By: Jean Granville

Jean Granville — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:44:29 +0000

Jack, calling the French racist provides a perfect example of what I refer to as “simplistic arguments”.But I may be wrong (and maybe I am myself unconsciously racist, after all). So let us suppose we are racist: by what paradox would the implementation of preferential measures in favor of immigrants and to the detriment of the “racist” host population, make it less racist and more willing to accept immigrants? I’m puzzled.

By: Jack Haas

Jack Haas — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:51:15 +0000

I don't believe Sarkozy's approach is incoherent at all. I believe it is based on a simple observation : France and the USA have opposite approaches.France's has failed miserably, America's has succeeded admirably. America offers opportunity but sanctions bad behavior. France offers no opportunity and turns a blind eye to the most abject behaviors as long as they occur in select enclaves, away from the middle and upper classes' eyes. Free money, housing and health care and leniency towards criminals as long as the non-white minorities stay in their ghettos.

So, sure, the white French hide behind republican ideals to preserve the statu quo. And yes, obviously, Affirmative Action is not an ideal solution and certainly not as a permanent solution. But I put my disgust for French values and French politics to vote for Sarkozy precisely for his quality that, to me, represented France's last best hope to become a decent country : his American approach to things that can be summed up like this : "can it work ?". Affirmative Action has produced a black middle class. The capitalist system and WASP work ethics of racial, cultural and religious blindness has allowed people from all races, cultures and religious to achieve the American dream. France's racism and political cynicism masquerading as principle have produced a ticking time bomb. Its elitist-monarchist-socialist sclerotic market, its government-media complex make sure opportunity is reserved to a chosen few.

During my years in the US, in the late 90s, many of the friends I was hanging out with on a daily basis were Moroccan, algerian and tunisian-born American citizens who were either born in France or had first migrated to France as students. You can't imagine how much they loved the US and how much they loathed and hated France and the proudly racist French ! By their own admission, some of them had been troublemakers, perfect examples of the "thugs" Sarkozy denounced. In the US, some of them were regular joes making a good living by working 3 jobs, 18 hours a day, and loving the opportunity to rise early, provide for their families, and enjoy the same lifestyle that the white christian majority enjoys. Quite a few were successful business executives with impressive resumes. What ALL of them were ? Model citizens and flag waving patriots. There was anger, bitterness in their voices when they recalled their French experience, and it only made them express their love for the US with even more passion and fervor.

So I'm glad Sarkozy wants to take the right approach. France won't be a land of opportunity anytime soon, and Sarkozy probably knows his hands are tied on that one. So the only solution left is Affirmative Action as the carrot, strict law enforcement as the stick. What scares me is how far left most sectors of the French society are and left-wing activist judges are a powerful part of the dominant paralyzing trifecta along with the media and academia. So I am not too optimistic about the "stick" part of his plan.

But Sarko's greatest foe might just be ordinary racism. No matter how good his plan is... as Don Rumsfeld would say, Sarkozy has to govern with the population he has, not the one he wants. We might have elected an "American" leader, but unfortunately the French are still French, as recent events have shown.

Comments on: Sarko’s No Show No Go

By: Jean Granville

By: Jack Haas