Comments on: Ça ne fait rien http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/ A graduate student in mathematics and a modern languages major take on politics and culture with the following aspirational motto: ‘Deregulate your mind.’ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:29:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Dave http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1505 Dave Thu, 10 Nov 2005 16:30:45 +0000 http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1505 <p>“ for all our bleating about the wonders of multi-culturalism I see no evidence that any society with a significant minority that for whatever reason does not fully identify itself with the host society-will not experience significant inter-group conflict.” </p> <p>Agreed. As I understand it multiculturism is an attempt to preserve separateness and cultural identity of foreign groups while giving them immediate equality. Having a situation where thousands of able bodied youngsters don’t have to get up every morning and go to work or to school is untenable. Free food and housing is not enough. Mix this with fundamentalist Muslims and you have a disaster. Multiculturism is not an answer, though oddly affirmative action or some variant of it might help. Strangely, I don’t think the French have tried it.</p> “ for all our bleating about the wonders of multi-culturalism I see no evidence that any society with a significant minority that for whatever reason does not fully identify itself with the host society-will not experience significant inter-group conflict.”

Agreed. As I understand it multiculturism is an attempt to preserve separateness and cultural identity of foreign groups while giving them immediate equality. Having a situation where thousands of able bodied youngsters don’t have to get up every morning and go to work or to school is untenable. Free food and housing is not enough. Mix this with fundamentalist Muslims and you have a disaster. Multiculturism is not an answer, though oddly affirmative action or some variant of it might help. Strangely, I don’t think the French have tried it.

]]> By: Curt http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1499 Curt Thu, 10 Nov 2005 03:18:20 +0000 http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1499 <p>More or less the theory elaborated <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2129921/" rel="nofollow">here</a>. For the record, I think it may be even simpler than that. After the U.S. and Britain, which have had problems with urban riots for some decades, France probably has the largest racial minority bloc in the Western world. Much like the '60's youth rebellion in the U.S., I think this violence is primarily a demographic fact. Poverty is no doubt an aggravating factor, but for all our bleating about the wonders of multi-culturalism I see no evidence that any society with a significant minority that for whatever reason does not fully identify itself with the host society (i.e. French rather than French-Arab, or American rather than African-American) will not experience significant inter-group conflict.</p> More or less the theory elaborated here. For the record, I think it may be even simpler than that. After the U.S. and Britain, which have had problems with urban riots for some decades, France probably has the largest racial minority bloc in the Western world. Much like the ’60’s youth rebellion in the U.S., I think this violence is primarily a demographic fact. Poverty is no doubt an aggravating factor, but for all our bleating about the wonders of multi-culturalism I see no evidence that any society with a significant minority that for whatever reason does not fully identify itself with the host society (i.e. French rather than French-Arab, or American rather than African-American) will not experience significant inter-group conflict.

]]> By: Dave http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1498 Dave Thu, 10 Nov 2005 01:59:22 +0000 http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1498 <p>I am sure you can’t wait to hear my theory about the cause of the riots in France. I heard on NPR that the rioters were quiet today but were still laughing about the fun they had burning all those cars. I was at a national park recently when it came to me. There was a sign on a picnic table which I will paraphrase. “Giving fried chicken and watermelon rinds to bears is lethal. Never feed the bears. Why? Because bears given food cease to look for food in the wild and almost always become problem bears.” Or as Grandma said the devil finds work for idle hands.</p> I am sure you can’t wait to hear my theory about the cause of the riots in France. I heard on NPR that the rioters were quiet today but were still laughing about the fun they had burning all those cars. I was at a national park recently when it came to me. There was a sign on a picnic table which I will paraphrase. “Giving fried chicken and watermelon rinds to bears is lethal. Never feed the bears. Why? Because bears given food cease to look for food in the wild and almost always become problem bears.” Or as Grandma said the devil finds work for idle hands.

]]> By: Curt http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1493 Curt Wed, 09 Nov 2005 05:43:27 +0000 http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1493 <p>Ah, I thought you meant the fourth daughter, since you don't usually use Arabic numbers in that context.</p> Ah, I thought you meant the fourth daughter, since you don’t usually use Arabic numbers in that context.

]]> By: shonk http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1492 shonk Wed, 09 Nov 2005 02:31:55 +0000 http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1492 <p>That's why I said #4, as in Marshall Field IV.</p> That’s why I said #4, as in Marshall Field IV.

]]> By: Curt http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1489 Curt Wed, 09 Nov 2005 01:05:55 +0000 http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1489 <p>The daughter of the Marshall Field that died in 1906? Really?</p> The daughter of the Marshall Field that died in 1906? Really?

]]> By: shonk http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1488 shonk Tue, 08 Nov 2005 22:06:24 +0000 http://www.sellingwaves.com/2005/11/08/ca-ne-fait-rien/#comment-1488 <p>What do you expect from the daughter of Marshall Field (#4, I think)?</p> <p>Seriously, though, at least she lives in France, as opposed to sniping from across the ocean.</p> What do you expect from the daughter of Marshall Field (#4, I think)?

Seriously, though, at least she lives in France, as opposed to sniping from across the ocean.

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