So says French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin about the failure of the French political system to integrate Muslims from north Africa and Arab nations into the country's life and the abominable failure to confront and end the lawlessness, some of it no doubt inspired by Islamofascist ideology, on French streets.
These twin failures have implications beyond the French borders, of course.
The French failure to assimilate has created a hotbed for Islamofascist recruitment in the heart of democratic Europe.
The French failure to thus far, deal effectively with the rioting there, now for nearly two weeks, will embolden all Islamofascists, with their desire to dictate the practices and daily life of every country, leaving behind all notions of pluralism or equal access to the marketplace of ideas.
The Republic is at a moment of truth. But if they fail this time, we might all pay the price.
[Of course, this all leaves America with a question: How well are we, the great melting pot, doing in assimilating folks from other lands? I'm not talking about illegals or those who sneak into the country bent on destroying America. I'm talking about those who, like the ancestors of every person born in this country, believe in the promise of opportunity in America. Assimilation is a very patriotic cause. It's also right and it's also shrewd. Just ask the French.]
7 comments:
I discovered your blog via technorati and I started to write a comment. My comment quickly became sufficiently large that I decided to post it to my blog instead. Anyway, if you're interested take a look.
Raul the Poolboy
An insightful post indeed. However, i would take issue with the term 'islamofascist'.
If it is 'fascist' because it is centred around a single faith, then we can call every nation that believes in the supreme divinity of the idea of the state as 'nationalfascism'. If we are to state that it is deserving of this term because it is anti-democratic, then that would be a claim that existing 'democracies' have realised the ideal of 'Democracy'.
http://diretribe.blogspot.com
Raul and Inquisitor:
Thanks to both of you for dropping by and for leaving comments. I will be checking out both of your blogs.
Mark Daniels
Bloggers do like to stir up the pot a bit.
It is shrewd to assimilate those who come to our country, but assimilation is a two-way agreement. Some cultures who arrive on our borders don't wish to assimilate. They say together, they buy whole neighborhoods.
We need to get more humane and more clever.
Liz:
Interesting comments. I'd like it if you expanded on the idea of getting "more humane and more clever."
Mark
Twin failures -- very true -- and therefore not merely a matter of choosing left or right. Good observations, Mark.
Richard:
As always, thank you!
Mark
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