France has had some troubles lately, mainly about 10,000 torched cars. The powers that be are trying to assimilate the disenfranchised and arson prone youth by getting them involved in the democratic process. This is something I heartily approve of in principle, but I think they’re going about it the wrong way.
According to this news story, a Get-Out-the-Vote rally in the same ghetto where the rioting started didn’t turn out too well. The crowd was made up of Muslims of African ancestry, but one canny heckler pointed out that not a single elected official in all of France’s National Assembly shares their heritage.
Yep, they’ve got a ways to go.
Ahhhh, you just have to love those French. Is it a certainty that Pierre and Marie Curie, were French…Opppsss, Marie was Polish by birth….BUT Pierre was born French, how could someone so intelligent be born in a land so dumb?
I’m not sure I understand the complaint here. Are African Muslim politicians simply forbidden to run for the National Assembly? Are they discriminated against in ways that they are unable to put forth a platform? Are Muslims of African ancestry blocked from voting with poll taxes and inordinately high literacy tests?
It seems to me if they fielded credible politicians with platforms that were something other than just pro-Muslim in nature, had policy that most French voters could sign on for, and large numbers of Muslims of African ancestry voted for them, there would BE people like them in the Assembly.
Also, torching 10,000 cars and rioting like barbarians seems like a counterproductive way of gaining a serious and credible voice in national politics.
This is a question: The story clearly indicates that French Muslims can vote but haven’t been, haven’t even been registering. What are the laws about who can and who can not vote? Can guest workers? Does being born in France give the right? Is the right immediate in the case of Algerians but not of, say, Jordanians? Does anyone know?
Ginny,
Only French citizens can vote in national elections. EU citizens can vote in local and European elections if their main residence is in France.
I am not sure about voting rights for citizens of former French colonies like Algeria. They may have the right to vote in local elections but would not have any right to vote in national or European elections. There may also be a fast-track citizenship option for people from former French colonies.
Since parliament seems to be organized into single members districts, it would be quite easy to ensure that some non-caucasians entered parliament, simply gerrymander districts so that the the banlieus have the majority of voters in a few of them. France has declined to do that or the people there have declined to seize the opportunity to elect one of their own.
Oh, so that was the problem! The young third generation Algerian immigrants burning cars, schools, kindergartens and disabled people were hungry for a vote!! Oh, …. wait a minute … if they were third generation, they were eligible to vote.
Oh, it must have been something else, then.
What “right” way is there to assimilate a population that doesn’t want to be assimilated?
You are projecting your own values onto a group that doesn’t share them. Muslims believe in jihad, not involvement in the “democratic process.” Trying to force the situation in France into the standard Liberal Establishment template (oppressed minority that just wants an opportunity to participate in the system) is self-delusion.
France made a major mistake in opening the floodgates to North African immigrants. Its leaders should admit to a blunder, and reverse the damage by deporting Muslims who live on the dole and turn their banlieues into no-go areas. Instead, they will try the usual social engineering remedies, uselessly, until the ugly civil war breaks out.
Deportation seems to me a more humane way to go.