... and Paris is still burning.
The riots, which French officials steadfastly refused to call an "intifada," never ceased. Gangs of Muslim youth in Paris slums continue to attack police and continue to rampage at will, smashing and burning everything in their path. 2500 French police have been injured by rioters so far this year.
Whether they admit it or not, France is being held hostage by foreign Muslims who practice a radicalized version of their faith. Like so much of Europe, France is plagued by a lack of a true spiritual national identity, a soul; along with declining birth rates, a burdensome welfare system, and a selfish attitude that dismisses the plight of immigrants. They may lecture themselves to death about how to avoid offending Muslims, but at the same time the problems inherent in assimilating a massive wave of foreign immigrants are almost universally ignored.
The result is a nation that can only try to appease the restless Muslim masses within its borders by making empty promises and passing out more welfare checks. At this point, France cannot afford to actually participate in the war on terror because if it does, Muslim anger will reach the boiling point and France's major battles will actually be fought in its own streets. And the last thing Europe wants is civil war within its own borders. Americans who don't understand Europe's unwillingness to join our fight against Islamic terror should consider this before automatically assuming that everything is George W. Bush's fault.
Mark Steyn has some pretty good ideas about why France is in so much trouble. The New York Sun has a good editorial as well.
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