Sacre Bleu!

The last time we checked in with our TCS European
correspondent, he had just narrowly escaped getting
blown to bits in the London Underground.

Now we find him at an undisclosed location in northern
France where his earnest attempts at finding peace and
quiet have once again been shattered by civil unrest.

* * *

You know things are bad in your country of residence when
the headline on CNN reads, "Fewer cars burned last night."

And so it is that the French nation has to accept that they
too have a racial divide. Nicholas Sarkozy -- the minister
tipped to be the next French president -- last week told the
press the people responsible for the riots were "scum who
should be hosed down." He has yet to apologize and the
French arab and muslim teenagers have yet to stop burning
things.

Last year, some areas of the French government tried to
ban the wearing of headscarves or the hajib that
muslim women and girls are required to wear to protect
their modesty. Never mind the debate of whether women
being told what to wear is cool or not -- is it really
anyone's business outside of their faith?

Anyway, the muslim community was up in arms at their
young girls having to go to school without them -- the
justification being that the French government did not want
religious beliefs being espoused in school by the kids. Yet
christian kids were allowed to continue wearing necklaces
with Jesus on the cross.

In the arab/muslim/black poor communities in France
there is 50% unemployment and the young people
interviewed stated they were often refused work because
of their ethnicity. Now the government is claiming those
arrested for rioting will be deported. Great. France has
lots of land borders, so getting back in for them is very
easy -- and this time they will be really pissed.

It doesn’t take a genius to see where this will end up.
With any luck the French people themselves will voice a
sensible opinion and someone in government will listen
and act. I hope so.

- T.

* * *

Thanks mate. Good luck with that new summer
home in Fallujah.