakdown due primarily to economics and not religion. From what I gather France (and much of Europe) is not unlike America, in that non-whites traditionally sit on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. Once in a while these lower rung folks get set off and riots occur. Economic and social disenfranchisement will do that to folks.

[SQUACKEE]

ive heard that the us has added 56 million new jobs in the last 20 years and europe has added 4 million. thats not good. lighting an old woman or cars on fire usually doesnt help gain employment.